by Jax Burrows
She walked around the side of the house to the back. Then she stopped and stared. The garden was untouched after the heavy snowfall and the lawn was a sea of white, the lights from the patio and the kitchen illuminating it, turning the surface into a mass of tiny sparkles where the light reflected off the ice crystals in the snow.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, and Lexi could have stood and stared if it hadn’t been for the figure who stood in the centre of the lawn, gazing up at the twilight sky.
‘Casey.’ He turned and put his arms out to her. She ran to him and they hugged. His body was warm in his winter coat, but his face was cold, his nose like a block of ice, and she kissed him on his lips, his cheeks, his eyelids. ‘It’s freezing out here. What are you doing?’
He hugged her closer and stared up at the sky again. ‘Looking for shooting stars. I thought if I made a wish, you’d appear.’
‘Did you find one?’
‘No, but here you are anyway.’
‘Here I am. I read your note. Thank you. But you’re wrong, you know.’
He looked crestfallen. ‘Which bit?’
‘About not being a good dad. You’re a wonderful father; Jade adores you. No parent gets it right all the time. And together, you and I will get it right most of the time. We’ll work as a team, like we did today.’
He smiled, and she wanted to drag him inside and take him up to the bedroom.
‘I love you so much, Lexi, and if you feel the same, then I don’t feel such a twit if I do this.’ He dropped to one knee in the snow and took a box out of his coat pocket. He held it out to her as if he was a knight of old offering his lady a token of his love. She knew what was in it, and her heart thumped in her chest. She’d dreamed of this moment for so long.
‘Lexi Grainger, I love you more than life itself and I will be the happiest man - not just on planet earth, but in the entire universe - if you’ll marry me.’
She took the box then and opened it to find an exquisite diamond solitaire. She took it out and it sparkled as the light caught it.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said in wonder.
‘Not as beautiful as you are, but you haven’t answered my question.’
‘Of course I’ll marry you, Casey.’
‘Thank goodness for that, my knee is getting awfully wet.’
He scrambled to his feet, picked her up and swung her around and around. ‘Thank you, I don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no.’ Then he kissed her, long and deep, with such considered tenderness that she wanted it to go on forever. But eventually he pulled away and gazed into her eyes.
‘Are you happy?’ he asked.
‘I couldn’t be happier,’ she replied, ‘well, there is one other thing I’d like, but only if you agree, of course.’
‘Anything – your wish is my command.’
‘I’d like us to have another baby. A sibling for Jade. If you think you could stand it, that is.’
Casey’s expression lit up in pure delight. His green eyes were shining, and a grin threatened to split his face in two. ‘A baby? Oh my God, Lexi, are you sure? There is nothing that would make me happier. It would be a dream come true; to be there right from conception to the birth. I’d be there with you every step of the way, supporting you…’
He was thinking of all the things he’d missed out on with Jade. They’d make sure he didn’t miss anything this time around.
‘You sound more excited about having another baby than getting married. Maybe we should have the baby first.’
‘You’re going to be Lexi O’Connor when we have our next child. I can’t wait to marry you, my darling.’
‘So, you don’t mind waiting a bit longer to be a dad again?’
‘As an astute and extremely beautiful woman once said to me, “If it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for”. I would wait forever for you, my darling girl.’
‘Good to know. Fortunately, you won’t have to. Now, I think it’s time you got out of those wet trousers which will give us the chance to get in some practice.’
Casey swept her up and carried her to the back door. ‘And I can practice carrying you over the threshold. We’ll be perfect by the time we do it for real.’
The house was warm. Casey had brought a new king-size double bed and the snow started falling again. Gently at first, then heavier, obliterating the marks Casey had made when he proposed to Lexi. Soon, the garden had been restored to a pristine condition.
In the clear night sky, a shooting star arced over the house and disappeared. Neither of them noticed it, but both had already got their wish.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jax was born in Manchester where she now lives, after having lived and worked in Australia. Jax attempted various jobs before deciding on a career as a medical secretary.
She has been writing for fun all her life, but now takes it seriously, concentrating on creating sexy alpha heroes and the strong, empowered women who fall in love with them.
If you enjoyed Worth Waiting For, look out for Book 2 in the series, Riordan's story. Please also consider writing a review on Amazon, it doesn't have to be long, a sentence or two would do. The author would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.
