Chapter 29
Theo - Six weeks later
The humming of that neon sign above the door used to irritate me. But, as I gave it one quick glance and considered all it represented, it shone brighter than before. It didn’t flash unnecessarily and most importantly it was the word itself. OPEN
The little neon sign was just below the brand new lightbox. It featured a woman on a horse, backward with a cowboy hat in her hand. The Reverse Cowgirl was open once more and ready for business.
We’d tried to do as much of the renovations as possible while keeping it open.
We’d had nights when only part of the bar area was usable, or only a few tables could be accommodated.
It was a testament to the kind of establishment that Maggie ran, that people were in there even when the construction zone bordered on dangerous.
Her customers remained loyal, and even the late season tourists were willing to ignore the work that needed to be done.
The night was meant to be part soft launch and part celebration.
In order to make sure the kids could celebrate with us, Maggie had closed the bar to the public the night before the official opening.
For just one night, the bar was only open to our friends and family.
And we were lucky that so many of them could make it.
Even Dom, who had left the army a few weeks earlier, managed to be there.
He was newly recruited by Doctors Without Borders and needed to leave first thing in the morning.
Both Waite brothers couldn’t make it, but Aidan and Jason were in town and ready to show their support.
Of course, Hunter was around and he’d brought his former teammates.
One of whom was Maria’s son-in-law. Her son was also in town.
She was back at work, and happy that Maggie was around.
Cat moved up to me. “Hey big bro.”
“Hey.” I blinked a few times. In all the years that Cat had known about her paternity, it was never something she openly spoke about. I gestured around the bar. “What do you think?”
She twirled around, making sure to take everything in. “I think you did good. Thank you. For taking care of all of my sisters while I had to… I couldn’t spend a lot of time in this town after we found out about your dad. I needed to breathe.”
“I’ll always take care of them… of all of you.” She needed to understand that. “Cat we were friends before we found out we were siblings, I was always meant to love you. But does this mean you’re ready to quit the Navy?”
She looked at me as if I had suddenly grown three heads. “No. I finished SEAL training nearly at the top of my class. I have an IQ of 160, and still I struggle to get those assholes to take me seriously. I have a few more points I need to prove.”
I looked over at Maria’s son. He was apparently Cat’s CO. “That asshole part of the problem?”
“No.” Her lips kicked up. “I mean he’s an asshole because he’s an officer, but he’s not sexist. Now, tell me about the proposal you have planned.”
I frowned down at her. “What makes you think I’m proposing?”
“Please.” She giggled, such a sweet sound for such a badass woman.
“You have been patting your pocket every few minutes. And you’ve been cracking your knuckles.
You are nervous about something. And considering this place looks amazing and is ready for opening night, it has to be something more personal. ”
“Fine. Yes.” I shake my head at her. “But I’ll give her a little more time.”
“You know she wants a private proposal, right?” My sister gave me a knowing smile.
I rolled my eyes. Did she think I hadn’t read every detail?
“Trust me, Shiloh handed me Maggie’s Proposal File weeks ago.
She doesn’t want to be asked in front of everyone, so that she is not pressured into saying yes.
When did you people create those files anyway, because that little clause does not exactly inspire confidence. ”
“Maggie did hers when she was a sophomore. Fred never even saw the file.”
Which meant that I was the first one to give her what she wanted. That idea made my chest expand.
Cat moved over to where the rest of the girls were chatting. And I moved between Ryder, Aidan, and Jason. I shoved my hand in my pocket once more. Call it nerves, but I needed to make sure the ring was still there. It was.
“You’re going to wear a hole in that pocket.” Ryder frowned at me. He clinked his bottle against mine, a smirk playing on his lips. “You need to relax. She loves you. This is merely a formality.”
I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. “I’m not worried about the answer.
” That was a lie but they didn’t need to know that.
The truth was, my palms were sweating and my heart was racing.
I had negotiated multi-million dollar deals, I’d dealt with some of the most intimidating men and women our country’s military had to offer and yet, here I was, sweating over a three carat diamond.
“You look like you’re about to throw up.” Jason said, taking far too much pleasure in my discomfort.
“Or shoot someone.” Aidan added. “Or both. I’ve certainly felt both at the same time.”
Aidan wasn’t just a SEAL. He was the elite of the elite. I could only imagine the number of times he felt that way.
“Shooting would be easier than this,” I mumbled. “At least, with that I know the rules of engagement. Pun intended. Or not.”
Ryder laughed, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “There are no rules. You just ask. Don’t wait. Trust me the worst part is the waiting.”
“I’m worried about the ring.” I spoke my fear out loud. “What if she thinks it’s too big?”
My friend frowned at me, a small smirk lifting the corner of his mouth as he nodded. “And, of course, you’ve never heard that before.”
I rolled my eyes and flipped him off.
“It's Maggie.” Jason smiled. “So she’ll definitely complain it's too big, and then she’ll wear it proudly because she loves you.”
I looked out around the room. The place was completely packed with people who loved us. The happiness was a tangible thing and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Zoe was in a booth with Cooper and Matty. Her shoulder still gave her problems, as a stark reminder of how close we came to losing her. She was laughing at something Cooper said, her head thrown back.
She was healing and I was glaring at the boy who was helping her.
I turned to glare at Aidan. “Your fucking nephew better know how to keep his shit in his pants.”
“Oh.” He didn’t say anything more as he exchanged looks with other guys around us.
“What?”
Jason shook his head. “I don’t think they’re dating.”
“What?” That made no sense. I had watched those two circle each other for years. “Why do you think that?”
“Because they act like you did around Maggie, like I did around Sky.” Aiden shrugged. “Not like Grace and Owen did.”
Owen and Grace had gotten caught making out often, to the point that Harry wanted to ban their friendship. He probably didn’t know they had started having sex way earlier than they were ready for it, or Owen would not have made it into adulthood.
He gave Aidan one more look. “But look at Cooper. Objectively, look at him.”
No. I would not be looking at Cooper. Because while I wanted to believe he was a jerk, I knew he was loyal as fuck. And that was information I didn’t need about the guy who’d been crushing on my sister since they met at little league. And was probably scared as fuck to lose that friendship.
Instead, my gaze drifted closer to the kitchen door.
Hunter was chatting with Maria and his former teammates.
One of the men had a baby in one arm and his other around a woman.
I assumed that it was Maria’s daughter and son-in-law.
As much as Hunter seemed to be paying attention to the people around him, he had one eye on the women on the other side of the room.
I had to wonder if he was just staring into a void, or if he was focusing on something.
Shiloh, Grace, and Tiffany were in deep discussion about something.
Tiffany was always the socialite and more often than not, Shiloh was the one who reigned her in.
Grace was… well she was a supermodel to the world, but at home she was a prankster, especially when she and Skylar were together.
Something that didn’t happen as often anymore.
Maggie and Cat joined them, along with the woman I had assumed was Maria’s daughter.
I watched as she made the introductions.
I had no doubt she would receive a warm welcome, much like they had given Layla Dean when she first started hanging out in Marina De Ferrier.
She couldn’t make our little party, but she would be back in town the next day for the official opening.
She and Ryder were the entertainment for the night.
As Maggie walked around the bar and poured a round of shots, I watched two things happen. First, the new woman declined, I guessed because she was nursing. But then Shiloh covered her glass. The women all stared at her, looks were exchanged, and then they broke out into squeals.
I turned to Ryder, my eyes wide. “Something you want to tell us?”
“I didn’t want to overshadow your night.” Pink tinged his cheeks as his smile broadened.
I pulled him into a hug, uncaring about the people around us. “Fuck that. Congratulations, man.”
There was a round of congratulations before Dom joined us as we raised a glass to Ryder, and then to the two Waite brothers who were deployed.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I wanted to ignore it but I was waiting on one more piece of the puzzle before I could do what I wanted to do. I pulled it from my pocket and blinked my eyes several times as I read the message from my lawyer.
Transfer Complete. Proceeds will be deposited into a trust for you and your siblings.
I no longer had a stake in the weapons industry.
Or at least, in the distribution of firearms. It was a shame, because we figured that was what The Rival wanted.
But that was a fight for another day. Instead, I would make sure the protective gear and communication devices we manufactured would help keep people safe from those weapons.
Besides doing the renovations for the bar, Maggie had also applied to finish her degree. She was enrolled for the next semester and would be taking some night classes at the San Diego campus of the University of California.
“Right. I’m going to do it.” I said to the guys. “I’ve waited long enough.”
“You got this.” Jason called out as I walked toward Maggie.
I navigated the crowds, dodging people on the tiny dancefloor and hanging around the tall tables at the edge. I even managed to stabilize a stumbling waitress with a tray of nachos.
I stepped right up to the bar and grinned at Maggie. She walked over to me with the sexiest smile curling her lips. “Hey, handsome. What can I get you?”
“I need to speak to the boss please.”
Her smile widened. “Oh, yeah? You need to be really important to want to speak to the boss lady.”
My eyes narrowed. I loved it when she threw sass my way. “Maggie. Office. Now.”
“Bossy.” Her smile softened and she untied her apron. “Loren cover for me, please. I’m taking my break.”
“Sure.” Loren called before offering me a smile.
I led her to the back room office. I opened the door and allowed her to walk ahead of me before I closed the door then locked it. This would be the only time we have alone together for a good while. I needed to make it count.
I stood her in front of her desk, before I went down on one knee. Her gasp was audible as I pulled the little velvet box from my pocket. Her eyes went comically big. “That’s huge.”
I stifled my laugh. “Maggie, I have loved you since the night we met. I want to be your partner and safe space. I want us to slay dragons together. Please will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Her face lit up with the kind of smile she couldn’t stifle, even if she tried. “Yes. Of course, I will marry you.”