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I tilted my head in question.
“Because all I can look at is you,” he continued.“There is nothing more beautiful, more magnificent, than you.”
I blushed and looked away.“Leo, you’re being—”
“Absolutely serious.”He squeezed my hands until I faced him again.“I’ve never been more serious.The other night when I thought we were finally going to get married...I realized there were so many things wrong with what we were doing.”I laughed because he was right.The laughter died on my lips when I realized he wasn’t joining me.Instead, his face was a mask of seriousness.“I’m so glad you came down the aisle and called it off.”
My heart sunk at his words and the realization of what he was saying.
“Lexi, I’ve never been happier that something didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”Nausea welled up inside me.I needed to get off the boat.“I’m glad I didn’t marry you that night.”I tried to yank my hand away, but he held fast.
My head shook of its own accord.“No,” I whispered.“No.Why would you say—”
“Yes.”Leo squeezed my hands.Tighter this time.“Look at me.”I did so only because there was nowhere else to look when all I really wanted was to get off the boat and run away.Why would he bring me on such a romantic boat ride just to break my heart in such a cruel way?
Leo was still talking and it took me a moment to realize he was waiting for a response from me.“What?”I tried to focus on him, but his face was out of focus.
“Lex.”His hand stroked my cheek.The touch of him was so soft and sweet and totally at odds with the words that came from his mouth that a sob almost escaped me, but I caught it just in time.“There’s one other thing that night in the chapel taught me.One really important thing.”
“What’s that?”I forced myself to sound casual when I felt anything but.
He smiled, that gorgeous, charming smile that first captivated my heart all those years ago.“When I saw you coming down the aisle to call everything off, I realized that there’s nothing I want more than to see you walking down an aisle for real.Only the next time, you’ll be walking toward me to become my wife, because I can’t think of anything in this world I want more than to be married to you.We may have taken a twisted road to get to this point, but from the moment I met you, you’ve completely owned my heart, Lexi Titan.There is no one else in this world I want to be with.”
He slipped away from me, but without letting go of my hands, got down on one knee right there in the bow of the boat.Tears welled up in my eyes.This time they were tears of joy and utter surprise, but I let them fall down my cheeks.Between my hormones and the wild ride of emotions over the last few days, I could barely keep up.
“Looking back on our life together,” Leo continued, “I realize that our love deserves so much more than a hurried ceremony in some random chapel on the Strip.”I laughed a little.“Our love deserves to be united as a family.”Leo glanced up at something over my shoulder.I turned to follow his gaze and saw Ben behind me.His hands were shoved in his pockets as he watched us seriously.This time I couldn’t help it; the emotions overwhelmed me and a sob escaped my mouth.Leo released one of my hands and I automatically reached for Ben, who came around to join us.Instead of sitting next to me, he remained standing and took Leo’s free hand.Together, joined in a circle, I thought my heart would burst from joy.Leo winked at Ben, who grinned in a way that made him look just like a miniature version of his dad.
“So,” Leo continued, “I don’t know about you two, but I think it’s long past time to make this official.Lexi...Ben...would you do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the world?”
Another sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh came out of my mouth and for a moment, I couldn’t find any words.
“Well?”
We both turned to look at Ben, who looked confused and more than a little annoyed.“Are you going to say yes or what?”
I laughed again as tears streamed down my cheeks.“Yes.Of course, yes.”Leo slipped the ring on my finger and stood as he pulled me up and into his arms.I clutched him to me, letting the tears soak his lapel.After a moment, we opened our arms and welcomed Ben into our circle.He squeezed between us, but only suffered the hug for a few moments before he pushed us apart.
He looked first at me and then his father before he shook his head.
“What?”
“The happiest man in the world?”Ben asked.“Really, Dad?You couldn’t do better than that?”
I tried and failed to swallow my laughter, which quickly and inexplicably turned into uncontrollable sobs.I swiped at my tears, but it was pointless.
“Mom?”
“I’m fine.”
When I couldn’t stop crying, Leo put his arm around my shoulders and guided me back to settle into the cushions.A tissue appeared from somewhere and Leo sent Ben to get me a bottle of water.It took a few minutes, but finally I pulled myself together.After one final dab at my eyes, I looked at their concerned faces.Ben looked so much like his dad, it took me off guard sometimes, and I had the brief question of what the new baby might look like.“I’m fine,” I said to my boys.“Honestly.I’m more than fine.I can’t believe you guys planned all of this.It was so sweet, but I have to tell you, it’s not nice to do something so emotional to a pregnant woman.My hormones are totally out of con—”
I realized too late that I’d slipped.I stopped talking and looked to Leo, who only lifted his eyebrows and turned to Ben, whose mouth was open.
“What do you mean...pregnant?”
Leo grabbed my hand and grinned so broadly I thought his face would split.“You’re going to be a big brother,” he said.
Ben didn’t react right away.Not that I could blame him.We’d told him once before that he was going to be a brother, and that hadn’t worked out the way we’d planned.We’d kept the other pregnancies a secret, but he was a smart boy.I’m sure he must have known on some level.
