Page 89 of Second Dance
Bella sniffed, drawing in a shaky breath. “I brought him back into our lives and now I’ve cost you all this money and he tried to hurt Grace and he’s just so awful. What if I did this because I’m just like him? I wreck things.”
“Don’t be a goose,” Peter said, wrapping his arm around his sister’s shoulder before turning toward her. “You take after Dad. Our real dad.” He gestured toward Alex. “A badass. Total GOATs, both of you.”
Alex chuckled. “I’m not sure what I’m the greatest of all time at, but that’s very sweet, Peter.”
“Dad, you are the greatest dad of all time,” Bella said, a tenuous smile lifting the corners of her mouth. “I’m not the greatest anything.” She lay her cheek on her brother’s shoulder. “But thanks just the same.”
“You are, though,” Peter said. “You’re the greatest at caring about people. When you love someone, you give them your whole heart. It’s just one of the things that makes you special. No one could ask for a better sister.”
“I wish you were my sister for real,” Grace said, sounding slightly mournful. “I’d give anything to have one like you. And a brother like Peter.”
Bella turned toward Grace, wrapping her arms around her neck for a quick hug. “You’re already like a sister to us.” She looked up at me, shyness reflected in her brown eyes. “And you’re like our guardian angel or something.”
A lump formed in my throat, rendering me unable to speak, so I simply nodded and placed my hand on top of Bella’s wet head. Over the kids, Alex’s eyes met mine, and the emotion there—gratitude, love, wonder—made me want to twirl across the patio in a ballet about the greatest love story of all time.
“My mom’s a total GOAT too,” Grace said.
From behind us, I heard Sonya’s footsteps. When I glanced back at her, she was standing quite still, watching us, a smile on her round face that expressed both joy and pride at the sight of us acting like a family.
But Sonya didn’t comment on the moment, merely announced that it was time to eat. “Dinner’s in fifteen. I hope you’re all hungry.”
“We are,” Peter shouted.
Alex thanked her as he rose to his feet, and offered me a hand, pulling me up and keeping hold even after I’d steadied.
I smoothed back my wayward curls. “Kids, it’s going to get cool soon. Go up and shower and put some dry clothes on as quickly as you can.”
“I can’t wait for dinner,” Grace said, scrambling out of the water.
“Me too,” Bella said, seeming to have recovered from her fears—for the time being at least.
Peter and Bella quickly followed Grace, grabbing towels before heading inside.
When it was just the two of us, I wrapped myself around Alex, pressing my cheek against his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath my ear, solid and reassuring.
“I knew it would all work out in the end,” I said.
He held me tight, one hand sliding into my hair, the other splayed across my back. “Youareour guardian angel. Right here on earth.” His voice went low and dark. “I still can’t quite believe you’re here.”
“I’m here. Exactly where I want to be.” I tilted my head back to look at him, and the intensity in his eyes stole my breath. The last light of sunset made his face luminous, softening the lines around his eyes. “And I have no plans on going anywhere anytime soon.”
His expression shifted to hope mixed with vulnerability, like he was standing at the edge of something vast and terrifying and wonderful all at once. He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs stroking my cheekbones.
“How about you stay with me forever?” Alex asked.
My heart kicked against my ribs. “Forever sounds perfect.”
He smiled then, that boyish grin that made him look years younger. But his hands trembled slightly against my face. “In that case …” He paused, seeming to gather courage. “This is probably terrible timing, and I promise I’ll do this properly when the moment’s right, but—” He laughed, nervous in a way I’d never heard him before. “What’s your ring size?”
The world tilted. Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading outward until I felt drunk with happiness. “My ring size?”
“I want to do this right. The proposal, I mean. Something worthy of you.” His eyes searched mine, vulnerable and open. “But I need to know—is that okay? Am I moving too fast?”
I reached up and covered his hands with mine, holding them against my face. The warmth of his palms, the slight tremor in his fingers. I wanted to memorize this moment, every detail of it. “Alex Garcia, you could ask me right now and I would say yes.”
“Don’t tempt me.” He pressed his lips to my forehead and I could feel his smile against my skin. “Because I just might.”
“Size six.” My voice came out, barely a whisper.
