“Yay, Uncle Derek!” Daisy clapped and bounced in place. “Yay, Mommy!”
Gage folded his arms over his chest, questions forming in his brain.
“When we lost Jack, I never thought I’d recover,” Lily continued.
Someone elbowed Gage’s arm, and he swung his head to the side, surprised to see Ivy and Parker next to him.
What in the actual hell is going on?
As if reading his mind, Ivy lifted her chin toward the stage.
“After Jack’s death, I never imagined falling in love again. I believed we only get once chance at finding ‘The One.’” She began choking up. Gage jerked in place, all of him wanting to comfort her, and Ivy placed a hand on his arm.
Lily’s eyes landed on him, bright with tears, setting off a chain reaction in him. Emotions jammed his throat, and tears stung his eyes.
“I was wrong,” she said. “Some of us are fortunate enough to get a second turn. I didn’t know it for a long time, and it wasn’t until I pushed mine away that I realized I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. I should have never let you walk out that door.”
Cartwheeling acrobats tumbled through his stomach. He jabbed his thumb at his swelling chest and mouthed, “Me?”
He could feel eyes burning into him even as a few tears spilled down his cheeks, but he didn’t give a fuck. All his attention was focused on one person, one voice, and the one pair of eyes locked on his.
Lily nodded. “Yes, you. I want everyone here to know that you are the finest, most caring, loving man I know. I look at you, and my heart races as if it’s going to jump out of my body. As your grandma so wisely says, life’s too short, and I don’t want to spend another minute without you. You’re the love of my life, Gage Nelson. I love you, and if you—”
He sprang onto the stage—later he’d wonder how he did it—pulled the mic from her hands, and kissed her long and deep, savoring the taste of strawberries on her lips and the heady smell of jasmine and almonds. Someone slid the mic from his grip. Everything fell away until all that remained was the feel of her soft curves nestled against him and her fingers plowing through his hair. Whistling and clapping and cheering became dull noises in his foggy brain. He kissed her with all he had, afraid she was a dream he’d awaken from and lose.
“Get a room,” someone laughed.
He couldn’t have cared less that they were, literally, onstage putting on a show.
Finally, he registered Daisy’s tiny voice. “I hope Gage is going to be my dad.”
Me too, princess.
Lily pulled away, breathless, smiling through her tears. “I didn’t intend on doing this in front of so many people.”
“I don’t give a shit about them.” He was breathing hard. “Let ’em watch. Maybe they’ll learn something.”
She giggled.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “You love me?”
“So much. Do you still love me?”
“Absolutely.” He thumped his palm against his chest. “Tell me again. I want to be sure I heard you right.”
She placed her small hands on his cheeks and brushed away his tears. “I love you, I love you, I love you! Can you forgive me for being so blind?”
“I did months ago.” Relief swam in her glistening eyes. “Can you forgive me?”
She nodded. “Did.”
“So these are the good kind oftears, right?” He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and waited.
“Yes, Professor. The best kind of tears.”
Lily floated on clouds so high she wasn’t sure she’d ever come down. He still loved her. He still wanted her. He was hers. Gage lingered on the platform, grinning at her, holding her hand while she sang Bonnie Raitt’s “Sweet Forgiveness.”
When the song was over, they stepped offstage and joined family and friends eager to congratulate them.
Ivy hugged her tight. “You deserve this life with him, Lil.”
More happy tears sprang to Lily’s eyes. “Thanks, Ive, for everything. Especially for being tough enough to make me wake up.”
“That’s what big sisters are for. And speaking of big sisters …” Ivy introduced her to Gage’s sister, Sarah, a beautiful brunette with hazel eyes.
Sarah pulled her in for a hug. “I never would’ve guessed you were a hooker,” she laughed, instantly putting Lily at ease. “I’m so happy for my brother,” she added with a warm smile.
“I’m afraid your mom won’t be pleased.”
“Don’t you worry. We’ll get her there.”
The afternoon passed in a blur. Finally, Gage leaned in and kissed Lily’s temple. “What do you say we blow this Popsicle stand? Ivy said she and Parker will take Daisy tonight.”
“What about Sarah?”
“They didn’t offer to take her too.”
Lily smacked his chest. “You know what I mean.”
He laughed. “She wants to hang out for a while, so she’ll take my car.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Will you give me a ride?”
Lily fluttered her eyelashes at him. “I’d love to, Waffle-Butt.”
A look of horror came over his face. “Oh shit. She didn’t.”
She nodded. “Yes, she did. So how old were you when you made the brilliant decision to sit buck naked on a hot waffle iron, Professor?”
He groaned aloud, pulling his hand over his face. “Two.”
Lily’s eyebrows bounced. “Do you have a scar I missed? I think I need a closer look-see.”
His lips quirked. “On one condition.” He wove his fingers in her hair and tilted her head to the side. “You will never, ever tell anyone—especially my teammates.”
“Ooh, you might have to do a lot of kissing to shut me up.”
“It’s on.”
As they drove to her house, she took in his profile, and her heart stuttered. He wore a perma-smile, glancing at her periodically without saying anything. She’d had a lot of time to consider everything she loved about him, and she added that one to the list. He seemed to dial into what she needed and give it to her, even if
