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In all of this, Declan doesn’t comment, though he does glance at Lexi every so often. I’m proud to introduce her as my girlfriend even though it’s not official. We’re good together.
I ask Declan about his pizza restaurant and he lights up as he tells me his plans. His eyes sparkle as he talks about his business. We have a lot of financial matters to talk about, but this is not the time or place.
Time flies as we catch up. We take two beers each and then switch to water.
“My shift’s about to end, do you gentlemen want anything else?” Lexi says.
We both say no and when Lexi finishes her shift, the three of us leave together. Outside, Lexi and I say goodbye to Declan, and we head to my car.
In the privacy of the car, I lean to Lexi and kiss her. Her lips are soft and yielding and I nibble on them for a couple of seconds. “You smell so good,” I murmur.
She laughs. “Are you sure? Because I’m pretty sure that I smell like beer.”
“Well, yes but then you also smell like lemons,” I tell her and reluctantly pull back.
As we drive home, we chat easily, as a real couple does. Lexi feels like family to me in a way no other woman ever has. This seems like the right time to speak to Lexi about something that I’ve been thinking about. I kill the engine of the SUV and turn to her. “Hey, before we go in, there’s something I want to ask you.”
Lexi arranges her hands on her lap. “Sure.”
I take a deep fortifying breath. The next step I am about to take is huge. One that I never thought I ever would. “I’d love it if you and Luna would move in with me. I want to take care of you two. I want to see my girls every night before I go to sleep and the first thing when I wake up.”
Lexi lets out a nervous laugh. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
The things I saw in Afghanistan taught me that happiness is fleeting. You should grab it when it presents itself. Not too long ago, I’d believed that I had lost the ability to be happy. But I haven’t and this is the happiest I’ve been in years.
“No, I don’t. When I see something I want, I go for it. And I want you and Luna.”
Lexi laces her fingers together. “I understand your wanting to be close to Luna. But for us, Ace, don’t you think that we’re moving too fast? Moving in together is a big step and we haven’t really known each other for long.”
“I feel like I’ve known you forever,” I tell her.
That brings out a smile. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
That’s good enough. “Okay.”
She kisses me lightly on the mouth and then gets out of the car. I grab a wrapped package on the back seat and follow Lexi to the house.
“What’s that?” she asks as she unlocks the door.
“A gift for Luna. I hope she likes it.”
“That’s sweet of you,” Lexi says. “She doesn’t get a lot of those.”
My heart squeezes when Lexi says that. I know that they have so little. That’s one of the reasons why I want to move them into my condo. It’s simpler to make life easier for Lexi when she’s living with me. It’s also a step closer to solidifying our relationship. Before Lexi knows it, I’ll have a ring around her finger.
We step into the house and Luna comes running and throws herself at her mom. When she sees me, she gets out of her mother’s embrace and throws herself to me.
“I’ve got something for you,” I tell her. We go to the living room and say hello to Vanessa.
Luna pulls me to the rug on the floor. We sit down and I help her unwrap the gift. Lexi and her sister sit watching us. The wrapper comes out to reveal a white box. I help Luna open it and her gorgeous brown eyes widen and light up when she sees the red teddy bear with a bow.
She lets out a squeal. “Teddy,” she says, her voice filled with wonder.
Warmth spreads across my chest. I sneak a glance at Lexi. Her eyes are wet. Seeing my girls happy makes my chest swell with an emotion that has not yet been named. It’s more than joy.
I want more of these moments. I want us to have a houseful of memories. Luna is immediately engrossed in a world of her own. She takes the teddy bear and makes him walk and sit. She talks to him in a language only the both of them can understand.
When I glance at Lexi, she mouths the words, thank you, at me. If only she knew. I’m the one who should be thanking her for gifting me with Luna. How can you repay a woman for giving you a child, for giving you a purpose in life?
