Page 132 of Mr. Flirt

“Lucy, I just nabbed the best contract and trial lawyer in the city, and you want to thank me?”

She smiled and shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

We climbed into the car, and I pulled onto the street. She thought we were headed back to my condo, but I had a little surprise for her first.

She’d been working insane hours these last six months and basically crashed at my condo every night just so we could see one another, but it was all for a good purpose.

Lucy had decided she wanted to give up being a divorce lawyer, at least for now, and focus on more pro-bono work and lead my legal team four days a week. In order to make a clean break, she worked her butt off to tidy up her workload and shift cases where they needed to go.

The firm didn’t want to see her take any clients, which was fine with her since she didn’t feel like ending any more marriages for now. Instead, she wanted to focus on bringing families back together again and found a great volunteer position at the community center that dealt with homelessness and child welfare.

I couldn’t be prouder of her.

“So, they took the news okay?” I drove about two blocks before spotting the parking garage to the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

“If I’d told them I was leaving to go to a competing firm or wanted to take some clients, it could have been a very stressful event, but the firm loves nothing more than retaining clients and patting themselves on the back when one of their own stars decides to do good for the world because it means they don’t have to.”

I chuckled, knowing she was right.

“This isn’t our place.” She glanced at me as I pulled up to the valet.

“Nope. I thought we should enjoy a celebratory dinner.”

“You always know the way to my heart or in my pants or...”

“Lucy, seriously. I’ve really rubbed off on you too much.”

She chuckled as the valet opened her door and helped her out of the car. I followed her to the doors and felt a jolt of nerves thread through me like I was on fire.

This could go one of two ways, and I was really hoping for the positive one. The more time I spent with Lucy, the more I realized I couldn’t live another day without her.

As we made our way past the restaurant, she glanced at me and furrowed her brows. “Aren’t we supposed to go there?”

I held her hand and walked toward a small ballroom and opened the doors to a private reception area with one long table overflowing with white roses and hydrangeas. Towering floral arrangements flanked the corners of the room, and Lucy looked at me with eager eyes.

“Shep? Why do I feel like something big is about to happen?”

I chuckled as we took a seat. “Define big.”

“Umm. Perry is here?”

I laughed and shook my head, pulling her hands into mine. I knelt down, and her eyes widened as I pulled out a ring box.

“Yes!” she screamed before I had a chance to say anything.

Her hands trembled, running up to her face as she laughed and shook her head. “I mean, sorry. I just wanted to go on record.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You’re not in the courtroom anymore. I promise.”

Lucy leaned over and kissed me.

“Lucy, you are the best thing that happened to me. I always thought that love was too fragile for a guy like me, and then I met you. And I realized that I’d finally met my match. I wasn’t the only one who was scared of loving with all their heart because we knew what that really meant if we failed.”

Lucy sniffled, still trembling, and I smiled. “Lucy, I promise to love you for the rest of my life. I promise never to accept another dare or participate in another prank for as long as I’m on this earth. I want lots of little Lucys and Sheps running around. Lucy, will you make me the happiest man on earth and be my partner, my wife, my everything?”

Tears streamed down Lucy’s cheeks as her hands came up and clutched my cheeks.

“Yes, Shep. Yes. I thought you’d never ask.”

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