Only In His Sweetest Dreams(53)

“Yeah,” she shrugged and glanced at Mercedes, not elaborating on what had been concerning news at Christmas from Porsha and her latest boyfriend.

“Maybe Dayton will be more excited about visiting Phoenix when the baby is there,” Mercedes murmured.

“Oh, yeah right,” Ayjia scoffed, then squealed as Lindsay ran up to her. They hugged each other, bouncing in their excitement to see one another again.

Dayton came up in all his thirteen-year-old attitude, definitely too cool to hang in a cantina with old folks for an engagement party, but he fist bumped Zack and said, “Congrats, dude. Do I have to wear a suit to the wedding?”

“Yeah. ‘Fraid so.”

Dayton made a face, but seemed resigned.

L.C. came over with his arm firmly around Holly, crooked grin splitting his face, saying to Mercedes, “Did you hear what I just heard?” He jerked his son into a hug, pounding him on the back and congratulating him.

“They’re having a baby,” Mercedes told Ayjia and Dayton. Ayjia nearly leapt out of her skin. Dayton lifted his brows and gave Zack a look. “Dude. Seriously?”

“You’ll get there,” Zack assured him, but Dayton only shook his head.

“You’ll have to give up your desk job and join us on the golf course, Mercedes,” one of the seniors teased as he overheard the news. “Now you’re one of us.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I’m too busy booking your tee time to get out there myself, Mr. Scofield.”

Zack and Holly moved along with the kids, accepting punch and cake, letting the seniors fuss over them. L.C. took advantage of the moment on the sidelines to hook his arm around Mercedes and lean down to nip her ear.

“Flirt. Don’t start something you can’t finish.” She reached up to cup the side of his jaw, enjoying the tingles that lingered all over her skin.

“Hey, if you don’t finish, I’m not finished. You know that.” He was as earthy and wicked as ever. God, she loved him.

She leaned into him, liking his strength at her back as she surveyed the party. “Do you ever wish we’d had an engagement party?”

“I don’t even wish we’d had an engagement. Why? Do you?” He angled so he could look into her face, a frown taking over the beautifully hewn features she adored.

She thought of the day they’d repeated their vows in this room before all of Coconino Vista almost seven years ago, already secretly married. She went on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“No. That was the craziest thing I’ve ever done, marrying you so quick, but I’m so glad we did it.”

“Me, too.” He looked at her and his expression became the sincere, tender one that always made her catch her breath. “I love you to hell and back. You know that.”

Some days it felt like they detoured through that neighborhood between things like court appointments and his mother’s cancer scare two years ago. Their lives weren’t perfect, not by a long shot. There was every chance they could be raising Porsha’s new baby in a year or three, given how her sister continued to live her life.

At least they had each other. Without L.C., she couldn’t have navigated any of what she’d been through over recent years.

“I love you, too. So much. I never imagined I would get the fairy tale, happily ever after ending. Did you see us getting this?”

“Only in my dreams,” he said after a beat. “Such sweet dreams I was afraid to even admit I wanted such a thing.” His arms tightened and his mouth pressed to her hair. “But I did.”

“And it came true.” Tears came into her eyes.

“It did.” He rubbed his jaw against her temple, then brushed his lips against her ear.

“Stop your canoodling,” one of the bawdy old men teased. “Or get a room.”

L.C. lifted his head. “I assumed the hosts were supposed to stick around, but hell, if the first aid room’s free... Edith? What’s the etiquette in a case like this?”

“L.C. Honestly.” She shook her head with exasperated affection. “Do not listen to him, Mr. O’Leary. He has the most inappropriate sense of humor. I don’t know how Mercedes puts up with it.”

“Pretty sure that’s what she likes about me,” L.C. said without apology.

“Pretty sure it is,” Mercedes agreed, sliding herself under his arm and hugging around his waist. “But getting a room will have to wait. Let’s join the rest of the grandparents in wishing the kids well, hmm?”

“Rain check?” he murmured.

“Looking forward to it.”