He never thought he’d make it here. Not in a thousand years. And yet here he was, surrounded by Alexis’s family—minus her grandparents—and creating a life for himself up here alongside her.

She’d fit in just as well down in Mississippi. As expected, Aunt Rose took to her like a pig in mud. Alexis might have been happy settling down there if not for the fact that her sister, father, and nephew were up in Pennsylvania. They hadn’t officially picked a place, but he wouldn’t be the one to ask her to leave them behind, especially now that she’d managed to acquire a modicum of peace here in Wellingford.

“Luke?”

He startled, and glanced up to find Alexis’s dad, Sheng, watching him. From the look on his face, he must have been trying to get his attention for a few minutes. “Sorry?”

Sheng smiled. “I asked if you’d mind helping me bring in the groceries from my car?”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure.” It was the perfect opportunity. He’d been wondering how the hell he was going to get Alexis’s dad alone, and here the man was, offering him the chance on a silver platter. Luke followed him out the front door and down the walkway to where the cars were parked.

Sheng opened his trunk and turned to face him. “I believe you have something you want to ask me.”

Luke blinked. “What?” His hand went to his pocket before he caught himself.

“Either you’ve been hiding the fact that you’re a smoker for the last six months and are craving a cigarette, or there’s a ring in your pocket.” Sheng eyed him. “A ring with my oldest daughter’s name on it.”

He should have known the other man would pick up on his fidgeting. If he’d learned anything in the past six months, it was that not much got past Alexis’s father. How the man put up with his own parents was a mystery to Luke, since they were the most unbearable people he’d ever had the displeasure of meeting. He cleared his throat. “I love your daughter. We didn’t get off to the easiest of starts, but when’s all said and done, I’d walk through hell and back for her if she asked me to. The only future that matters is the one I share with her—if she’ll have me.”

Here was the hard part. He didn’t really want to put everything on Sheng’s blessing, but it would mean a lot to both his potential future father-in-law and Alexis if he did. So, for her, he was jumping through this particular hoop. “I’d like your blessing before I ask her to marry me.”

Sheng watched him for so long, it was a fight not to squirm. “My daughters mean very much to me, Luke. The world. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Avery make her way in the world and carve out her happiness. Alexis hasn’t had the same choices available to her.”

Meaning she couldn’t have kids. “I care about her—not some mythical future with a white picket fence and a few kids.” He’d been as broken as Alexis when they first met—more so in a lot of ways. They might have started on their respective paths to redemption separately, but together they’d fought their way back into the light. Nothing else mattered compared to that.

Sheng nodded as if he’d said more than he realized. “You aren’t the one I would have chosen for her.” He held up his hand before Luke had a chance to cut in. “But I would have been wrong. My daughter lights up when you walk into the room. That alone would have been enough to give you my blessing. But Alexis is a grown woman and more than capable of choosing the man she wants to marry. If my daughter will have you, I’d be proud to call you my son-in-law.” He nodded at the front door. “I think now’s a good time to ask.”

Luke turned to find Alexis standing on the porch, a small frown on her face. “This looks like an awfully serious conversation for coming out here to haul in some beer.”

“I didn’t need as much help as I thought.” Sheng grabbed two plastic bags and a case of some kind of microbrew Luke had never heard of and strode into the house.

She frowned harder. “What was all that about? I think it’s a little late for Dad to be warning you off, but then, he didn’t have much of a chance to do that kind of thing in high school.” Abruptly her frown disappeared and she grinned. “Did he threaten to bring out his shotgun? If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even own one.”

“Get over here.” He held out his hand, secretly delighted when she didn’t hesitate to come down the porch stairs and into his arms. He never stopped being amazed that this woman was his. Some days it all felt like a fever dream, and then he’d roll over and there she’d be, in his bed and his life and his heart. He wanted that forever. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. But now you’re starting to worry me.”

It was now or never. He’d thought about doing this in front of her whole family, but this felt right. This thing between them had started in another country with only the two of them. It was right that the next step should happen without an audience present.

He went down on one knee, ignoring the twinge the move caused. “Alexis Yeung, it’s been a hell of a six months. We’ve backpacked across Europe. I’ve met your family and managed to survive to tell the tale. My auntie is ready to adopt you if I don’t pull my head out of my ass and make an honest woman of you—that’s a direct quote in case you were wondering.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring case. “But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you are the single most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You humble me on a daily basis with your strength, and you inspire me to be a better man. I love waking up next to you, and I want to spend the rest of our lives conquering whatever challenges life decides to throw at us, whether it’s climbing a cliff to face your worst fear or kicking some sense into me when I need it most. So, Alexis Yeung, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Her eyes were wide, and her hand in his shook. “Marriage?”

“If you’ll have me.” He couldn’t read the expression on her face, and it made him nervous.

“But Luke, I can’t have kids. We can’t—”

“Do you want kids?”

She blinked. “What?”

“It’s a simple enough question. Do you want kids? Because if you don’t, I’m down with that. If you do, there’s always adoption.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t care about bloodlines, darlin’. If we adopt, the kid that we choose is going to be our kid, and I’ll knock anyone who says otherwise in the dirt.”

She snorted. “You can’t just go around beating up anyone who says something you don’t like.”

“Watch me.” He opened the ring box and turned it to face her. The ring was a one-and-a-half-carat princess-cut diamond. It was in a simple setting, but it was elegant in its simplicity. “What do you say?”

“As if there was any question.” She grinned, her eyes shining. “Yes, Luke Jackson, I want to be your wife and adopt babies with you and spend the rest of my life by your side.”

“Well hell, darlin’, you had me worried there for a second.” He slipped the ring onto her finger and pushed to his feet. “That was mighty mean of you to drag it out like that.”

“A little nerves never hurt anyone.” She went up onto her tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you so freaking much. I still can’t believe that things are so crazy perfect.”

He held her close. He’d do everything in his power to make his woman happy. My woman. She said yes. He spun her around, loving the way she laughed. “Then it’s a good thing you have the rest of your life to get used to the idea.”

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