Chapter 27
Maverick
“Oh, Maverick, it’s so wonderful to meet you!”
Damon’s mother swept me into a big hug the second Damon and I approached her at the Cassidys’ anniversary party.
I’d overseen the delivery of the flowers, a mix of pink lilies and white gladiolas. This time, I had a proper van to do the job. Damon had ridden along and helped me situate one on each table in the Prince family barn that operated as an event venue.
“Okay, don’t suffocate him,” Damon said, pulling me free of his mother’s arms. “Let me introduce him first.”
“Oh, but this is your boyfriend!” she said. “There’s no introduction necessary.”
The warmth in her voice made my heart squeeze. “It’s really nice to meet you both.” I held out a hand to Damon’s father. “Mr. Cassidy.”
He shook my hand. “Call me Craig. We don’t get too formal around here.”
“Or you can call him Dad,” Damon’s sister, Wendy, said with an impish grin. “Assuming you’re not going to get tired of my annoying brother and kick him to the curb.”
Damon pulled a strand of her hair. “Brat.”
Wendy stuck out her tongue, and Damon’s parents ignored their antics. I was guessing it was commonplace.
“Oh, the flowers look lovely too,” Damon’s mom said. “Thank you so much.”
I smiled. “I’m glad you like them. There’s no specific flower for a 35th anniversary, so I split the difference. Lilies are traditionally for thirty years and represent pride and devotion. Gladioli are for the 40th year, and they symbolize strength and integrity.”
“Oh, that’s so interesting,” she said. “Isn’t it, hon?”
Her husband blinked. “Uh-huh. Do we get the boyfriend discount on the cost of all this symbolism?”
“Craig!” She clapped her hands to rosy cheeks. “Don’t be a cheapskate. We’re celebrating thirty-five years of marriage here!”
“And it’s cost me a lot,” he said with a playful wink.
“Don’t listen to him,” she said. “Your lovely work is worth every penny.”
“Thank you,” I said.
I could already tell Sharon and I were going to get along great.
Damon cleared his throat. “Looks like folks are arriving. We’ll move aside so you can greet your guests.”
He guided me toward a table where his sister and her husband, Neil, were taking a seat. “I thought you said your dad was a grump,” I said.
“He’s in a better mood when he’s not recovering from surgery.”
Wendy grinned. “Damon just complains because Daddy likes me better.”
Damon rolled his eyes. “Because you’ve got him fooled. We know you’re really a spoiled brat.”
She shrugged. “As long as Dad doesn’t think so, I’m good.”
We made small talk as the room filled with guests. Damon’s dad was moving pretty well. He’d graduated from a walker to a cane the week before the party. He wore his pale gray suit pretty well too. It was easy to see where Damon had gotten his strong jaw and dark hair and eyes.
Servers darted around the room, pouring water and champagne for seated guests.
A beautiful three-tier cake sat on a banquet table next to Damon’s parents, delicate pink flowers and wedding bells frosted around each edge.
The topper was a bride and groom, only one leaned on a cane and the other rested a hand at her back as if it ached.
“That cake topper is perfect,” I said.
Wendy’s eyes twinkled. “Mom was horrified when she first saw it, but Neil convinced her it was a symbol of long-lasting love.”
She cast a look at her husband that left no doubt she planned to grow old with him. He kissed her cheek, a content happiness emanating from him. One I could only hope to feel someday.
Damon made me happy, of course. Incredibly happy. But we were at the beginning of our journey. There was an ease to Wendy and Neil, the sense of absolute faith they’d go on loving each other for years to come.
Damon stood up to make a toast, holding a cordless mic so everyone could easily hear him. “We’re all here to celebrate my mom and dad surviving each other for thirty-five long years.”
There was a titter of laughter, and his mother ducked her head, but her smile was so wide there was no mistaking her happiness.
“Everything I learned about relationships, I learned from watching them.” He cast me a look. “Sorry, Maverick.”
My cheeks heated as all eyes swiveled to me.
“But seriously, I am so grateful they met each other and decided against their better instincts to have a couple of rotten kids. Wendy and I got really lucky, and I can only hope to one day be standing here with the man I love, celebrating just as many years.”
His eyes met mine, and my heart skipped. Surely, he didn’t mean…
He handed the mic over to Wendy, who stood and raised her glass of champagne. “To Mom and Dad, and 35 more years of not killing each other.”
Everyone laughed and toasted the happy couple. The Cassidys were a playful bunch, and I loved how much of Damon I could see in all of them. It made me feel as if I knew him better than I realized.
After the cake and toasts, music played over the sound system. Wendy dragged Neil onto the dance floor to bounce along to Sweet Adeline.
Damon’s dad wasn’t dancing because of his bum hip, but he happily lent his wife out to anyone that asked.
I nudged Damon. “You should ask your mom to dance next.”
“I’d rather stay here and eat frosting off you,” he said, lifting my hand and licking a dollop of frosting off my wrist I hadn’t noticed.
Heat tingled through me. “Maybe you can do more of that later. I don’t want to keep you from enjoying your family time. This is a special day.”
Damon laced his fingers with mine. “You’re part of that family time now, you know.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You’re my family, Mav. That’s what I mean. This is the real deal.” He leaned in, meeting my eyes. “I complain about my parents, but I was dead serious in my toast. I want what they have. I want it with you.”
My mouth went dry. “But this is so new.”
“Is it?” He shrugged. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve known you forever.” He stood and tugged my hand. “Come on. Dance with me before I take my mom for a spin.”
I smiled as he led me onto the dance floor, completely comfortable with the attention we got as a couple. It might have taken Damon some time to realize he wanted a man, but I had to admit, he’d proven that he was all in.
I didn’t have to worry that he’d string me along with false promises, because Damon was a man of action. When he gave me his word, he followed through.
He took me out. Showed me off. Even included me in his parents’ anniversary toast.
I slipped my arms around his neck on the dance floor, swaying with him as a slower song came on. “Thanks for inviting me to this. It means a lot.”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you,” he murmured, pressing his cheek to mine.
I closed my eyes. “Nothing would be the same without you.”
His arms tightened around me. “I’m glad you feel that way, because there’s been something I’ve wanted to say to you.”
I drew back enough to look into his eyes. “Yeah?”
He opened his mouth, but a tap on my shoulder made us both turn.
“Let a couple of old ladies cut in,” Iola said.
“Oh, but—” I started to say.
Iola grabbed my arm, tugging me to the right. Lula grabbed Damon’s shoulders, pushing him the other way.
“Maverick!” Damon called over her head.
I strained to see him as Iola forced me into an awkward fox trot.
He said something, but the words were swept away by Iola’s chatter about her matchmaking business. Something about Jamie signing up?
“What?” I called.
He broke away from Lula, making her huff, and took two long strides toward us. He tapped Iola’s shoulder, and she broke off talking to send him a glare. “I haven’t even had one dance yet!”
“Sorry, but you kind of interrupted a moment.” He reached for me. “Maverick—”
“So rude!” Iola blustered. “Young people have no sense of decency.”
Damon raised his voice over her complaints. “I just want to say… that is I’m trying—”
A group of chattering girls swept by, laughing loudly. He groaned in frustration. “Why does the universe hate me?”
I laughed. “What did you want to say?”
“Honestly, Damon,” Lula said. “Spit it out already. We’ve got dancing to do!”
He rolled his eyes up, as if begging a higher power for patience, then locked them on me. A determined look came over his face.
“I was going to do this in private, but obviously, there’s always someone meddling in this town. It’s a gossipy, vicious cycle.”
“An ugly characterization,” Iola said with a sniff.
Lula waved her hand. “Shh! He’s about to propose!”
“I’m not proposing!” he exclaimed. “Oh god, maybe I should give up now.”
I choked on a laugh. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Oh, I know! He wants to tell you—” Lula started.
“I love you!” he blurted. “Before Lula says it for me, I want to tell you. I really love you, Mav.”
A huge smile broke out over my face. I couldn’t even be bothered that Iola and Lula were shamelessly eavesdropping. “Really?”
“Really, sweetheart.” He moved in to cup my face as Iola finally shuffled aside. “You’re it for me.”
By this point, the attention of most of the room was on us. For those who missed it, Iola turned and said loudly, “He said he loves him. I made their match. Matchmaking Mamas. You’ll find true love like them if you sign up for our service!
The rest of her words faded into the background as I kissed him.
“I love you too,” I murmured against his lips. “Even if you are a huge pain in the ass.”
He grinned and kissed me again. “I hate to tell you, but that’s not likely to change.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”