Two such different personalities and yet, Lark loved them both to pieces. She’d even misted up when they’d had to say goodbye.
“I’m going to miss them,” she said as she and Grady walked hand in hand in the central green space back at Black Bay.
Grady tugged her close, his arm coming around her. “They’ll be back for the wedding,” he reminded her.
She nodded, swiping at her hot eyes. “I know.”
“All this talk about weddings has got me thinking.”
Lark raised a brow. “Oh?” Was he going to propose? A giddy feeling swirled through her. Granted, they currently had an audience in Jace and Paige who’d been walking with them, as well as others who were milling about, taking advantage of the balmy evening air, but at the moment, Lark didn’t care. She wanted him to ask her. Badly.
“It’s got me thinking too,” Jace suddenly chimed in. “Thinking that it’s past time to get a little payback.”
Paige chuckled and smacked her hand playfully against Jace’s chest. “Don’t you dare.”
But Jace was undeterred. There was a devilish smile on his face and a gleeful twinkle in his yellow eyes as he squared his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest. “What are your intentions withmysister?”
Grady smirked. “Shall I take a knee?”
“You better,” Jace returned, sounding stern, but his eyes were still sparkling with merriment.
“Oh, my God!” Paige complained, but Grady didn’t hesitate, dropping to one knee in front of Lark and taking her hand in his. He raised her fingers to his lips and kissed them tenderly while holding her gaze.
“My love,” he began, making Lark’s chest flutter like a thousand butterflies were trapped inside. “My beautiful, powerful, goddess…” Oh, God, she was going to cry. “My Lark.”
Her tears welled and spilled over.
“You are my calm in the middle of a storm,” Grady told her thickly. “My beacon on the darkest night. My center.”
Her tears became a torrent.
“I am in awe of you every day. Your strength, your courage…”
A ragged sob left her, but Grady wasn’t done. “You are my love, but you are also my best friend. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He pulled something from his pocket, but Lark couldn’t see what it was through the tears in her eyes. “Will you marry me?”
Her throat was so thick with emotion, that she couldn’t answer. All she could do was nod her head as she sunk to her knees, joining him on the ground, where she threw her arms around him and hugged him close.
“Yes,” she finally managed to choke out. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Beaming, Grady pulled back and took her hand. A ring. He’d pulled out a ring, she realized as he slid the sleek diamond solitaire onto her finger. It was so beautiful she almost started crying again.
Applause sounded and Lark looked around in confusion at all the people surrounding them, cheering for them. Not just Jace and Paige, but Kong, Mako, Leo, Perrin, Jayla, and Lynx. Others. Everyone was here. Even Erik, who rarely left his apartment, was smiling and clapping.
A pop sounded and Lark spotted the General striding forward with a bottle of champagne, the biggest grin she’d ever seen splitting his face.
They’d planned this, she realized. Grady had planned this. Somehow, he’d known that she would want to share such happiness with her brothers and sisters – her family. He’d invited them to witness their happiness, celebrate it, and maybe, in seeing that it was possible, they’d have hope that they too could find the same. They all deserved to be happy. They deserved to be accepted and loved for who and what they were. The way she loved and accepted Grady – all of him. The way he loved and accepted all of her. It was beautiful. It was possible. And she wanted to see it happen for them too.
Placing her palm against Grady’s face, she kissed him tenderly and with all the love that was in her heart. “I never imagined you,” she whispered against his mouth. “Not even in my wildest dreams. I may not have known it then, but that day you came to Black Bay was the luckiest day of my life.”
“Mine too,” Grady told her on an exhale as he shuddered. Leaning his forehead against hers, he added, “If it weren’t for you, I would have become a monster. You saved me, Lark. Every day, you save me.”
It was a beautiful moment, romantic, heartfelt, magical even… Until Kong shouted, “Group hug!” and tackled them both.
Maybe having everyone here wasn’t so great after all… Shaking her head ruefully, she hugged the big man, and then, couldn’t help but laugh. She was too happy to hold a grudge.
“Let’s move this party inside,” Kong announced as he gained his feet and hauled both Lark and Grady to theirs. “They made a cake. Double chocolate and I need my sugar fix.”
Lark barely recognized the mess hall. It had been transformed with colorful tablecloths, crepe paper streamers, and balloons. She grinned, remarking, “I guess no one thought I would say no.”
