Pathfinder

Part 2 - 28

TWENTY EIGHT—BRODY

I'd had three weeks of pure bliss. Lexi had moved in and I couldn't be happier. I knew we still had a ways to go, before we were both completely content, but everything was pretty wonderful at the moment. The only thing that would make it better would be if she was wearing the ring I bought her. The day after she moved in, I went ring shopping and found one that I felt was perfect for Lexi. I hadn't asked her to marry me yet, however, because I didn't want her to feel overwhelmed. She'd already taken a leap of faith by moving in with me. Lucas hadn't been completely sure it was a good idea, but he hadn't stood in our way, which I really appreciated. They way Lance had pushed Lexi and I apart, I shuddered to think of that happening again.

Since putting my house on the market, I'd only had a few nibbles, but nobody had been seriously interested. I realized that I would probably have a hard time selling, considering not everyone in the area could afford such a monstrous residence. For the last week or so, I've been contemplating my next step and was nervous to run the idea by Lexi. What if she hated it? I'd been having trouble deciding what to do with my life and if I did this, I'd feel like I had purpose again.

"Hey Babe." I tell her, entering the kitchen to find her baking brownies. I kissed her neck, taking my time to nibble until she was shivering with longing.

"Brody." She groaned.

As much as I wanted to carry her upstairs or just have my way with her, right here on the kitchen counter, I needed to tell her my plan. So I put a little space between us and said, "I need to run something by you. I want you, in my life, permanently, so if you don't like the idea then I'll scrap it."

Lexi smiled at me, over her shoulder, "I'm listening."

I took a deep breath and blurted, "I want to bulldoze this house and put in a large building for entertainment. Meaning, people could rent it out for birthday parties or wedding parties or something. The school could even rent it out for banquettes or school dances, if they didn't want to use the gym anymore. We don't have anything like that around here and people have to drive hours to meet their needs. I've already checked into the measurements and the codes. There is enough land with this house that I can fit the building and a parking lot big enough to accommodate. I'd keep my price reasonable, so that most people could afford it. If I do this, I want people to use it and get joy from it. If they can't afford it, nobody wins."

Lexi blinked at me, before smiling, "I think it sounds great."

"Yea?" I asked, hopefully.

She nodded, "I really do. It sounds like you're really passionate about it and our community could really use something like that. If we threw in some fundraiser activities in there, we could really bring the community together."

"We?" I asked, grinning and pulling her against me.

She frowned, "Yes, we. Aren't we a package deal?"

I sucked in my breath and suddenly, now, felt like the right time. I know I said I was going to wait, but I couldn't wait anymore. So I told her, "Hold that thought, I'll be back in thirty seconds."

I quickly ran upstairs, to our bedroom, and grabbed the engagement ring, where I'd hidden it inside my underwear drawer. I ran back downstairs to find Lexi standing in the same spot, looking worried. I smiled reassuringly and then promptly dropped to one knee in front of her. She gasped and demanded to know, "What are you doing, Brody?"

I took her hands in mine and gazed up at her, with love pouring out of me, "Lexi Green, I've loved you for a long time. I loved you even after I pushed you away. I loved you when I thought you might be moving on, meeting another man, and possibly starting a life with someone else. That thought had nearly killed me. I was going to wait a while before doing this, because I don't want you to feel rushed or overwhelmed, but damn it, we've wasted six years apart and I don't want to waste another second. So Lexi, will you marry me? Make me the happiest man alive and agree to become my wife, because we are definitely a package deal."

Tears were streaming down her face and then she nodded, "Yes, Brody, I would love to marry you."

I shouted with excitement, as I slipped the ring onto her finger and then stood, to pull her into my arms. I grinned against her lips, "How do you feel about babies?"

"How do I feel about having babies?"

I nodded, knowing that I looked like an eager little kid and not caring. "Yes, I'd like to have babies with you."

"What? Like now?"

I laughed, "Well, not today obviously, but some day."

Lexi grew sad, "I never thought I'd want to be a mother. My mother wasn't the best example. She really screwed us up. Lucas and I turned our lives around, but Lance couldn't. He had been hurt the most and he never fully recovered. I told myself that I'd never risk having children of my own, not knowing if I'd be good at it. I never thought I'd be in a position to have children."

"What about now? Even after everything, do you still feel that way?" I prodded, still hoping. It wouldn't be a deal breaker, if she didn't want kids. I'd still marry her and I still wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I could just picture her belly big with my child, however, and the thought really appealed to me.

Lexi shook herself, as if shaking off the memories and gave me a watery smile, "I think I'd like to have kids with you. Do you think I'd make a good mom?"

"I think you'll make the best mom. So what are you thinking, one...two...ten kids? I think we should get started right now." I tell her and flipped her over my shoulder. She shrieked, laughing, and kicked her feet, as I carried her up the stairs and into our bedroom. As soon as I tossed her onto the mattress, I covered her with my body and began to show her, without words, exactly how much I worshipped her. Life. Was. Good.