“Did you know?” she asked Lexie.
I laughed and said, “I didn’t even know until this moment.”
Alexandra tried to give Lexie the ring box, but Lexie shook her head and pressed it into Alexandra’s hands. “Keep it. And when you get older and someone breaks your heart, look at this box and remember that true love is real. Okay?”
We stood up, and Alexandra held the ring box and the CD in shaky hands. She smiled at us. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course, honey,” Lexie said. “And thank you. You helped make this the best day of my life.”
The girl ran back to her family, chattering a mile a minute in a high-pitched squeal of disbelieving excitement.
Lexie turned to me, turning her hand this way and that to look at the sparkle on the diamond. “Holy shit, Myles. This thing is huge.”
I admired the ring on her hand; it had been breathtaking in the store but was even more so on her hand. “Four carat central diamond, with another carat and a half of stones around the setting.”
She gasped. “Dear lord, Myles. It must have cost a fortune.”
I just shrugged. “Don’t you know, babe? I’m flush. Besides…I’d go broke giving you everything you want and deserve.”
She leaned against me. “I can’t believe you just proposed spur of the moment, on a ferry, with a fan.”
I laughed. “Me either. But that thing was burning a hole in my bag, and it just seemed…right.”
“It was perfect.” She held up her hand again. “Wow. Just…wow.” She turned in my arms to gaze up at me. “When did you know you’d propose?”
“The moment I heard you say the words ‘I love you,’” I said. “It was just a matter of when, at that point.”
She was quiet a while. “I’m one of those odd girls who didn’t spend her whole life dreaming of a wedding. I suppose you can imagine why.”
“We have all the time in the world for you start dreaming, Lex.”
She shook her head. “That’s just the thing. I don’t need all the time in the world. I don’t want a big production with, like, swans and a castle reception and all that shit.” She gazed up at me. “I can tell you what I what want right now.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“Get the guys here—in Ketchikan, as soon as possible. I’ll get Torie and Poppy here, and we’ll have it on the roof of Badd Kitty. I just want to say I do and become Lexie North as soon as possible. We just had our honeymoon, so we’re just doing it backward, right?”
“You want to take my name.” I said it as a statement but meant it as a question.
She laughed. “Surprising to me, too. I wrote a paper for a women’s studies class at Sarah Lawrence about how women taking men’s names is an archaic and outmoded tradition that should be ended.” She sighed. “And here I am, madly in love with you, and I can’t wait to take your name so the world knows I’m your wife.” She cackled. “Wife. My god. A word I never, ever thought would apply to me.”
“That’s really how you want to be married? As soon as possible, here in Ketchikan? Just family and friends and a little ceremony on the roof?”
She leaned against my chest, watching the waves clap against the bow of the ferry as we came around to dock. “Yeah. And then we can go on tour together.”
“The guys have been talking about how cool it would be to redo some of our songs as a male-female duet. Write new ones as a five-piece, you on guitar and uke, us singing together. Some with me on lead vocals, some with you on lead vocals.”
“I never wanted to insert myself into your career, Myles.”
I laughed. “Did you not hear what I said?” I touched her chin. “The guys suggested it—not me. They want to expand. They want to update our sound. They want you.”
“You’re telling the whole real truth? I can’t believe they want me in the band, especially after all the drama I put you guys through on tour.”
I sighed. Tugged out my phone and brought up a four-way FaceTime. The boat docked and we disembarked as the lines rang and the guys popped on one by one. I moved us to the side of the pier. “Hey, fellas.”
A chorus of hellos.
“Once again, you’re calling all four of us at once. Means you’ve got something to announce,” Jupiter said.
I pulled the phone back to bring Lexie into the picture, and she held up her left hand.
“Surprise!” she said, grinning ear to ear.
“No fuckin’ way!” Brand said. “That’s wicked cool, guys. Congrats.”
Lexie took the phone from me. “That’s not the real reason we’re calling, though. And by the way, you’re the first to know. It literally just happened minutes ago.”
“So what’s the real reason?” Zan asked.
“Myles was just telling me you guys want me to officially join the band. And I need to hear it from you, because I don’t quite believe him.”
“Better believe it,” Jupiter said. “We’ve been talking about it ever since the UK shows were canceled. As a band, we’ve sort of gotten stagnant with our sound, and it’s time to change it up anyway. I’m bored as fuck of hearing Myles sing all the damn time. Plus, having a pretty lady on tour would be nice, and goddamn but you’re easy on the eyes, you know? Plus, you’re talented as hell. So yes, Lexie, we as a band have collectively decided we want you to join.”
“We’ve even decided on a name,” Brand said. “The North Band.”
Lexie, newly in tune with her emotions, got all misty. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You say yes, that’s what,” Zan said. “Duh.”
She nodded, giddy, grinning ear to ear. “Yes! We’re The North Band.”
They all howled and cheered, and even I felt a little choked up. “You guys are
