She looked down at it, then back up at him, tears in her eyes. “Matt?”
He kept his eyes locked on her face as her mother and father stepped out from behind the surrounding trees, along with Brent and Hayden. Troy and his girlfriend, Ruby. Story and Daniel were there, too. Every single one of them was smiling, happy about what he was about to do. Not dreading it, not wishing she would have done better. It made his heart swell until he could barely breathe.
Lucy let out a watery laugh and fell back on the bench. Right where he wanted her. She must have thought such a public proposal was hard for him, because when he got down on one knee, she reached out and clasped his face in her hands, rubbing her thumbs along his cheeks. Didn’t she know this was the easiest decision he’d ever made in his life?
“Lucy Mason, you brought the color in. You brought me to life when I didn’t even realize I’d stopped breathing.” He laid his hand over hers on his cheek. “Now I can’t get enough air. It’s everywhere because of you.” When he pulled the ring out of his jacket and popped open the lid, she didn’t take her eyes off his face for a second. “Be my air. Let me be yours. Forever. Marry me, Lucy.”
“Yes.” She knelt down in front of him on the ground, meeting him halfway as always. “Yes, Matt. Of course, yes.”
Everyone he’d invited to the proposal cheered around them, including a few bystanders who’d stopped to witness the scene. He held her tight against him, as the group closed in around them.
“Triple wedding. I hope you’re ready,” Story said on a laugh.
Lucy laid a soft kiss on his lips. “We’re ready for anything.”
Acknowledgments
To my husband, Patrick, whose association with my crazy ass finally paid off last year. Look, honey, I’ve amounted to something! And my darling little girl who stands outside my bedroom door as I type in bed, saying, “Mommy, you workin’ in there?” It reminds me why I’m working. I love you.
To Heather Howland, who can never be thanked enough. Thank you for being invested in my characters and their futures. Oh, and my future! I appreciate everything you do.
To Liz Pelletier, thank you for your amazing notes on this book. They encouraged me to add something I really loved that enriched the characters and I hope readers will love it, too.
To Cari Quinn, for being an all-around awesome lady and author. You’ve become a friend and an encouraging presence in my life who constantly boosts me higher when I need it. Thank you!
To Pamela Symes for translating a rather inappropriate ditty into French for me. And Jillian Stein (J-Sizzle), of ReadLoveBlog, for brokering that last-minute assistance (not to mention, being a superfly babe). Thank you!
To Bailey’s Babes, I love you guys! Thank for the daily encouragement and your excitement to read Matt’s story. Hope you love him as much as I do.
About the Author
Bestselling author Tessa Bailey lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, she enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.
www.tessabailey.com
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Staking His Claim (A Line of Duty Novel) (Entangled Brazen) Page 18
