Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72790 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72790 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“I’ll be right behind you.”
That did it. They relaxed instantly. I was touched by their trust in me. They walked down the path without hesitation and up the incline. They gasped with pleasure when they saw the string lights. Jacey ran out onto the bedrock and turned in a circle with her arms spread.
“It’s so beautiful!”
“It’s yours.” I stared into Angel’s eyes and slid my hands into my pockets. “If you want it.”
“I don’t understand…”
“I bought it. The land. I bought it from Dev. It’s a good spot for a house, isn’t it?”
Understanding dawned and she nodded, looking thrilled. But I knew she didn’t really get what was happening.
“It’s beautiful, Lucky.”
“Jacey, will you come over here?”
She nodded and ran to where I stood in the half circle by the cliff’s edge, but not too close. Slowly I lowered myself to one knee. Angel’s hand clapped over her mouth. Jacey started smiling so wide I thought her face would split in two.
I started with Kirsten.
“Mama first.”
Jacey nodded and I pulled out a small velvet box.
“Angel. Kirsten. I didn’t know what love was until I met you. I want to ask you if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
“Oh, Lucky…” she sighed as I held up the ring. It was a simple gold band with a heart-shaped diamond. There were two emeralds on either side that reminded me of her eyes. Janet had helped me pick the ring out, too. “It’s beautiful.”
“Will you?”
She bit her lip, her eyes searching mine.
“Are you sure? You’re not going to… change your mind?”
I smiled, although it broke my heart that my woman didn’t know her worth.
“No, Angel. I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Then yes.” She nodded as tears filled her eyes. “Yes, Lucky, I will marry you.”
I slid the ring onto her finger. She reached for me but I shook my head.
“Not quite yet.”
I pulled out another box. This one was a little bigger. I opened it to reveal a heart-shaped locket.
“Jacey, would you be my stepdaughter?”
Jacey’s sweet little face lit up. It took about a half a second before she threw her arms around me. I felt her tears on my cheeks and realized they were mixing with my own. I heard her whisper yes in my ear and finally stood up, lifting her with me. Angel was crying when I kissed her.
We were all a big mess, standing there together on the rock that we were going to build our family on.
I set Jacey down and fastened the necklace around her neck. Then I finally pulled my woman into my arms for a real kiss. I did my best to keep it PG. Jacey was cheering us loudly as I planted a long, deep kiss on her mama.
The sky was turning from pink to dark purple as we held hands and walked back to the cabin. While we were gone, my family had worked their magic. String lights were wrapped around the deck railings. There were candles everywhere, real ones this time for keeping the bugs away.
Cheers erupted from the deck as we came towards the house. The little gate above steps that led to the side of the deck was wide open and waiting for us. My Angel stopped, looking worried.
“You okay? These people are my family.”
“Do they… know? What happened?”
“Yes. And they would die to protect you and Jacey.”
“But they don’t even know me.”
“You met Jack. He vouched for you. And it doesn’t matter anyway. They know me.”
“Oh.”
“You ready for this?”
I squeezed Kirsten’s hand and she nodded.
“How about you, kiddo?”
“Awesome.” Jacey gave me a thumbs up and then ran forward screaming, “Jack!”
I shook my head and smiled at my woman.
“She’s quite a girl.”
“Yes, she is. What you did back there for her, Lucky…”
I saw the tears in her eyes and stopped her with a kiss. She exhaled in a long, happy sigh.
“You okay?”
“Yes. Better than okay.”
“Good.” I squeezed her hand. “Let’s go.”
We walked towards the party hand in hand.
Two hours later and I was still grinning from ear to ear. My woman was surrounded by a flock of pretty girls in the corner of the deck. Jacey was playing with the older kids, all of them redheads except for her. They’d been told not to get too rough.
And my Angel was finally going to be mine. She knew she was safe here. She was even relaxed and smiling. Her shoulders were loose for the first time since that night with Sal. I should have known the ladies would make her feel at home.
Other than Kaylie and Janet, most of them had been strangers before a handful of years ago. Sally and Becks had started out as part of the crew at Mae’s, which was an extended family to the club. Molly wasn’t from our town at all. She’d moved here because she’d found a nursing home that would take her brother.