Chapter Twenty-Seven

SPRING

 

“Hey, watch it!” Noah snatched the football out of the air a split second before it connected with Mai’s ass. “Mom!”

His disconcerted expression made Dale laugh. “Sorry. My bad.”

Mai turned around and skewered Dale with her gaze. “Thank you, Noah, for saving my dignity.”

Dale jogged over to Mai and wrapped her arms around her. She brought her lips close to Mai’s ear and whispered, “If I had pegged you with the football, I would have had an excuse to rub it and make it better.”

Mai looped her fingers in the belt loops of Dale’s jeans and tugged her close. “Like you need an excuse to rub my ass?” She nuzzled Dale’s neck.

“Get a room.” Yvonne’s teasing tone broke the moment. Whistles and hoots from Ida and Jeff and her father coupled with laughter from Noah and his brothers added to the cacophony. Sally clapped and Chip blushed.

Dale tilted her head sideways. “All right, you comedians. Let’s get this party started.” She lifted the bottle of non-alcoholic cider and waggled it.

Yvonne held out her cup and Dale filled it. She raised her glass toward the group. “To old friends and new ones, well met.” She arched a brow at Sally. Sally touched her cup to Yvonne’s and sat down next to her on the blanket, inclining her body toward Yvonne. Yvonne rested her fingertips on Sally’s arm as they chatted. Dale nudged Mai and tilted her head toward the two women, their infatuation with each other obvious to Dale. Mai shrugged and took another sip of her cider.

Dale rested her arm around Mai’s waist. The sun shone off the lake and ducks squawked and flapped on the far side of the shore. A breeze rippled across the water. The low hum of their families as they ate the picnic Mai had prepared was background noise to the hammering of Dale’s heart. This was precious. Family and friends. How much could change in a year. She patted her watch pocket to reassure herself the ring was still there.

“You okay?” Mai raised her eyebrows. “Walk with me?” Mai stood up and walked backward as she held out her hand.

Dale caught up to her and took her hand and laced their fingers together. They walked over the beach toward the dock on the other end of the lake. A flutter of nerves settled in her stomach. The dock, site of their first time together, and a few more since the weather had broken, loomed in the distance. It wasn’t what Dale had planned but it would do.

Mai led them to the end of the dock. She sat down and patted the worn gray wood next to her.

Dale sat next to her, thigh to thigh. A dozen memories of their time together rushed through her thoughts. She gripped Mai’s thigh to keep her hand from trembling. What if she says no? What if it’s too soon. Fuck.

“You feeling frisky? Because I don’t think we are far enough from our families to risk it.” Mai’s teasing grin as she placed her hand high on Dale’s thigh and squeezed her leg reminded Dale of every reason why she loved her.

“They’ve been like barnacles all day.” Mai released Dale’s thigh and leaned back on her elbows. “I thought I’d never get you alone.” She held Dale’s hand in both of hers. “Do you want to get married?”

“What?” Dale flushed and gripped Mai’s hand.

“Do you want to get married? To me?” Mai tilted her head.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?” Mai held her gaze.

“Of course, why would I say yes if I wasn’t sure?” Dale frowned at Mai.

Mai dug a velvet-covered box from her pocket and opened it. The solid black silicone band was dark against the white satin. “It’s a safety ring, no worries about shocks or anything.”

Dale stared at the band and then lifted her gaze to Mai’s face. “Are you sure?”

Mai raised her eyebrow. “For fuck’s sake, why would I ask if I wasn’t sure?”

Dale huffed out a breath. “I didn’t expect this.”

Mai frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I wanted to ask you.”

“You want a do-over, my sweet control freak?”

Dale rolled her eyes. “No.” She took the ring from the box and held it out to Mai. “Put it on me?”

Mai pushed the ring over her knuckle and then kissed her fingers. Dale cupped Mai’s face and kissed her slowly. Mai broke their kiss, her eyes shining. “Were you really going to ask me?”

Dale tapped the lump in her jeans pocket. “I had plans to get down on one knee.”

Mai pushed the hair back from her eyes. “That sounds delightful. Maybe later we can have a do-over. I like it when you get down on your knees.”

“Perv.”

Mai picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “Yeah, but I’m your perv now.”

She looked over Dale’s shoulder at their gathered families on the beach. “So, are we going to tell them, or keep it between us?”

Dale traced her finger over Mai’s lips. “No secrets.”

“Never?”

Dale raised her eyebrow. “Exceptions made for surprise parties and gifts?”

“Deal.”

Mai brushed her lips over Dale’s mouth. “Deal.”

A shout from the crowd on the beach drew their attention. They followed the line of their vision. A large purple kite with rainbow streamers rose on the wind, climbing higher in the clear blue sky.

Dale touched Mai’s chin. “Did you know last year when we flew kites, I wanted you?”

Mai smirked. “I might have had a clue. I could see you in the truck sideview mirror.”

Dale’s face burned. “Fuck.”

Mai kissed her, lingering on her lower lip. “It was sexy as hell. And I wanted you to throw me in the back of the truck and have your way with me.”

Dale leaned her brow against her forehead. “I can’t believe you want to marry me.”

Mai hugged her tight. “Were you worried I’d say no?”

She rested her hand in the curve of Mai’s shoulder. “Yes. It’s a lot to take on. Three boys, even if only two of them live with us. We’re a pretty tight family.”

Mai pushed back to look in Dale’s eyes. “You see how I am with Yvonne? Family is what’s important. A marriage is adding to a family, not taking away.”

Dale hooked her fingers in Mai’s belt loops, pulled her close, and kissed her. More whooping from the beach made her look over Mai’s shoulder. “Did you tell them you planned this?”

“I might have mentioned it.”

Dale quirked her mouth. “You’re know you’re stuck with me now? No take backs.”

“No take backs.” Mai slid her hand in the back pocket of Dale’s jeans and tugged her close. “Let’s give them something more to cheer about.”