She had to laugh again. “I might, but not from the heat.”
Connor held her even closer as Oscar increased his volume just enough to give them a little audible privacy amidst the small audience, and Connor placed his lips next to her ear. “You know, not that I like anything about the way things happened ten years ago, I’m kind of glad things worked out the way they did. I couldn’t imagine a better way to do this. This place is always going to serve as a reminder of a second chance at the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She nodded against the side of his neck, her tears dampening his collar.
“Baby,” he said even quieter and closer to her ear, “last week I did something really stupid.”
“I get it, Connor. Please know that I understand how you were feeling. I’m sorry for the way that whole conversation happened.”
“It was my fault. I lost control. And then I saw the look on everybody’s faces, and it just hit me like a ton of bricks that I can’t claim to love people and put them through something like that. I can promise to love you and take care of you, but I realized that if I do stupid shit to hurt myself, that hurts you, too. I want a life with you, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure it’s one that doesn’t involve you getting hurt, not even like that.”
He stopped swaying and placed both hands on her cheeks, pressing his forehead against hers. “I swear to God I’ll never pull a stunt like that again.”
Liza squeezed her eyes shut, and tears slid out of her eyes and under his palms. “That’s what the therapy will help you with.”
He gave a slow nod. “I know, baby.” He tilted her chin up and kissed her softly. “Liza.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve wanted to do this for ten years.”
She smiled against his lips as she murmured, “Then make sure you don’t half-ass it, Deneau.”
He gave a quiet chuckle as he picked up her hands, kissed them both, and then took a knee. “Liza Hardin, you’re the first and only woman I’ve ever loved. I’m going to love you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me, sweetheart?”
Liza leaned forward to hold the nape of his neck. “You’re the first and only man I’ve ever loved, and I’ve waited ten years to sayyes.”
He framed her face with his hands and kissed her softly and slowly before pulling away and whispering, “I promise I’m going to make you so happy, Liza.”
One tiny tear hung on the tip of his lower eyelashes, and she wiped it with her thumb. “You already do. You always have.”
He kissed her knuckles as he reached into his pocket and then slipped an elegant, yet stunning ring on her finger. As he stood up, Liza slid her hand around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest while she looked at the ring, and words failed. She’d never thought about a ring, even before, and now staring at the unique stone and setting on her finger, a rock lodged itself in her throat.
It was real. It had happened after all. Something that she’d wanted so much that she’d been forced to give up on and attempted to bury in the recesses of her aching heart, she suddenly had. She thought of the little old fortune teller who spoke of destiny, and it had only taken a matter of months of living in this city for Liza to collide with the destiny she’d always wanted.
New Orleans was alive with magic indeed.
“Liza, look up at me, hon.” Frankie said, standing a few feet away, camera poised at the ready to snap photos of she and Connor as a newly-engaged couple. Jimmy was next to her, dabbing his eyes with a tissue. Oscar was there, too, horn in his hand and a bright, wide grin on his face. Brennan stood just behind them, wearing a soft, yet blatantly proud smile. There wasn’t even a shadow of her startling realization from earlier. Ofcoursethat’s not what she saw, and Liza nearly rolled her eyes at herself for thinking it was. Brennan did love her, she already knew that, and she already knew it wasn’t likethat. He was just a really,reallygood friend.
They all were.
This happy little record label family who were there to share such a moment, and something about it caused the dam that had been precariously holding back her emotions to break. She dropped her head forward, threw her ring-clad hand over her face, and began to sob. And for the first time in months, these were finallyhappytears.
Frankie clicked the photos, and Connor held her close, kissing her head, while the small group shared a quiet, collectiveawww.
“See, that’s why we had to go get that manicure, L,” Brennan said. “It’s just going to be your hand in all of these pictures.”
She laughed through her tears, and Connor wiped her cheeks as she cut her eyes up at him.
“You got amanicure, Riley?” Connor asked through a chuckle.
“No,” Brennan inserted. “Y’all told me to get her out of the office, and I knew she was going to be flashing that rock at people immediately, so I figured she’d want her nails to look nice.”
“Awww, B.” Liza turned her head to smile at him. “That was so thoughtful. And here I thought you were just being shallow.”
“Nah…I mean, Iamshallow.” He paused to laugh. “But I know that sort of thing is important to you. And I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this, so…” He shrugged before offering a small wink and smile.
Liza smiled back before turning to Connor. “Brennan’s already in wedding planning mode. He was reading a bridal magazine at the nail salon.”
