Chapter 27
Alexis
I wake to the feeling of strong arms wrapped around me from behind, steady and warm, like they’ve been there all night.
Last night comes rushing back, and butterflies bloom low in my stomach, soft and sudden, spreading before I can stop them.
A brush of lips grazes my shoulder, slow and lingering, and I can’t help the quiet laugh that slips out as I turn in his arms to face him.
His hair is tousled, his smile soft, still heavy with sleep. “Mornin’, Tinker.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose.
“Morning, Pan.”
I loop my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer, and press a kiss to the side of his neck, breathing him in without thinking.
“You okay?” he asks quietly, his hand moving along my bare back in slow, grounding strokes. His grip tightens just slightly for a second, like he needs to feel me there, like he needs to be sure.
“I’m more than okay.” I lift my gaze to his, warmth already creeping into my cheeks, and the fact that it still happens, that he can still make me feel like this, catches me off guard. “I never knew it could be so…” My voice fades, the words slipping away as the blush deepens.
His expression softens even more, like that means something to him. “Never felt like this for me either.” He presses a kiss to my temple, lingering there.
I study him for a moment, taking him in like I need to remember this version of him, then smile softly. “I like waking up in your arms.”
His smile deepens, a quieter emotion settling into his eyes, one that feels a little more permanent. “I want to wake up like this, you in my arms, every day.”
A small laugh escapes me, light but real. “I think we can arrange that.”
The words come easily, but a part of me hesitates anyway. “Do you think we’re going too fast, Dex?”
His fingers tilt my chin up, making sure I don’t look away. “No,” he says softly, steady in a way that settles something in me. “I think we wasted too much time fighting this… now we just make up for it.” The corner of his mouth lifts slightly. “And I know exactly how to do that.”
Before I can react, he rolls me onto my back, hovering over me, his weight familiar now, grounding instead of overwhelming, his mouth finding my skin in quick, warm kisses until I’m laughing beneath him, breathless and soft.
“I think you’re right,” I murmur, smiling up at him, my hands still resting against him like I don’t want the distance back.
“So I’m not leaving in a few weeks like we planned?”
Dex dips his head, his teeth catching my shoulder just enough to make me inhale before he soothes it with his lips, slow and deliberate.
“You’re not going anywhere, Tinker… not unless you want to.
” His voice lowers slightly, brushing against my skin.
“You’re staying right here with me… and letting me make you happy. ”
I pretend to think it over, even though my chest already feels too full to say anything else. “Hmm… I think I can live with that.”
His breath brushes through my hair as he leans in closer, holding me there for just a second longer than necessary, like he doesn’t want to let the moment slip.
“Lander Spring Fair is today,” he murmurs, his voice softer now, closer, settling against my skin. “Wanna be my date?”
“I’d love to.” I pull him into a quick hug, warmth still lingering between us, and I’m just about to kiss him again when I hear scratching at the door and remember, laughing as I pull back, “I think Marvel wants breakfast.”
? ? ?
The fair lights glow before we even step out of the truck, strings of gold and white stretching across the open field, flickering against the deep blue of the evening sky. Music drifts through the air, something country and upbeat, mixed with laughter, voices, the distant hum of generators.
The smell hits next.
Fried dough. Caramel. Smoke from grills.
Life.
Dex kills the engine, but neither of us moves right away.
My fingers are still tangled with his.
Tangled in a way that feels deliberate, like neither of us has quite figured out how to let go yet.
I feel his thumb brush over my knuckles once, slow, absentminded, and my stomach flips like it did the first time he touched me.
“You good?” he asks, his voice lower than usual.
I nod, even though my chest feels tight for a different reason now.
Too much feeling.
Too many people.
Too much him.
And underneath it all… something else I can’t quite name.
“Yeah,” I say softly.
He watches me for a second longer than necessary, like he’s reading something deeper, then his jaw tightens slightly before he pushes the door open and steps out.
The second he comes around to my side, the noise hits louder.
Voices calling. Boots on gravel. Laughter.
“Uncle Dex!”
Mia runs over to us, Summer a few paces behind her.
Dex scoops her up instantly, spinning her around until she squeals, and I melt at the sight of him with her.
Lexy. This is way too fast for that thought.
I scold myself, but I still see it. Dex as a father. And he’d be a good one.
“I swear she runs on solar energy,” Summer laughs as she reaches us, Ethan right behind her.
We all laugh, and Summer and Ethan pull me into quick hugs like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Dex takes my hand again without even thinking about it, and we all walk toward the chocolate fountain stand.
“Daddy! Can I have a chocolate-covered strawberry, pleeeease?” Mia begs, her blue eyes locked on the fountain.
Ethan lifts her onto his shoulders. “Of course you can, pumpkin.”
Summer shakes her head, smiling. “I swear he’d give her the moon if she asked him to.”
Dex nods. “How can you say no to that face?”
I laugh. Mia really does have that effect on people.
We wander through the stands, lights glowing overhead, laughter and music wrapping around us. Dex never lets go of my hand. Not once.
“Lexy!”
I turn at the sound of Penny’s voice and spot her by a photo booth covered in spring flowers and props.
We make our way over, and I notice Cas a few feet away, dragging a wooden bench into place.
“Hi! This looks gorgeous,” I say, glancing around at the setup.
“Great! So you won’t mind me taking your picture?” Penny grins.
“Of me?” I ask.
“No, silly. You and Dex.” Her smile turns wicked.
I glance at Dex, and he nods. “I want a picture with you.”
“Alright.”
We walk over to the bench. Dex sits first, then pulls me onto his lap, his arms wrapping around me from behind.
Penny snaps a few pictures, then waves her hand. “Okay, switch it up!”
I start to feel eyes on us, but I focus on her directions.
“Alright now, Dex, stand behind her, pull her close, and kiss her.”
Dex doesn’t hesitate.
He stands, pulls me back against him, his hand firm at my waist, and then his lips press against mine.
It’s just a quick kiss.
But it still makes my cheeks burn.
“I’m framing that one,” Dex murmurs against my ear.
I laugh softly.
“Alright, all done! Thank you, guys!” Penny beams.
As I turn, I feel it before I see it.
Eyes.
I look up and find three women staring daggers at us.
I glance at Dex, but he’s talking to Cas, oblivious, though his fingers are still laced with mine.
“Don’t mind them,” Penny says quietly. “They just found out you snagged the third Hawthorne…”
I recognize the one in the middle.
She walks straight toward us.
Her hand lands on Dex’s shoulder, making him turn and breaking our hold.
“Dex, how about a dance later?” she asks, her fingers trailing down his arm.
Something sharp twists in my chest.
Dex goes still.
Then he gently but firmly takes her hand off his arm and steps closer to me. His arm comes around my waist, pulling me into his side.
“Cynthia,” he says calmly, “I want you to meet my girlfriend, Lexy.”
My breath catches.
I hold out my hand, but she ignores it completely.
“You said you didn’t do girlfriends,” she snaps.
Dex doesn’t look at her.
He looks at me.
“I didn’t,” he says quietly. “Until I fell in love with her.”
He presses a kiss to my temple.
Cynthia scoffs and walks away.
“So,” I say, smiling up at him, “I’m your first real girlfriend, Pan?”
“You’re my only girlfriend.”
He kisses me again, and just like that, the rest of the world fades.
We make our way over to Lily and Josh, who are already settled on picnic blankets spread across the grass.
Lily waves us over. “There you two are! Sit, sit, before Ethan eats everything.”
“Hey!” Ethan protests.
“You are eating everything,” Summer laughs.
“I’m growing.”
“You’re twenty-eight!”
“That’s still growing.”
Laughter ripples through the group.
I hesitate for just a second.
Then Dex’s hand tightens around mine, pulling me down beside him. His arm settles behind me, warm and steady.
“Lexy, darlin’, you hungry?” Josh asks, already handing me a plate.
“Yes, sir,” I smile.
“Good answer.”
Lily leans in. “You tell me if you want more, okay?”
“Thank you.”
Across from us, Penny leans into Cas while Ethan continues his dramatic storytelling. Mia giggles beside him.
It’s loud. Messy. Alive.
For a second, it’s almost too much.
And for no clear reason, a flicker of unease moves through me, quick and quiet, gone before I can catch it.
Dex notices immediately. His thumb brushes slow circles against my hand.
“Hey… stay with me,” he murmurs.
I exhale.
And just like that, I’m okay again.
? ? ?
Penny claps her hands once, drawing everyone’s attention as she steps forward with a grin that already gives her away.
“Okay, okay, before anyone eats the rest of the dessert, we’ve got something we want to share with you,” she says, glancing back at Cas, who hands her a small white box tied with a neat golden bow.
She holds it out toward Lily, practically vibrating with excitement.
“It’s from both of us,” she adds, her voice softening just a little as she looks back at him, then at Lily and Josh, like this moment matters more than she’s letting on.
“Oh honey, thank you!” Lily takes the white box, the golden bow wrapped neatly around it.