Page 59 of Loving Lex

“For Charli?” she asked in mock offense.

He gave her a look. “Yeah, smartass.”

“Everybody done?” Lex asked. “Grab your drinks, let’s check out the balcony.”

He scraped his chair back abruptly, nearly knocking me sideways but not meeting my eyes with his mumbled apology.

“You okay?” I asked as Lucky chuckled and clapped a strong hand on Lex’s shoulder.

“Of course,” he said, winking at me and kissing the top of my head.

He was fidgety tonight, that was for sure. Introspective and quieter than usual. But I understood that. Seeing Lucky and Grace again, and having Maverick and his wife join us... I had no doubt it stirred up his old fighting spirit. He was probably thinking about his brother. Or of shooting things. It was hard to say with this man of mine.

We all went out on the balcony, a beautiful overlay of old and new, wrought iron railings mixed with gauzy draping and soft twinkle lights, even in the daylight. An old archway dressed one end, inviting lovers to stand beneath it and pledge their love. It was perfect. We all went to the railing, overlooking the busy partying buzz that was Bourbon Street. People laughing, drinking, wandering in and out of bars as different jazz tunes melded together and drifted up to our ears. A lone sax player crooned out an additional sultry melody on the corner next to a fresh flower kiosk.

“Ooh, flowers,” Rebekah sang out, and Maverick laughed.

“What did I tell you, buddy?” he said to Lex under his breath, nudging his arm. “Guys, what do you say we go down there and woo our women?”

I laughed out loud.

“I don’t think wooing is necessary,” I said. “Kind of thinking we’re all sure things.”

But they were all headed down the small staircase on the side of the balcony, dodging other patrons coming up. Lex turned to me with a shrug and a grin that said he was rolling with it.

He looked happy. I loved that look on him. I loved him. My father had actually done me the greatest favor ever when he cut me off. That act had sent me to Vegas and to that crappy apartment, and straight to the love of my life.

My father would never know that because we’d never speak again. My family as I used to know it wasn’t worthy of me. Not anymore. Anyone who can throw someone away like he did, start over, and think so little of me that he’d believe I’d make up being abducted forattention?

He and his new family could live happily ever after with their miserable money and lavish lifestyle. I looked around me, tears burning the backs of my eyes, at the people whohadbeen there for me. Who’d risked their lives and the lives of their loved ones for me, without hesitation.Thiswas my family now.

“This is fun,” Rebekah said, leaning over to bump shoulders with me as the four of us leaned with our elbows on the railing, glasses of sweating drinks in our hands, watching four big, burly tough guys go buy us flowers. “I’m so glad we took the time to come out.”

“Me, too,” I said. “And I think it means the world to Lex that—”

Jarod turned around suddenly, holding a bouquet of spring flowers up to Sophia, and we all giggled. Maverick followed suit, holding pink roses up for Rebekah. Lucky then turned around with a fist full of yellow daisies for Grace, and she cooed and held a hand to her heart.

Lex was the last one to turn, and I wondered what flowers he’d picked for me. Yet when he turned to look up at me, it wasn’t with flowers.

It was with a tiny box.

As he sank to one knee.

The other women squealed and screamed and pawed at me, but all I could do as I stood there frozen to the railing, mouth agape, was look into his beautiful, intense face and listen to my heart thunder in my ears.

The crowds parted below and moved to the side as they noticed what was happening, cell phones clicking as they caught the random moment of some stranger making a grand gesture on the street.

That stranger was mine. And he was... oh, my God, he was doing this. They were doing this, I realized, as each guy slapped him on the shoulder and backed off, grinning up at me. They’d planned it, all the bathroom trips were about—

“Lex,” I whispered through my tears, not that he could hear it.

“I love you, Shay Steele,” he called up, his voice hoarse with emotion. “You’re my everything. All I want. All I need. I don’t have much to offer you, but everything I have is yours. Always and forever. And my solemn promise to you is that I will love you and cherish you and protect you for the rest of my life if you’ll let me.”

“Oh, my God!” several people murmured down below.

I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t stop staring at the unbelievable scene unfolding down there. For me.

“I will always,alwayscome for you, baby,” he said, his voice cracking. “I know I’m not the best at this stuff, but—” He stopped and looked down at the ring that glinted from the box and then back up to me. “Do forever with me. Please. Starting right now.”

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