CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE #2
The party was a masterpiece of excess, orchestrated by Aurora and Margaret. White tents were erected on the back lawns, overflowing with blue hydrangeas, towering balloon arches, and a dessert table that rivaled a Parisian bakery.
Theo, dressed in a ridiculously adorable miniature linen suit that Aurora had custom-ordered from Italy, was currently the undisputed king of the estate. He was surrounded by a literal village of people who adored him.
"Look at him, he’s a natural," Spencer laughed, standing near a towering display of gifts. He and Ryder had spent the last twenty minutes teaching the one-year-old how to aggressively rip the wrapping paper off the boxes, much to Eleanor’s horror.
"Spencer, do not teach the child destruction," Aurora scolded, sweeping past her husband in a stunning yellow sundress. She scooped Theo up into her arms, balancing him effortlessly on her hip. "Come here, my perfect angel. Auntie Aurora bought you something impractical and necessary."
While the rest of the family—the grandparents, the uncles, and the fiercely protective aunt—were distracted by the chaos of the birthday celebrations, Grayson caught Kennedy’s eye across the lawn.
He gave a subtle nod toward the house.
Kennedy smiled, setting her glass of lemonade on a passing waiter’s tray, and quietly slipped away from the crowd. She followed Grayson through the French doors, escaping the warm afternoon sun for the cool, quiet sanctuary of the Lockhart library.
The doors clicked shut, blocking out the loud, joyful noise of the party outside.
Grayson was standing near the unlit fireplace. He looked incredibly handsome in a light gray suit, no tie, but there was a distinct, nervous energy radiating from him that Kennedy had rarely seen.
"Is everything alright?" Kennedy asked softly, walking toward him, her floral dress brushing against the Persian rug. "Theo didn't eat too much cake, did he? I told Ryder to cut him off."
"Theo is fine. Ryder is the one who ate too much cake," Grayson smiled, though the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. He took a deep breath, stepping forward to close the distance between them. He took both of her hands in his, holding them securely against his chest.
"Grayson?" Kennedy murmured, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked up into his intense, emotional gaze.
"I have spent the last year of my life trying to prove to you that I am not the man who stood in that study and broke your heart," Grayson began, his voice thick with a raw, undeniable sincerity. "I have tried to show you, every single day, that you and Theo are the only things that matter to me."
Kennedy’s breath hitched, her heart suddenly beginning to hammer against her ribs as she realized what was happening. "You have proved it, Grayson. You have."
"I know we have only been properly reconnecting for a few months," Grayson continued, refusing to break eye contact. "I know this is fast. But I also know that I have spent thirty years of my life with you, and I am not wasting another single second."
He reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and slowly sank down onto one knee.
Kennedy gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth. The air vanished from the quiet library.
Grayson opened a small, velvet box. Resting inside was a breathtaking, flawless emerald-cut diamond, flanked by two tapered baguettes, set in gleaming platinum. It was elegant, timeless, and absolutely perfect.
"Grayson," Kennedy whispered, tears instantly springing to her eyes. "We... we have only been doing this for a few months."
"I do not care about the timeline," Grayson said firmly, looking up at her with an unshakeable certainty.
"I don't care if it has been three months or thirty years.
You are the love of my life, Kennedy. You are the center of my entire universe.
You are the mother of my son, and you are the only person I want beside me for the rest of my days. "
A single tear spilled over Kennedy’s lashes, tracking slowly down her cheek.
"I know you don't need my money. I know you don't need my protection, or my status," Grayson told her, his voice dropping into a rough, devoted whisper.
"I want you to have my name, not because you need it, but because marrying you matters to me that deeply.
If I could, I would marry you immediately this afternoon, although both of our families would probably have a collective heart attack if we did anything without involving them. "
Kennedy let out a wet, breathless laugh, imagining her mother and Eleanor Ashford-Vale fainting on the lawn if they eloped.
"I want to marry you, Kennedy," Grayson stated, without a single ounce of hesitation. "Will you marry me?"
Kennedy looked down at the man who had anchored her entire life.
She looked at the boy she had chased through these halls, the man who had broken her heart, and the father who had painstakingly, beautifully put it back together.
Hearing him choose her so openly, with such sincerity, it meant infinitely more than she had ever expected.
"Yes," Kennedy choked out, the tears flowing freely now. "Yes, Grayson. Of course I will marry you."
Grayson exhaled a ragged, triumphant breath.
He slipped the ring onto her trembling finger, the diamond catching the ambient light of the library.
He stood up, pulling her fiercely into his arms, burying his face in her neck as he spun her around, both of them laughing and crying in the quiet sanctuary of the room while the rest of their world celebrated on the lawn outside.
The next morning, the breakfast room of the Lockhart estate was bathed in bright, cheerful sunlight.
The large glass table was crowded with platters of fresh fruit, pastries, and silver pots of coffee.
Margaret, John, Arthur, and Eleanor were seated at the far end, exhausted but incredibly pleased with the success of Theo’s birthday party.
Spencer was feeding a piece of a croissant to a babbling Theo, who was sitting in his highchair, while Ryder read the morning paper.
Grayson and Kennedy walked into the room together. Kennedy was glowing, wearing a simple silk robe over her clothes, relaxed.
They took their seats near the center of the table. Kennedy reached out to pick up her coffee cup.
Aurora, who was sitting directly across from her, applying a layer of lip gloss using the reflection of her phone, suddenly froze.