Chapter Fifty-Three
Leighann swam up to the surface for the last time. It had been a long day in the water, but this batch of propagated coral in their underwater nursery was doing amazing. Another month, and they would be ready to seed the main reef.
She had just lifted her goggles onto her head and was preparing to swim to shore when a shadow fell over her, startling her.
“Took you long enough. I thought I was going to fry up here waiting. I’m going to need some aloe rubbed in for sure.” Enrique smirked at her stunned expression.
“Enrique! What? How? Hi,” Leighann said, at a loss for words but excited to see him after so long apart.
“Are you done for the day, or do you have more to do? I would like to take you to dinner.”
“I’m done. I just need to clean up, and I can go. I can meet you somewhere in about an hour if that works? ”
“I was thinking of something a little sooner.” He patted the front of the large paddle board he was straddling on the surface of the clear blue water.
Leigh took off her air tank and handed it to him before boosting herself up onto the board. They sat on their knees as Enrique paddled further out towards a large boat anchored at least half a mile from the reef.
As they drew closer, Leigh turned to glare at him. “What is this?”
“Our next compromise,” he answered, giving her one of his charming grins.
Using the steps on the back of the enormous boat, she climbed aboard, and once he had secured her scuba gear and his board, she asked, “How is this supposed to be a compromise for us and not just a concession for me? ”
“Easy. You spend so much time in the water; not having a boat was never going to happen, especially once we have kids. This is a yacht, by the way. Why not get it now and make life easier? Now you can work out there,” he said, gesturing towards the water, “and I can work here.” This time, he pointed out the luxurious leather seating. “It’s a compromise because I didn’t get the six-stateroom yacht with gold-plated fixtures I wanted to get. I got the four-stateroom size with chrome fixtures. The theater room was exchanged for a great room with an open galley kitchen instead of the kitchen being separate and below decks. I had to have the custom office, so that may be a concession on your part, but the kids will have to bunk together instead of having their own rooms. See, I give a little. You give a little. We both win. Come say hello to Lorenzo before he pouts and burns my food for keeping you to myself.”
Leigh smiled at the thought of that but went inside and greeted the chef before following Enrique to the front of the yacht to the owner’s stateroom. It took her breath away. It was decorated in whites, creams, blues, and greens, perfectly blending both of their favorite colors. Everything was plush and soft. She was covered in salt and didn’t want to get anything dirty but ran her fingers over the luxurious bedding anyway.
“That will have to be a concession. I’m not giving up my Egyptian cotton sheets. I can’t sleep if the fabric is rough on my skin.”
Leigh turned and quickly kissed his lips, “I will gladly concede on this one. They feel like heaven on earth. What does the double L embroidered on all the cushions stand for?”
“Did you not see the name on the back when we arrived?” he asked a little annoyed his surprise was ruined.
“No, I was too busy trying to figure out why you were paddling out, not in. Then what this huge boat was doing so close to my reef? Then I was a little put out that you had a boat anchored out here, and then, I was climbing up the steps. I had a lot on my mind. Why? What’s the name?”
Enrique scooped her into his arms and marched back to the rear of the boat. Leigh thought he was going to set her down so she could look over the side, but the closer he got to the platform at the back, the more she worried he was just going to toss her in for not paying attention. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
The next thing she knew, she was plunging towards the cool water, still cradled in her future husband’s arms. She smiled just before her head went under the water.
Kicking towards the surface and gasping for air she started laughing, then turned to read the name, “My Leeward Lady. What does that mean? I’m a scientist, not a sailor,” she said as Enrique treaded water beside her.
“The Leeward side is the side away from the wind, the calm side. You are going to be my calm side. See, you are already changing me, helping me make better choices. I almost threw you overboard and made you swim to the back, but I decided that would not be the loving, gentlemanly thing to do. I compromised and went in with you so we could look together. I told you I would work hard to be better for you.”
His smile was that of a little boy who just shared half his cookie with a little girl with cooties but kept the larger half for himself and still wanted praise. The image made her burst into giggles. His expression faltered, so she wrapped her legs around his waist, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and started treading water harder to keep the extra weight afloat.
“I love you,” Leigh whispered, kissing him once more.
“I love you too, baby, but if we keep this up, we’ll drown. I can’t kick and kiss at the same time. ”
Leigh laughed once more, then swam over to the steps and boarded the yacht again. As they walked through the great room, Lorenzo called, “Should I hold dinner, or do you think you can stay on board long enough to eat it?”
“We’ll be here. How long?” Enrique asked as they continued down the hallway.
“Fifteen minutes unless you need longer,” Lorenzo called back.
“That works. I clean up fast,” Leigh called.
Enrique showed her to the owner’s stateroom, and this time, the tour made it all the way to the bathroom. She showered and dressed in clean clothes that had been laid out on the bed for her, then met him at the table on deck with Mrs. Ellis’s assistance. Lorenzo was already serving the food, a wonderful seafood alfredo with fresh garlic bread and a crisp salad.
Leighann had just picked up her fork when Enrique placed his fingers over hers. “How does an April wedding sound?”
“Fast, but fine. I want it simple anyway. We can stop by the courthouse and get the license and marry the same day, or maybe there’s a three-day wait period in Florida. Either way, April works.”
“We’re not doing that, but we will keep it simple.” He came around the table and got down on one knee in front of her. This time, he took the ring out of his pocket and held it up for her to see. When she didn’t balk, he knew this time he had done well. “Leighann Grace Parker. You are the love of my life. The woman I dream about at night and whose face distracts me all day. I can’t be away from you any longer. I need you in my life, by my side. Will you please marry me in April on the beach with this ring on your finger?”
“Yes, yes, and yes. I love it! It’s perfect!” Leighann gasped as she peered at the gorgeous ring, which made her insides warm, unlike the other, which had terrified her that she might have her hand cut off.
This time, she allowed him to slip the one-carat blue diamond with a halo of tiny white diamonds onto her finger. It was much smaller than he had ever imagined giving his woman, but it suited her. The center stone was the same Caribbean blue as her eyes, and he had spent hours sorting through stones to find the perfect one.
Every time he saw that ring on her finger, he would remember that effort mattered more than money to her. It was a pittance compared to what he would have paid, but each stone was selected with love by him, not a clerk out for a commission. She was bringing out the best in him, and he couldn’t wait for their future to begin.