Chapter 25 #2
The screen door creaked.
Reece's attention snapped to it immediately. It was automatic. A tactical awareness he couldn't turn off even at a family picnic.
The women emerged. Sarah Brooks first, carrying a platter of biscuits. His mother was behind her with a massive salad. Rachel with strawberries. And Maggie at the back, holding the door open for his mom and Rachel. Maggie was carefully balancing a huge bowl of potato salad.
She looked beautiful. She was wearing a sundress, and her hair flowed around the small of her back, loose and flowing. She was smiling at something Rachel had said when she passed Maggie at the door.
His chest tightened.
He set his beer down on the nearest surface and moved.
"Make room," Sarah was announcing. "This is all hot, and I'm not reheating it."
The men shifted immediately to make space and clear the table. The organized chaos of a large family preparing to eat.
Reece walked toward Maggie, who was heading for the table, clearly focused on not dropping the massive bowl.
He dropped to one knee directly behind her.
She backed up and nearly stumbled over him. The bowl wobbled dangerously in her hands. She regained her balance and glanced at him, frowning. "Reece, what are you doing down there? We almost wore this salad."
Reece looked up at her. His heart was hammering, but his hands were steady. Training. Discipline. All the things that kept him calm under pressure. None of that shit was working now. So, he went with it. Hail Mary pass and hope for the endzone. "Other than getting trampled, you mean?”
“Yeah, you did that.” As she looked at him, realization hit her. Her eyes widened.
“I'm trying to propose."
Silence crashed over the patio.
Maggie froze. Eyes wide. Mouth open. The potato salad bowl was still gripped in her hands.
Reece reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring.
Simple platinum band. A single diamond that was anchored with too many prongs, but it was the kind that would survive offshore work and still look beautiful.
He'd spent three hours picking it out after going to four different jewelers before finding the right one.
"Maggie Brooks," he said. His voice came out steady despite the nerves flooding his system.
Despite the fact that every person on this patio was now staring at him.
"You're the smartest, bravest, most frustratingly ethical person I've ever met.
You make me better. You make the work matter.
And I don't want to do any of it without you. "
He swallowed. Forced himself to keep going. To say the thing he'd been thinking for months but hadn't been able to articulate until now.
"Will you marry me?"
Maggie stared at him. At the ring. Back at him.
For one terrible second, he thought she might say no. That he'd miscalculated. That he'd moved too fast or not fast enough or gotten this completely wrong.
Then her face crumpled. Happy tears. Not sad ones. He could tell the difference now.
"Yes," she breathed. Her voice shook. "Yes, of course, yes."
Relief flooded through him so hard his knees went weak. Good thing he was already kneeling.
He stood. Royce materialized beside him and took the potato salad bowl from Maggie's shaking hands. Smooth. Like they'd planned it. They hadn't. But Royce had always been good at reading situations.
Reece pulled Maggie into his arms.
She was laughing and crying at the same time. Her hands came up to his chest, fisting in his shirt.
He kissed her. Right there with both families watching. He didn't care, and it didn't matter who was watching. The only thing that mattered was the woman in his arms saying yes.
The patio erupted with cheers and applause. His brothers were making noise somewhere behind him. Her brothers were shouting congratulations. He could hear his mother crying. Happy crying. And Sarah Brooks was crying, too.
Rachel appeared beside them, hugging Maggie from the side. "Welcome to the family. Officially."
"Thanks," Maggie managed, her voice thick with tears.
Reece took her left hand. His fingers trembled slightly as he slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. He'd guessed the size based on observation. Months of watching her type on keyboards, adjust equipment, and use her hands. Thank God, he'd guessed right.
The diamond caught the sunlight, throwing tiny rainbows and shards of light across her skin.
"I love you," he said quietly. Just for her. The chaos around them faded to background noise.
"I love you, too," Maggie replied. Her eyes were bright. Happy. "So much."
"All right, all right," Tyler called out from somewhere near the grill. "Can we eat now? Because that potato salad isn't going to serve itself."
Laughter rolled through the group as the tension broke. People started moving again.
Reece kept hold of Maggie's hand as he guided her to the table, pulled out her chair, and sat beside her.
Under the table, he found her hand again. Threaded his fingers through hers.
Around them, conversation flowed. His father was talking to Richard about something that made both men nod seriously.
Tyler was loading his plate with enough food to feed three people.
Mason and Caleb were arguing about football teams. His mother and Sarah were laughing together about something Rachel had said.
Normal. Easy. Right.
The kind of moment he never thought he'd have. Family gatherings and summer picnics and the woman he loved wearing his ring.
Maggie looked at him. Her eyes were still bright with tears, but she was smiling. Really smiling. The kind that reached her eyes and made them crinkle at the corners.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
"I'm perfect," she said.
"Good." He leaned over and kissed her temple. “I love you.” And he planned to do so for the rest of his life.
The thought settled in his chest.
He was going to marry Maggie Brooks.
She was going to be his wife. He searched for the more that he’d been missing in his life. He had no idea that the missing piece would become his wife.
They were going to run DSI together. Build something worth protecting. Make a difference in ways that mattered.
Together.