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Everyone agreed I should have the house I talked our father into building and helped design. It will be the place we all come back to for holidays and Sunday dinners.
I haven’t told anyone, not even Jaxon, but I’m already picturing it full of kids that have my hair and Jaxon’s eyes.
“First.” Jaxon glances at me, his eyes wide like he’s nervous. He’s never nervous on stage. “Thank you all for welcoming me so warmly. And thank you to Asher for letting me take his place tonight.”
“You can keep it,” Asher shouts.
Jaxon grins. “I might take you up on that, man. A bluegrass album could be fun to write.”
The crowd whoops in excitement. I catch his eyes and raise my brows to ask if he meant to make that promise. He just chuckles.
“And the second, most important thing I need to do tonight is ask a question I want you all to hear.”
He turns away from the mic and drops to one knee, holding a small black box in one hand.
My heart stops and I forget how to breathe until Clover slaps me helpfully on the back.
My heart starts back up, and the world comes back into focus with the man I love looking up at me with more love in his eyes than I ever thought possible. “Honey, I know I’m a creep who hung out in the shadows watching you for way too long. If you can forgive me for wasting that precious time, I’m hoping you’ll agree to spend the rest our lives letting me make it up to you. Honeysuckle Lonicera Weston, will you marry me?”
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I nod. I can’t believe this is really happening and I have to work hard to get the words out around the huge lump in my throat. “I love you.”
The place goes wild. There’s no way everyone could have heard what he said, but they understood what he was asking and my response.
Jaxon stands and slides a gorgeous emerald ring on my finger. It looks oddly familiar. “Is this one of the rings my grandfather stole?”
He smiles almost gleefully. “It’s a replica. I know how important family is to you, even the outlaws and the con artists.”
I look up at him, amazed at how I could ever have gotten so lucky to have so much love in my life and in my heart. “And rock stars.”
He laughs. “I knew you’d come around, eventually.”
He lifts me off my feet while he kisses me. We get one moment before we’re surrounded by my sisters and their men and the locals, including Jaxon’s aunt.
And in that moment, I say, “I love you so much I’m afraid I might explode.”
And he says, “I love you so much, I’ll find all the pieces and put you back together again.”
We get swept up with hugs and congratulations. Most of our family, including my mother and Jaxon’s aunt, are suddenly here. They’ve probably been here all along, invisible to me behind the stage lights.
Jaxon and I get separated and, as the club clears of everyone but family, I find myself near the door to the back patio. I love my family and I want to celebrate with them, but I need to get some air and take a moment, just one moment alone, to let that proposal fully sink in.
I step out into the cool night air of late April and take a seat at one of the leaf-covered tables.
I’m sitting there when Levi walks out into the night, Gentry by his side.
I open my mouth to let them know I’m here, but Gentry speaks first. “This was a mistake. I came to support Noah and Daisy, but I should have known we can’t be in the same building without things getting ugly.”
“They only get ugly because you make them that way.”
I sink back into the shadows, committed to eavesdropping now. Neither of them would be happy to know I heard even the first part of this argument.
Gentry rears back like Levi smacked her. “They get ugly because you’re an asshole, Levi Sullivan. You always have been and you always will be. You may have everyone else fooled, but I know you.”
It’s clear from Levi’s expression that her words are a direct hit. “I didn’t say that right. I just meant…”
She scoffs. “I know exactly what you meant. Just leave me alone, okay? I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.”
Levi runs a hand through his hair. “How’s that supposed to work if we’re both in your brother’s wedding party?”
