Page 137 of The Fast Lane

I pulled her close and buried my nose in the spot where her shoulder met her neck, breathing in the familiar spice that clung to her skin.

“Not that I’m not enjoying this but,” she pulled back a little to look up at me, “why are you here?”

“I have a surprise.” I skated my hands down her arms and grasped her hands.

“I love surprises.”

I took a deep breath and blurted it out. “I want to get married.”

Ali froze, her eyes latched onto my face. “I-is that a proposal?”

Pulling her along, I took a few shuffles toward the clearing but not close enough for her to see anything. Yet.

“Because if that was a proposal, the answer is yes. I mean, I don’t want to seem too easy but…well, when it comes to you, I’m easy.”

Someone behind me laughed softly.

I pretended to frown. “You should make me work for it.”

She shook her head. “No, really. I’m good. Let’s get married. Could we go to Vegas? Knock it out in a weekend?” Her teeth latched onto her lower lip, her eyes staring somewhere into the middle distance. “Although Mom and Dad would be upset about that. And I would want Cal and Melanie there. And Abe and Hallie. Plus, Mae and Chris. Oh, and Ellie. That might be hard for her to get away to Vegas with work and all. And maybe Travis would want to come?”

“Ali…”

“No, no. I can figure this out.” Her nose scrunched in concentration. I leaned forward and kissed it. She kept right on talking. “We could wait until school’s out. Probably after the Fourth of July. That’s going to take up a lot of my time. And then maybe…”

I tugged her around the bend until we were standing under the wooden arch. “Ali.”

She blinked, glancing around her. Her gaze came back to mine, wide and shiny, like she was on the verge of tears. “W-what is all this?”

“Auntie Ali, you’re getting married, and I get to be the flower girl.” Hallie threw a handful of petals in the air with enthusiasm. Stephanie leaned down and shushed her.

“I’m getting married?” Ali breathed. “In front of the Legacy Tree?”

“On a random Thursday afternoon in June. With family and a few friends.” I picked up her hand and placed it over my racing heart. “Just like you said.”

“I said that?”

“About ten months ago. It took forever for June to get here.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “What do you think? Want to get married?”

A tear slid down her cheek, but her smile was brighter than the sun. “Yes, please.”

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