He leaned to her and she shook her head ruefully, letting out a breath before pressing her lips to his, the camera going off behind him. "You better not be asking me," she warned as they parted, and he let out a long breath.

When he pulled back, he held her gaze. "Do you know you drive me crazy?"

She laughed. "I thought you liked that about me."

"I do."

"Okay, guys, look back at me," Mekena called, but Benji didn't move. His eyes stayed on Lucy as she looked over her shoulder where he knew Angie was standing with a sign that said, "Will you marry Benji?"

As he wanted, she took in a deep breath as her eyes widened.

The tears filled his eyes at her shocked expression, her jaw dropping as she covered her mouth. He pulled the ring out of his pocket before holding it up. When she looked to him, tears were glistening in her eyes as she gazed deep into his, shaking her head.

"You."

"Me."

A tear rolled down her face, though her gaze didn't leave his, her lips moving as she whispered, "What happened to a year?"

"Couldn't wait that long."

Glancing down at the ring, she came undone as the tears rolled down her face faster. She sucked in a breath as she shook her head. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he said, his voice breaking. "Before you decided to ruin my whole speech, I had planned to tell you that I'm glad we had that week of me being gone after we first got together to get to know each other. To fall in love. I fell in love with you, not just with the way you made me feel, and I will always be thankful for that."

Her lips trembled as she held his gaze. Reaching up, she wiped away one of his tears as her lips curved. He started to speak again. "I don't look forward to tomorrow as another day; I look forward to it because I get to wake up to you. I get to feel your lips against mine and I get to hear Angie's laugh. My life is nothing without you two, and I can't go on another second without knowing you are going to marry me. That Angie will be my stepdaughter, and that we will fight every single battle that comes our way, together. Because, together, nothing can come close to bringing us down."

"Really, Benji?" she cried, throwing her hands up. "How am I supposed to make you wait like I should? Who gets engaged so quick?"

"I married your brother and got pregnant all in a month or so," Avery volunteered, tears dripping off her chin, and Lucy glared.

"You're not helping. This is crazy! You're crazy," she accused, her grin taking up her whole face and he smiled.

"About you. Only you."

"Benji! How am I supposed to say no?"

"You can't," he said simply. "Because you want to be my wife as much as I want you to be."

"I do," she challenged, her lips curving, and he nodded.

"You do," he whispered as he leaned his head to hers. "Now, Lucy Lane Sinclair, the love of my life, will you marry me and make me complete?"

Looking deep into his eyes, she grinned from ear to ear as she pressed her nose to his. He almost thought she was going to say no just to be a brat, but when she slowly nodded, her nose sliding against his, he smiled as she whispered, "Guess you're not the only one who can't say no to the one you love."

And Benji saw no problem with that.

None at all.

When Lucy opened her eyes two days later, Benji was fast asleep, his mouth parted, his lashes kissing his face as he drew in deep breaths before letting them out. Her hands were against his chest, the left one on top, her engagement ring sparkling in the sunlight that was streaming in across his beautiful body.

Holy crap, she was engaged.

To Benji.

And she couldn't be happier.

While it was early, and people would think she was crazy to be engaged to someone she hadn't even hit the four-month mark with, she really didn't care. She was happy, and that was all that mattered. Of course, her mom was bubbling with excitement. Already planning the wedding Lucy wasn't even ready to think about. She wanted to enjoy Benji and Angie. She wanted to take her time, have the wedding she dreamed about. The one she deserved. This time, she'd do it right.

With the man she loved more than anything she could ever describe.

Not even the fact that they were meeting Rick that afternoon for lunch could wipe the grin off her face. Could everything blow up in their faces when they showed him what her father's PI had found? Yeah, it could. But would they be okay?

They'd be great.

"I really hate when you stare at me while I sleep," he murmured and she grinned.

"But you're so cute," she giggled, cuddling into him, and he threw his arm around her, kissing her nose.

"Shh, I'm tired. Tell me we don't have to get up yet. I don't hear Angie. Surely, I have another hour."

She laughed. It was so funny how he hated waking up. He and Angie were the same in that respect. "I don't know."

"Shh, go to sleep."

"But I love staring at you and my ring," she said and his lips curved then. He opened his eyes to meet her gaze. Taking her hand in his, he kissed the palm of her left hand.

"Are you happy, baby?"

"I am," she answered automatically. And how could she not be? She was engaged to the most gorgeous and thoughtful man on the planet. Her daughter was happy and healthy, and hopefully, they could get the Rick thing taken care of that afternoon. Her business was thriving, her mom and River were blissfully happy, as were Jude and Claire, off in California doing big things. Jace and Avery were raising Ashlyn and totally in love, living the life they wanted. Baylor and Jayden were having a baby, and it brought tears to her eyes remembering hearing her brother's voice break as he told her the night before. He was over the moon.

No, Lucy Sinclair was one happy woman, and nothing could change that.

"Good, go make me some breakfast," he muttered against her lips and she scoffed.

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"You're asleep!"

"Feed me."

"Mommy! I'm hungry," Angie said then, climbing into their bed and nuzzling her way between them. Wrapping his arm around Angie, he waved Lucy off.

"Go cook."

"Benji!"

"Mommy, please. Bacon and eggs."

"Really, guys?" she asked, but she was ignored as they fell back to sleep. "Brats."

Getting out of bed, she reached for her robe, turning to put it on as she looked back at her bed where they lay. Angie's head was against Benji's face, her hair caught in his beard as they both slept soundly. As a contented sigh left her lips, she grabbed her phone and took a picture. It was too cute not to. When she navigated off her camera, the picture of her and Benji grinning at the camera with Angie behind them, holding the sign asking her to marry Benji appeared as her wallpaper. She almost couldn't believe that had been only two days ago.

She still had that fluttery feeling. That unbelievable feeling of love.

Smiling, she headed down the hall, picking up hockey sticks from their nightly knee ball game and putting them back in Angie's room. Walking downstairs, she started breakfast with a grin on her face. While she hated cooking, she loved Benji and Angie, so bacon and eggs it was. As she fried the bacon, it didn't fail that Rick reared his ugly head into her mind, but she shook her head. She wouldn't be nervous about their lunch.

It would go great.

When her phone rang, she looked over to see it was her dad. Unlike how she usually did, she didn't groan as she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, did I wake you? I just realized it was only eight."

"No, I'm cooking breakfast."

"Oh, good. I wanted to make sure you called me after the lunch. Let me know what is said."

"Yeah, no problem. We are dropping Angie off with Baylor and Jayden before heading to meet him."

"Okay," he said as she put the biscuits in the oven. "So everything is good with you and Benji?"

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, they're great. He asked me to marry him."

Her dad let out a whoop. "You said yes, then?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Good, he's a great guy."

"I think so too," she said, and she was surprised how unawkward it was to say that to her dad. Maybe she was still on her little, happy, glittery, pink cloud of engagement or something.

"Hey, you remember when you were like fifteen, I think, and we watched that movie, The Wedding Date, together."

Lucy paused, leaning against the counter as a smile crept over her face. She was surprised he remembered that movie. But why was he bringing it up? "Yeah, I do."

"You remember how it was such a big deal for your husband to ask me to marry you?"

Her breath caught as she stood up. "Yeah."

"He asked, Lucy, and I said yes, even though it wasn't really my place to anymore, but I did," he said, his voice rough as Lucy's eyes started to cloud with tears. "I'm really sorry, honey, for betraying you like I did. I know you looked up to me, and I really failed you. Hell, I failed you all, and I'm sorry. For as much as it's worth, I really am."

When a tear spilled over and rolled down her face, Lucy closed her eyes. Ever since she'd found out about her father's whore on the side, all she'd wanted was an apology, for him to own up to what he did, and she finally had it. "Thanks, Dad."

"Of course."

"And thanks for telling Benji he could marry me."

He scoffed. "Now, I don't think anyone is good enough for you, honey, but that man...he could prove me wrong."

When Benji and Angie entered the kitchen acting like zombies, she couldn't help but think they looked like zombies too, with their hair all over the place and drool on their faces. And still, she grinned at them.

"Yeah, maybe."

Her dad laughed. She stood up when Benji came over, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. "Well, I'll let you go. Call me later."

"Will do. Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime, honey."

And then he hung up.

They weren't fixed. Lucy wasn't sure if they ever would be, but at least he was trying, and that was enough for her.

Leaning her cheek into Benji's, she exhaled loudly. "You asked my dad to marry me?"

He chuckled as he nodded. "I thought that would mean a lot to you."

"You thought right."

"Yeah. I'm kinda smart."

"Eh, kinda," she teased and he smiled, nibbling at her jaw.

"So, you ready for today?" he asked, holding her as she moved the eggs around in the pan. Her eyes cut to the file her father had given Benji, the one with all they needed to shut Rick up, and she nodded.

"More than ready."

But when she saw Rick enter the Mexican restaurant, her gung ho attitude was nowhere to be seen.

Nope, nothing but nerves.

That is, until Benji's hand slid into hers.

When she looked over at him, he smiled and she let out a long breath. "We've got this."

She nodded as she looked back. Rick's eyes widened as he came to the table. "I thought I was meeting you."

Lucy nodded. "Well, seeing as how he's my fiance, Benji wanted to be here."

It was obnoxious of her, but she wanted Rick to know that she had not only found love, but also a love she was going to have for the rest of her life.

Rick scoffed. "That didn't take long."

Benji smiled. "When you know, you know."

Rick just shook his head as he sat down, leaning back in his chair and watching them. "Okay, so what is this about?"