by Sarra Cannon
Knox’s eyes open halfway, and he pulls me even closer. He makes a happy sound and runs his hand across my arm.
“How did you sleep?” he asks.
“Better,” I say. “You?”
“I always sleep good when you’re next to me.”
I hide my face against his chest, not wanting him to see the red of my cheeks. I’m still not used to the sweet way he always talks to me sometimes. How did I ever get this lucky?
My phone buzzes again, vibrating against the pine table beside the bed.
I reach for it, wondering if there’s been some kind of emergency. Who else would keep calling me this early on a Sunday?
Knox grabs my arm and pulls me back before my hand touches the phone.
“Ignore it,” he says. “Today, you’re all mine.”
I laugh and am so tempted to get lost inside him for the next few hours, but I need to make sure nothing has happened. My dad has been in and out of the hospital for the past few months with high blood pressure and chest pains. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t answer the phone and he was back in the hospital.
“I need to get this,” I say. “But hold that thought.”
I roll over and take the phone from the side table. Mom’s number flashes across the top, and I answer, my heart in my throat.
“Mom? Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Well, about time you got your lazy bones out of bed and decided to pick up the phone,” she says. “I thought when you got a little older, you’d grow out of this lazy, sleeping-in nonsense.”
I fall back against the soft feather pillow and let out a sigh of relief. Then I check the time on my phone.
“It’s six in the morning,” I say.
“Six-fifteen,” she says. “Up and at-em. You do remember what today is, right?”
I close my eyes as Knox traces lazy circles across my skin. I can’t remember what the heck she’s talking about. My only plans for the day involve spending the morning in bed with Knox and then heading over to the restaurant to test a few last-minute recipes this afternoon.
“Leigh Anne, don’t tell me you forgot,” she says. In the background, her tea kettle screams. Glass clinks as she retrieves a teacup from the cabinet. She sighs, a sure sign of her constant disappointment. “You agreed to help serve at the pancake breakfast this morning. You’re still coming, aren’t you?”
I have to catch the groan in my throat before she hears it. I swallow it back down and feel it turn to bile in my stomach. I never agreed to help her with the pancake breakfast at the church. In fact, I specifically told her I didn’t want to do it, but as usual, Mom only hears what she wants to hear.
I open my eyes and place a hand on my forehead. Knox’s brow tightens and he gives me a questioning look. I shake my head and roll my eyes.
“Gosh, Mom, I thought I told you I wouldn’t be able to make it,” I say.
She makes a choking sound—the ultimate sign of disapproval and disgust—and sighs louder into the phone.
“What in the world could you possibly be doing this morning that is more important?” she asks. “You’re obviously home and awake. It couldn’t hurt you to get dressed and meet me at the church, now could it? Or do you plan on being lazy for the rest of your life?”
What I want to say is that I’m only awake because she woke me up, but I bite my tongue. It’s not worth the argument.
“What time does it start?”
Knox falls back against his own pillow, his body leaving mine for the first time since we went to sleep last night. I immediately miss his warmth and feel his disappointment. No snuggly, slow morning together after a week of nonstop hard work.
Mom’s voice perks up. “The breakfast starts at eight, but everyone who’s helping and cooking is supposed to be there by seven. I’ll see you then?”
“Sure,” I say. No matter what I do, it seems I’m going to disappoint someone.
“Great, I’ll see you soon, dear,” she says. “Love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you,” I say and end the call.
Knox and I lay in silence for a few seconds before I finally roll toward him and try to recapture even a small amount of what we had just a few minutes ago.
“What is it this time?” he asks.
“Pancake breakfast at the church.”
He laughs, but there’s no joy in the sound. “And you’re going?”
“Apparently. Even though I told her I couldn’t when she asked a few weeks ago. She said I was obviously up and what else could I possibly have to do today that’s important? She said I was being lazy.”
“Why do you let her treat you like that, Leigh?” He sits up and shakes his head. “You told her you couldn’t go. It doesn’t matter whether you had something to do this morning or not. If you say no, she should respect that.”
Guilt eats away at my insides. I don’t expect him to understand, but it’s so complicated that it’s hard to explain to someone who lost his mother young and never felt close to his father.
“It’s not worth arguing with her about it,” I say, touching his shoulder. “If I decided to stay in bed with you this morning, I’d never hear the end of it. If I just do what she asks, I won’t have to listen to her tell me how lazy I am or how selfish I’m being. I won’t have to hear her go on and on about how much they really needed me this morning. It’s easier just to make her happy.”
“And what about your happiness?” he asks. His entire body is tense. “Do you think she ever thinks about that? Do you think about that?”
I shrug and blink back tears. He doesn’t get it.
“It won’t make me happy to hear her complain about this for the next two weeks,” I say as I get out of bed and head for the shower.
I want him to just let it be, but he follows me to the bathroom. I turn the hot water on and start undressing as he leans against the doorframe. He’s not going to let it go, and the lump in my throat grows.
“How long will this breakfast thing take?” he asks.
“I don’t know. Breakfast starts at eight, but then I’m sure I’ll be expected to stay for Sunday School and then the main service,” I say. “She’ll expect me to come over for lunch, too.”
“Just don’t forget about the restaurant this afternoon, okay?” he says. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, looking a little nervous, for reasons I can’t imagine.
“I won’t. I’ll head over right after lunch. I’m sure she’s already planned something that she’ll say will go bad if I don’t come over and eat.”
“Does that mean she expects me to be there, too?”
“I’m sure she would love that,” I say.
“Unlike you, I really don’t care what your mom wants,” he says.
I cringe. “Harsh.”
He steps forward and pulls me into his arms. He plants a soft kiss on my forehead. “You’re the one I care about,” he says. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” I say, leaning my head against his bare chest.
“Are you?” he asks. The tone of his voice scares me for reasons I can’t completely put into words. What’s going on with him today?
“No one is happy every minute of every day,” I say. I kiss him and wrap him in a long hug. “But I’m happy when I’m with you. You know that, right?”
He backs away and looks into my eyes. “I do,” he says. “But I want you to make sure you’re really doing the things you want to do. Not just the things you think everyone expects you to do.”
My breath catches in my chest. I’m not sure what he means by that, and it sends cold chills down my spine.
“Is everything okay with you this morning?” I ask.
“I just love you with all my heart, Leigh Anne,” he says, but there’s a nervous energy to him today that has me worried.
“I love you, too.”
He kisses me again, and I’m so tempted to drag him back to bed and forget this whole pancake breakfast. Maybe I could tell her I fe
ll asleep and missed the whole thing. I laugh at the thought, knowing she would never let me live that down.
“What are you laughing at?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say, shaking my head. “I need to get in the shower before I change my mind about church. You’re a bad influence, Knox Warner.”
He laughs and steps back to lean against the doorframe again. “Nah,” he says. “I’m the best kind of influence.”
I pull my shirt off and throw it at his face. He catches it and laughs as I step into the hot shower.
Chapter Six
I rinse my plate and glance at my watch. It’s ten minutes until two. I’m going to be late to the restaurant. It’s not a big deal, just a few new recipes, but Knox seemed to act like it was important to him that I made it there on time.
“Come in here for a second, Leigh Anne, I want to show you something,” Mom says from the next room.
“I really need to get going,” I call back.
“It’ll only take a minute. What’s your rush?” she says.
“I told Jo I’d be at the restaurant by two,” I say, joining her in the living room. “There’s a lot that still needs to be done before the grand opening next weekend.”
“I still don’t understand why she thought this town needed another restaurant,” Mom says. “That bar of her father’s was already an eyesore as it was. They were barely getting by with that business, if you ask me. It does look a lot better now that they’ve renovated, but why on earth she decided to tackle a project this big with her father in the state that he’s in is beyond me.”
“The bar was actually doing great before the remodel,” I say. “Besides, if you come in and taste Jo’s recipes, you’ll understand why the town needs a restaurant like this.”
“If you say so.” She raises both eyebrows as she fiddles with some papers on the end table, which is her way of saying I am obviously wrong, and it’s not worth wasting her time talking about it.
“I should head on over there,” I say.
She sighs. “I was going to show you the ideas I have for redoing the upstairs bathroom, but I can’t find the magazine clippings,” she says. “Bud, do you know where I put those pictures I cut out for the bathroom?”
Dad steps into the living room. “I thought you put them on that side table,” he says.
“Well, so did I, but they aren’t here, now are they?” Mom says. “You probably moved them when you were straightening up last night. There’s no telling where I’ll find them. They’re probably in the trash by now.”
“I didn’t throw them away,” he says.
I check my watch again. I’m not going to stand here and listen to them bicker back and forth about clippings for a bathroom remodel my mother has been talking about for the past three years.
“Well, if you find them I’ll come back and take a look,” I say. I kiss mom on the cheek. “Love you. I’ll see you later.”
I make a beeline for the kitchen and grab my purse and keys from the counter. Before she can complain or reel me back in, I’ve already slipped out the back door.
There are five cars parked in the brand-new parking lot in front of Rob’s Bar and Grille. From the looks of it, I’m the last of our crew to arrive. Fifteen minutes late, but better late than never.
The new sign out front looks amazing in the daylight, and I smile. Mom is wrong. This restaurant is really good for Fairhope, and there are a lot of people around here looking forward to their grand reopening on Friday.
I park and rush inside, expecting to see my friends testing out the new recipes, but instead, it’s quiet and still.
The lights in the main room are turned off and candles sit on every table top, their light casting a warm glow on the walls. What in the world is going on? Where is everyone?
I set my purse on top of the bar and step closer to the center of the room. I’m about to call out when floodlights come up on the brand-new stage at the other end of the dining room.
My jaw drops as Mason strums the first few chords on his guitar. He’s alone on the stage, his band nowhere to be seen. Is he testing the sound equipment? I hadn’t realized he was performing for the grand opening, but that must be it.
Penny appears at my side, and when I open my mouth to ask her what’s going on, she puts her index finger over her lips and shakes her head, hiding a smile. Are those tears in her eyes?
She takes my arm and escorts me through the maze of tables toward the stage. That’s when I notice there’s a single chair sitting on the small dancefloor, rose petals strewn across the hardwoods. The chair is placed so that it faces the bar area rather than the stage.
Penny hands me a single pink tulip—my favorite flower—and motions for me to sit down.
I’m completely confused and bewildered for a moment, but when Mason steps toward the microphone and begins to sing, the realization of what’s happening dawns on me
It’s a love song Knox and I have danced to a hundred times here in this bar on nights when things were slow and we were falling in love. Every time it would come on, he would grab my hand and pull me to the dancefloor.
I suddenly understand why Knox was acting so nervous this morning. I can hardly catch my breath, and my heart is racing. All the tension and annoyance I felt earlier at my mother’s fades away, and I am fully here in this moment.
When Knox steps into the room from behind the bar, I fall in love with him all over again. He’s dressed in his best jeans, boots, and a light blue collared shirt with a black jacket, and my heart completely melts. He’s holding a bouquet of tulips, and when our eyes meet, we are more connected than we’ve ever been before.
My tears are flowing now, and it takes everything in me not to stand up and run to him, but I wait and let the moment unfold, my heart fuller than it’s ever been in my life.
As he makes his way to me, I notice the people closest to me in this world stepping into the room and following him toward the dance floor.
Jo and Colton walk on either side of her father’s wheelchair. They are each carrying a pink tulip, and there is another one lying across Rob’s lap. He has one hand clutched to his heart, and I smile at him through my tears, incredibly grateful he is here to be a part of this.
Behind them, Jenna and Preston walk hand-in-hand, and I realize with sudden clarity that this is my family.
My true family. These are the people who have been there for me every step of this journey as I found my way back to life and joy. I can’t imagine a sweeter way to transition to the next stage of my life, and I love Knox more for knowing how much this would mean to me.
He reaches me just as the song ends. I move to stand, but before I can, Knox gets down on one knee. He hands me his bouquet of tulips, and I add them to the one Penny gave me earlier. I’m hardly able to see him through the stream of tears falling from my eyes.
I’m crying, laughing, and smiling all at once, my heart overflowing. I take a deep breath and try to memorize every detail of this moment. I never want to forget a single expression or movement as he pulls a black box from his pocket.
“Leigh Anne, you are the strongest, most beautiful person I’ve ever known,” Knox says. “When you came into my life, I wasn’t sure I was capable of loving someone the way I have come to love you. You make me happy. You love and support me no matter what I’ve been through or what mistakes I’ve made along the way. I want to do the same for you, for the rest of our lives. I want you to be the mother of my children and my partner for always. I love you with everything that I am.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper.
“Leigh Anne Davis, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I say. I smile and throw my head back. I have never felt such joy.
Everyone cheers as Knox slips the diamond on my finger. My hands are shaking, but his are warm and steady. He stands and pulls me into his arms. Nothing has ever felt more right as I place my lips on his, our hearts pounding in unison.
When we finally part, each of our
friends approach one by one, handing me a tulip, completing the bouquet. I lean down and kiss Rob’s cheek as Jo hands me the flower that was resting on his lap.
“I am so honored to be invited into your family,” I whisper in his ear. “I love you, Uncle Rob.”
“I love you, too,” he manages, and though his words are not clear, the meaning behind them is.
My girlfriends surround me and pull me into a group hug as music begins to play over the speakers. Party music.
“Let me see that ring again,” Penny says.
I hold my hand out to her and can hardly believe that’s really my engagement ring. I’ve dreamed of this my whole life.
“How long have you guys known about this?” I ask.
“Long enough,” Jo says with a laugh.
“Does that mean there isn’t any food to try?” I ask. “This whole thing was just a ruse to get me over here?”
“A good one, too,” Mason says. “Judging from the look of utter shock on your face when the lights came on.”
I pull Mason into a hug. “Thank you for the song,” I say. “That was beautiful.”
“Anything for you, darlin’.” He tips his hat.
Preston takes my hand and smiles. “I’m so happy for you, Leigh Anne,” he says.
“Thank you,” I say. And I mean it. It wasn’t that long ago that it would have been very difficult for us both to admit we were happy for each other finding love like this, but in my heart, I know we are both exactly where we are meant to be. The two of us have been through a lot together over the years, and I’m so glad Preston is a part of my life and a part of this moment.
“I need a hug, too,” Colton says, stepping forward. He wraps his arms around me and lifts me up off the floor. “Congratulations, Leigh Anne. You deserve this.”
“Thank you, Colton,” I say.
I look around at my best friends in the world, and I can’t believe how incredibly blessed I am. Jo and Penny are setting up an entire buffet on top of the bar, complete with a huge engagement cake. Colton turns up the music, and the entire place fills with laughter and joy.