Page 13 of One Last Storm
“Got plans?” Shep asked, a grin sliding up his face.
Funny, it occurred to Axel that Shep had seemed a little dark the past few days. So, he grinned back. “Maybe.”
Shep nodded, still grinning.
“Is that why you’re carrying around a ring?” Luna, her eyes wide.
The room went quiet.
“I saw it?—”
“Luna, honey, maybe that’s not any of our business.” This from her grandmother, who came over to her, but looked at Axel. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay.” He sighed. “But yes. I want to get home to propose.”
Moose smiled. And London glanced at Shep for some reason, then held up her fist for a bump. Whatever.
“It’s about time,” said London, then. “I can tell you, as her roommate, she’s been wondering what’s taking you so long.”
“She’s, uh…” Busy? Consumed? The room stilled, again, as he stumbled over the words. “It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not.” Una Matthews smiled at him from where she sat organizing packages. “Love’s the simplest thing in the world, young man. Everything else is just noise.”
Love.
Yes of course he loved Flynn. Had loved her since maybe the very moment she saved him, drowning in the middle of the Alaskan bay. He loved the way she laughed at terrible movies and made coffee strong enough to wake the dead. Loved her copper hair, her beautiful green eyes that just seemed to understand him. Loved that she made way for his job, understood his family, the way Air One had become his whole world.
Except, she’d become his whole world.
“What’s her name?” Luna asked, walking over to the long table and picking up a Christmas cookie.
“Flynn.”
“That’s a pretty name. Is she pretty too?”
“Very.” The word came out without thinking, and Axel realized he was smiling. “She’s got red hair and green eyes, and she’s probably the smartest person I know. She’s a detective, like Sherlock Holmes.”
“Does she solve mysteries?”
“All the time.”
“Does she want to marry you?”
He glanced at London, who lifted a shoulder.
They lived separately—Flynn with London, him in his apartment across town. And sure, they spent nearly all of their free time together, but…okay, he’d just assumed. Assumed that she wanted to take things slow.
Maybe it was too slow.
“I hope so,” he said quietly.
The cabin fell silent except for wind and crackling fire. Moose was still studying the map, but Axel could see him listening. Shep had stopped pretending to check equipment. Even Winter and Topher were paying attention.
“I am planning on proposing Christmas morning,” Axel said. “I have it all planned out.”
His hand moved to his chest pocket again, and this time he didn’t stop himself from touching the box outline. “I didn’t mean to bring the ring on the trip, but I just picked it up, and I…well, I didn’t want it to get lost.”
The words hung in the air, back to the what-ifs.
