by Mandie Tepe
He’d made sure her birthday cake was delivered to Savannah’s for the celebration after the SDDI show. Savannah had assured him the champagne she’d ordered for the party had arrived and was being chilled. Everyone he’d invited to join them there had agreed to come . . . all the members of Sugar Creek and their dates, his SEAL friends and their wives, Gracie’s family and her best friend, Kelli . . . they’d all be there. He was relatively sure she had no clue about any of the surprises he had lined up for her.
The tie finally looked like it was supposed to. He put on his suit jacket and patted the pocket to make sure the ring box was there. Halfway though his front door he remembered the flowers were still in his refrigerator. When he’d gone to the florist earlier that day, he had no idea what to get her. He’d looked over the roses, but they didn’t feel right. Too clichéd. He’d stood at the cooler and looked at all the arrangements, but nothing there felt right, either. Finally, a teenaged girl had walked over and offered to help. Her nametag had informed him her name was Lisa.
“Can I help you, sir?” she’d asked.
“Well, Lisa . . . I’m looking for some flowers.” He’d almost blushed. Of course, he was looking for some flowers. He was standing in the middle of a freakin’ flower shop. He’d cleared his throat. “Um . . . I’m proposing to my girlfriend tonight, and I don’t know what kind of flowers to bring her.”
“Aw . . .” Lisa had gushed.
Sonny had fought the urge to roll his eyes. Here we go, he thought.
“How about roses?” she had suggested.
“I don’t think so. Everyone gets roses. She’s special.”
“Aw . . .”
He’d wished she would stop doing that. It was embarrassing. He’d had a sudden vision of Gracie refreshing his get-well flowers the first time she’d been at his apartment. It was like a vision from God, who was obviously taking mercy on him. She had been rearranging a bouquet and she’d stopped to admire some big daisy-looking things. They were brightly colored and she’d called them something—some kind of daisies, but not just daisies.
“Do you have any of those daisy things? Bright pinks, reds, oranges . . . there might have been yellow ones too. They’re like daisies, but bigger . . . with dark middles . . .”
Lisa’s face had brightened. “Oh! Gerbera daisies. Those are pretty! We have lots of colors.”
She had taken him through the back workroom and into a cooler where dozens of buckets held every kind of flower imaginable. They’d picked through all of the gerbera daisy buckets, and pulled out one or two of each color—dark pink, pale pink, gold, yellow, orange, white and peach. She’d let him watch as she arranged them in a rounded, tight bouquet, leaving the stems long, and placed them in a simple clear balloon vase, tying a pink ribbon around it. He’d thanked her and been on his way.
Sonny rushed back to his kitchen and pulled the bouquet out of his refrigerator. He studied it again. It was a happy arrangement. He hoped it made her happy. He walked out of his apartment and headed for her place. No turning back now.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
She answered the door looking radiant in a gorgeous gray off-the-shoulder cocktail dress. It was made up of overlapping sheer fabric over a nude lining that draped her figure perfectly and stopped a couple of inches above her knees, showing off her legs. Her strappy sandals were silver with impossibly high heels, and were adorned with crystals—which matched the tiny crystals winking from several dainty chains at the base of her throat and over her chest.
“Whoa,” Sonny said reverently. “I think my heart just stopped.”
She smiled up at him, moved close and kissed him softly on the mouth. When she stepped back, she noticed the flowers. “Oh, Sonny! Those are beautiful.”
“Happy birthday, angel,” he said as he handed them over to her. She turned the vase this way and that, admiring the flowers from every angle.
“How did you know I loved gerbera daisies?”
“Um . . . a message from God?”
“What?” She stepped over to set the arrangement in the center of her coffee table.
Sonny chuckled. “I remembered you admiring them that first day you came to my place. When you were fixing up my flowers.”
Gracie swung her eyes from the flowers to him and they went soft. “You noticed that?”
“Yeah, baby. I did,” he said softly. “Are they really your favorite?” She nodded. “That’s good to know.”
Gracie stopped admiring her flowers and looked Sonny up and down. “Wow. Look at you. You look gorgeous.”
He gave her an embarrassed grin. “Please . . . do you have to use that word?” His black suit was well cut and fit him beautifully. There was the faintest dark gray pinstripe in the fabric and he’d worn a gray satin tie over his black shirt.
“A little too close to ‘pretty,’ huh?” she teased. He looked aggrieved. “How ‘bout hot . . . sexy . . . dishy . . . dreamy . . . Ooh, I know! Wicked dangerous.”
“Okay, I’ll take that last one. It’s kind of James Bond. You can be my Bond girl.”
She walked a full circle around him, admiring him much like she had the daisies.
“Okay. My turn,” he teased, as he walked a circle around her too.
Gracie laughed. “Do I pass inspection?”
“Angel . . . You’re way off the scale.”
“Thank you. Should we go, or do you want a drink first? I think I have some wine.”
Sonny glanced at his watch. “No, we’d better go.”
She picked up her sheer gray wrap and silver clutch purse from the back of the armchair, looked at her flowers again with a smile, then followed him to the door. She stopped in her tracks. “Luca! Your crutch is gone!” she exclaimed. “I knew something was different.”
He held up his cane. “Yep. I graduated from the crutch to the cane this morning.”
“Very dashing.”
“You mean ‘very Mr. Peanut,’” he snorted. She laughed and he watched her throw the filmy wrap around her shoulders. “Is that going to keep you warm?” He looked at the sheer fabric skeptically.
“Probably not,” she said with a shrug. “But it looks good.”
Sonny laughed. “I’ll do my best to keep you warm.”
They drove to the restaurant, which was located at the top of a luxury hotel. When they were seated, Gracie was impressed to see they were given a window seat.
“Oh, look. You can see the boats in the harbor from here,” she exclaimed.
After they ordered and were enjoying their wine, Gracie asked, “So how was your day? PT go okay this morning?”
“Uh huh.”
She looked a little perplexed. He wasn’t his usual chatty self. He’d been really quiet on the drive over. “And then you got the truck inspected and the oil changed, like you planned?”
“Yeah. All taken care of.”
“Is everything okay, Luca. You seem kind of quiet,” she asked in concern. “You’re okay with going to Meg’s show tonight, right? We really don’t have to if you don’t feel like it.”
Sonny reached out to take her hand. “Oh, no. Of course, I want to go. I’ve been to every show she’s produced at the Institute. I’m sorry, if I’m a little out of it. Nothing’s wrong at all. Maybe I’m a little tongue-tied because you look so beautiful,” he grinned at her.
“Okay. If you’re sure you’re okay with our plans.”
“I am. Tell how you spent your special day, angel,” he coaxed. He really needed to pull himself together.
“Kelli and I had a fun spa day . . . pedicures . . . manicures . . . facials. We even had massages—really splurged. They served us a beautiful lunch too. It was great.”
Sonny pulled her hand closer to the light of the candle and studied her nails. They were tipped in deep burgundy. He glanced under the table to see her toes matched. “Pretty,” he declared. “When are you going to paint them that dark, dark purple color again?” he asked. “Th
ey were almost black.”
She looked a little puzzled. “You remember I had them painted purple at some point?”
“Baby,” he drawled. “That purple nail polish really did it for me.”
Gracie laughed. “You’re kidding. When was this?”
“First time I saw you—at Savannah’s. Then you came over a couple days later and were wearing flip flops and I noticed your toes were the same. Really turned me on.”
“Wow. Who knew?”
“So . . . when do you think you might be in that black/purple mood again?” he coaxed. “You think that might happen sometime soon?”
“I think I may feel it coming on now,” she teased. “Let me get my money’s worth out of this burgundy first, though. Okay?”
“Hey. I’m a patient man. I can wait.”
Their dinner arrived shortly and they chatted as they enjoyed their lobster. Sonny felt a little looser and he didn’t know if he had the wine or Gracie to thank for that. It was so easy for him to be with her. She looked so beautiful and happy. Apparently she and Kelli being pampered all day agreed with her.
“I hope you didn’t make any birthday announcements to the staff here, Luca,” she said sternly. “If someone comes over here with some kind of dessert with a sparkler sticking out of it, I’m going to be really upset. I don’t want anyone singing Happy Birthday, either.”
Sonny raised his hands in surrender. “You said low key, and that’s what you’re getting.”
The waiter showed up to clear their plates and offer them dessert, which they declined. Sonny said, “We have time for coffee, though. Okay, Gracie?” She nodded and the waiter left.
Now’s the time, he thought. Here goes. “I have your gift with me, angel. Do you mind if I give it to you now?”
“Well, let’s see . . .” She laughed delightedly. “I’m always happy to get gifts. That’s something you might need to know about me,” she joked. “Now. Where is it?”
Sonny pulled the small box from his pocket and set it on the table in front of her. The bow was smashed, but he didn’t really care. He couldn’t think of anything but the butterflies in his stomach and the fear that his heart was going to explode out of his chest—it was pounding so hard.
Gracie looked from the box to his face. “What did you do, Luca?”
“Just open it, angel.”
She reached out slowly and picked up the box. It seemed to take forever for her to slide the ribbon off and open it. She sat for what seemed the longest time, just staring at the rings. Finally, she choked out, “Luca . . . these look like . . .”
“Gracie . . . angel . . . look at me.” She jerked her eyes to his. “Just keep looking at me. Take a deep breath and let it out.” She did as he asked. “Steadier?”
She nodded. “What are you doing, Luca?” she whispered.
“I’m doing what you think I’m doing, baby. Those are wedding rings. You can only keep one for now, though—if you say yes. Listen to me . . . I love you, Gracie. I feel like I’ve been waiting for you forever. I can’t even let myself think about losing you—about being apart.” He took a deep cleansing breath, himself. “I know it seems like we haven’t been together very long and maybe I’m rushing things. But, I really don’t think so. I truly believe we belong together. Are you okay?”
She nodded again, her eyes still huge as she stared into his.
“Good. I’ll keep going, then,” he said wryly. “Being the wife of a Navy SEAL isn’t easy, I know. But I would do everything I can to help you feel safe and to make sure you have the support you need when I can’t be around. Still, I understand it’s selfish of me to want you to tie yourself to this kind of life. I can’t help it, though. I need you, Gracie. I don’t know how I made it as long as I did without you.” He took another deep breath. “If you feel rushed, I’ll wait as long as I have to. I would like you to wear the ring, though. I just want to know that some day you will be my wife. I’ll give you babies, Gracie . . . as many as you decide you want . . .”
That’s when her eyes welled with tears and she choked back a sob. “Luca . . .”
Sonny asked cautiously, “Are these good tears, or bad tears?”
She pushed her seat back and, still clutching the ring box, rounded the table. She threw herself onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck so tight he almost couldn’t breath. Then he realized he couldn’t breath because he’d started hyperventilating from relief.
“So, you’re saying yes, Gracie? Please . . . you have to put me out of my misery.”
“Yes, I’m saying yes,” she sobbed.
“So these are good tears, then,” he clarified.
“Yes. Good tears.”
Sonny blew out a breath and started laughing. He suddenly heard applause and glanced around the restaurant. Gracie jumping into his lap clutching a ring box must have clued everyone in on what was happening. The sound of the applause apparently penetrated Gracie’s fog too, because she looked around, brushed at the tears on her cheeks and started to get up from his lap.
“Whoa. You’re not getting away without a kiss to seal the deal,” Sonny said.
She wrapped her arms around his neck again and complied with a long, lingering kiss. “I love you so much, Luca. I need you too.” She kissed him again.
After that, he took the box from her and pulled the engagement ring from it, placing it on her finger.
“Oh, Luca . . . that is so beautiful. They look antique. Are they?” she asked.
“They are. I have all the certification papers at home. I’ll give them to you.”
“How did you know I love antique jewelry?”
“A little birdie told me,” he laughed, as she went back to her seat across the table from him. “No, Kelli and Meg helped me pick it out. Kelli mentioned that you two had talked about jewelry and she had an idea what you might like.”
“Really? Kelli and Meg knew this was happening? And they were able to keep it a secret? For how long?”
“Couple of weeks now.”
“Wow.” She beamed at him. “I just can’t believe it. You really just proposed. Didn’t you?”
“Yep,” he beamed back at her. “Tell me . . . what part of that speech made you say yes?”
“You had me at ‘take a deep breath . . . steadier?’”
“No way. You mean I could have stopped there?”
“No, I’m glad I heard it all. Did I hear all of it? Was there more?”
“Angel, I would’ve kept talking ‘til you had to say yes just to shut me up,” he laughed.
Sonny motioned the waiter over to cancel their coffee order. The waiter had been hanging back because he noticed a marriage proposal was taking place and wanted to give them some privacy. But now Sonny realized they had to get a move on to get to the show on time. On the drive over to the San Diego Dance Institute, Gracie couldn’t keep her eyes off the ring.
“I have to call my parents. Maybe I’ll do that during intermission.”
“Um . . . Gracie . . .” he said shiftily. “They already know. I called and talked to them about it. You know . . . to get their blessing.”
“Oh, Luca . . .” The waterworks started again.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The show had been wonderful, Gracie was sure—though she didn’t give it the full attention it deserved. She felt like she was floating. She’d never felt like this . . . not even the first time she’d gotten engaged. That seemed more like she was doing something expected of her—something she was obligated to do. It wasn’t that she hadn’t loved Rob. She had. But this thing with Sonny—it was so much bigger . . . brighter . . . deeper . . . and any other important adjective she could think of.
When they’d arrived in the auditorium at the SDDI, it seemed all of their friends were waiting in anticipation of something—and not the show. Sonny had flashed them all a grin, and a celebration erupted. That’s when she knew that everyone knew what was up but her. She couldn’t
be mad about it, though. The surprise had been glorious. Everyone had seemed so happy for them.
After the show, there was a reception in the Institute’s lobby. They stayed for awhile to congratulate the performers, and of course, Meg. Sonny had gotten everyone to agree to meet them at Savannah’s to continue the celebration, so they headed over there.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Rob was not a happy man. He’d shown up at Savannah’s to see Gracie. But Gracie wasn’t there. Apparently the band had the night off. He went ahead and ordered a beer, feeling sorry for himself. That’s when the torture started—what seemed like an endless line up of stand-up comics—one right after the other. The large crowd at the bar seemed to find them funny, but Rob didn’t. He wondered what Gracie was doing and continued to drink. He had nowhere else to go, except back to his depressing motel room. Eventually the comic torture stopped. Thank God.
A large, noisy group entered the bar behind him and he twisted around to glare at them. He was surprised to see that all the members of Sugar Creek—except for Gracie, he noticed—along with a few others had come in. Savannah met them at the door and directed them over to a long row of reserved tables at the back of the bar, in front of the black-tinted windows and under the neon Savannah’s sign. It appeared a party was about to start. Rob’s spirits lifted. If the entire band had shown up, maybe Gracie would too. He decided to switch from beer to soda, so he could keep his wits about him.
Pretty soon, some of those Navy SEALs showed up too, joining the band members at the back table. That didn’t bode well. Maybe that Sonny guy would show up too, if his friends were here. He noticed the “team mom” and “bleacher dad,” from the soccer park a couple of Sundays before, were the next to join the group. A cute little honey blonde came in and everyone seemed happy to see her, but Rob didn’t remember seeing her before.
The next arrivals shocked him and almost scared him away. Phil, Kitty and Mathias Laurent came strolling in, a little uncertainly. His ex-in-laws. He stopped himself from sliding off the stool and skulking out of the bar. If they were here, it was certain that Gracie would be too. He had to stay. He slouched down a little more in his seat and pulled the ball cap lower over his eyes. Then he sat and waited . . . and watched. Savannah had walked over to the Laurents and showed them to the party table. Everyone introduced themselves and the Laurents joined right in. He noticed some of Sonny’s friends were dressed up, as if they had been somewhere fancy. Everyone else came in casual clothes.