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“No way,” he replied. “As soon as this whole thing became real, she got on board fast. Most of us have been expecting this for a while now.”
I frowned. “The proposal?”
“Nah, just you and Lyndi in general,” Paul cut in. “I’m pretty sure she’s been into you since Bobby and Cassidy’s wedding when you took Shelby. Which, by the way, I don’t know if I ever thanked you for. Definitely lit a fire under me in that friend-zone department, Mr. Fake Date.”
“Is it weird not doing it anymore?” Chase asked. “The dating app thing. Because man, I gotta tell you, I could use some cash for some family stuff right about now, so maybe I could take up your gig.”
I sighed. It wasn’t weird at all. Sure, I’d be making small payments to my dad’s debt instead of large ones, but now that he was on the mend, he said he’d go back to work eventually and start taking some of the load.
Not only that, but the promotion I’d probably earn as a drill instructor would help, too. If need be, I’d talk to him about loans or special financing to make it work. But one thing was for sure, now that I had Lyndi, I didn’t miss being a fake date in the slightest. Having something real was much better.
“If you really wanna do that, lemme know. I’ll help you get set up,” I told Chase. “But be prepared to give up your weekends.”
He grimaced. “Man, I don’t know.”
I didn’t have a clue about his family situation or what he needed the money for, but if it was bad enough, he’d have to get over that. Sometimes you had to do what you had to do. But right now, I had something I had to do, so we needed to wrap it up.
“All right,” I said, straightening. “Here’s what you’re gonna do.”
We huddled around like a football team gearing up for the last quarter, and I laid out my plan. Then the guys went out ahead of me, and I turned to take one more look in the mirror. I stood straighter, adjusting the collar of the dress uniform I still hadn’t changed out of from graduation. Yeah, this was a good look for this. And my old man would get to watch me put him to shame.
I stepped into the hallway and waited out of sight from our table until the music started. Then I inched forward, waiting for my cue. This time, it wouldn’t be me singing theTop Gunsong for Lyndi. Paul, Will, Zac, and Chase were starting off the song, and I grinned as I heard the whoops and hollers from the crowd.
Reaching into the pocket of my uniform pants, I wrapped my hand around the small box and pulled it out, opening it to make sure the ring hadn’t miraculously disappeared. There it was. A cushion cut diamond sat in the center with smaller ones in a halo around it and lining the top of the band. Yellow gold, as was trendy when my pops had bought it for my mom.
As soon as Lyndi had told me her plan for bringing him to my graduation, the idea had taken root. If he could bring this ring with him, I could propose with him there, with his blessing, and with this ring. It couldn’t be more perfect.
When I heard the song gearing up for my moment, I snapped the lid closed and took a deep breath. Then I strode out of the hallway and into the main room of the bar, smiling wide as my eyes met her teary ones. I held her gaze as I moved closer, timing it just right so I could drop to one knee in front of her right when the music swelled. The guys weren’t great singers, but it didn’t seem to matter as they provided the painfully cheesy and totallyrightbackdrop for this moment.
“Lyndi Robinson,” I said, grateful that the music wasn’t so loud that I’d have to shout, “this ring was my mother’s.”
I opened the box to reveal the sparkling diamond, then paused while she gasped, her eyes flitting to my old man in the seat next to her. He brought up a hand and patted her shoulder with misty eyes, giving her an encouraging nod.
“I never thought I’d find a love like theirs,” I went on, “or that I’d want one. But with you, I never stood a chance.”
She made a strangled noise and fought to keep her composure, and I swallowed past the lump in my own throat, trying not to get choked up myself. Everyone around us was reacting in their own ways and I could feel the excited energy buzzing around us. But I kept my eyes trained on Lyndi’s while I popped the question, unwilling to be distracted.
“Will you marry me?” I asked, holding the ring higher from my position on bended knee.
She nodded and slipped off the stool, so I stood and pulled her into my arms, crushing my lips to hers. Cheers rang out around us, but I still heard her whispered, “yes” over and over against my lips.
When I pulled back, I plucked the ring from the box, then handed the empty container to my pops with a grateful smile. He winked in return, closing his fist around it, and bringing it to his chest.
Lyndi’s hand shook as I slid the ring onto her finger. It was the perfect fit, just as I’d somehow known it would be. Then she threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly as the instrumental music enveloped us in nostalgia. The guys had stopped singing at some point, but the song didn’t really need their help.
“You know,” she said as she looked up at me, apparently not ready to break our private moment to face the others quite yet, “this song doesn’t really work as a love song.”
“Tell that to Tom Cruise,” I shot back with a wink.
“Or me,” my pops added from behind her, making us both laugh.
She wrinkled her nose and turned in my arms so we were facing the table of our friends now. “It’s about rekindling a lost love, though.”
Layla stood from her seat and came over, taking Lyndi’s hand. “I know it’s hard for you not to read too much into words, sis, but you gotta just go with this one. I’m so happy for you.Bothof you.”
Lyndi laughed and pulled her sister in for a hug. Then we made the rounds, getting congratulated by everyone else, her grandmother being the most excited of all. Ms. Hattie was the last one to come over, a sly smile on her face.
“Well, looks like you’ve officially caused another wedding at Starlight to happen,” Lyndi told her with playfully narrowed eyes.
Our town florist waved a hand. “Oh, all I do is give little nudges. You would have found your way to each other eventually. All I do is make sure it doesn’t take you too long.”
I wrapped my arm tighter around my girl, tugging her against my side. “We’re grateful either way.”
And as shouts of agreement and a toast to Ms. Hattie’s meddling sang out around us, I pulled Lyndi into my arms for another heart-stopping kiss.
