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I nod, not sure what to say.

Margaret sighs again. “If you and your boyfriend are going to cover my legal fees, then you have my word I’ll do whatever it was you said about withdrawing the statement. Just make it happen.” She grunts and turns awkwardly on the doorstep.

“Thank you!”

Margaret doesn’t turn back or say goodbye. As she hobbles to her car, her daughter leans in to whisper under her breath. “Thank you. I think sometimes she just needs someone to listen to her.”

“Lucy!”

“Coming.” Lucy gives me one last smile and hurries after her mother, opening the door to help Margaret into the passenger seat.

I close the door and I’m still standing with my hand on the handle, when Luke calls out from the back. “You home, babe?”

I’m so stunned I can’t even find the words to reply. When he peeks around the door from the living room and sees me, his brows raise. “Everything OK?”

I turn and give him a dumbfounded smile. “You know what? I think everything is OK. That was Margaret.” I gesture at the closed door. “And she’s dropping the case.”

“She is?” Luke grins.

“She is!”

He catches me up in his arms and I shriek as he spins us around. “Baby, you’re a miracle worker!”

When he finally sets me down I shake my head. “No. It’s all down to your parents. She heard about your dad and felt sorry for him.”

Luke squeezes me tight one more time. “You still had a hand in it, I know.”

I bask for a moment in his relief until he finally sets me down with a chuckle. “You know you have paint smeared on your face, right?”

I brush a hand over my cheek and laugh. “It must have been there the whole time I was talking to Margaret and her daughter! God, I’m so embarrassed.”

He pulls me into another hug. “Don’t be. You’re adorable. Can’t believe you’re mine. When do I get to put a ring on this finger?”

I give him a guilty look. “Luke...”

He sets me down and puts a hand over my mouth. “Shhh. I’m only teasing. You know I’ll wait until you’re ready. Just need you to know that it’s happening one day.”

I grin. “You’ll never give up, will you?”

“Nope.”

I pull him down for another kiss, then I sigh. “You know you’re perfect, right? You always know exactly what to say. I think you know me better than I know myself sometimes.”

“You’re not hard to figure out. Just gotta pay attention.”

I smile. I don’t think anyone has ever paid attention to me the way he does. I don’t think anyone ever could. But it’s just like him to play down the effort he puts into building his life around my wants and needs. The way he’s built something here that’s bigger and better than I could have ever dreamed.

There’s no doubt in my mind we will get married one day. Just as soon as I get over the trauma of the thought of picking more wedding stationery!

TWENTY EIGHT

Mia

“Luke, we have to leave. Are you ready?”

“Don’t come up!” A moment later, Luke bounds down the stairs he built to the master suite he’s adding on our house. He looks amazing. All dressed up in a navy suit with a light blue shirt and a dark tie. He even has on fancy dress shoes.

“You look great! What were you doing up there dressed like that?” He still hasn’t finished the construction. In fact, he’s warned me off going up there because he says there could be loose cables or something.

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