Saxon's Savior (Protect and Serve #3) - Pandora Pine Page 0,87
family would need for the meal and personally delivering them. It had been exhausting, but so well worth it.
Saxon spent a few days in the hospital after his accident. I moved in with him after the storm. My neighborhood was a complete disaster, and it was going to take some time to rehab the house and set things to rights. The kids came home when Saxon did, but my parents’ house didn’t stay empty for long. Gwen went to stay with them while her house was repaired.
“Okay, everyone,” Ozzy announced. “Turkeys are coming out of the oven. I need you all out of the kitchen.”
“Not me?” Lola smiled up sweetly at Ozzy. Somewhere along the line, she’d started asking questions with smiles instead of dirty looks and demands. I loved the new Lola, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I missed Hurricane Lola from time to time.
“Yes, you.” Ozzy bopped her nose.
Saxon scooped her up and set her on one of the sofas in front of the big screen television where a couple of the firemen were watching football.
“Got room for one more? I brought pie!” Stark Givens asked as he came up the stairs. He was carrying a large bakery box.
“There’s always room for one more,” Chasten grinned at the doc, taking the box from him. “Is it true an apple pie a day keeps the doctor away?”
Stark shook his head. Color suffused his cheeks. “An apple pie a day means the doctor is here to stay.”
“What the hell is that?” I asked Ozzy. My brother and the good doc had had a rather messy break up last year.
“Stark doesn’t have any family in the area, plus he’s working the night shift at the hospital later. You know how crazy the ER gets on Thanksgiving. He saved Saxon and fixed your shoulder, so I invited him to dinner. He volunteered to bring the pies. Looks like he delivered.”
“No, not that. I mean what’s going on with him and Chasten.” Ozzy would have invited the entire city of Gloucester to Thanksgiving dinner if it were up to him. No one was surprised to see his ex walk through the door.
“Hmm, I don’t know. Don’t really care either. Chasten’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”
Ozzy worked quickly, getting the birds out of the oven and giving them time to rest. While he did that, Saxon and I put all the sides onto the table. Sophie and Lola had set the table with help from my parents. Truth be told, they did most of the work.
When Ozzy brought two heaping platters of turkey to the table, it was time for everyone to sit down. Saxon settled on one side of the girls, while I was on the other. Lola’s eyes glowed as she stared at all the food.
“Welcome everyone to Thanksgiving dinner. We’ve all got a lot to be thankful for this year. Our brotherhood and our family has grown over the last year, and I’m so damn grateful to see all of you gathered around the table. If we went around and asked people what they were thankful for this year, we’d be here until Christmas. Dig in everyone!”
“Turkey!” Lola pointed to the platter making its way around the table.
“It’s coming around to us. How about mashed potatoes?” Lola nodded.
I plopped some on her plate and Sophie’s before passing them to Saxon.
“After I spent two hours peeling potatoes this morning, I swore I never wanted to see another spud for as long as I lived, but now I want to eat the whole bowl.” Saxon added some to his plate and passed it on.
“Here’s the butter.” I handed the covered butter dish to Saxon.
“I’m all set with that.” Saxon went to pass it on.
“Me butter!” Lola said.
“Me too, Daddy,” Sophie agreed.
I could see Saxon was about to challenge the girls about wanting butter on potatoes we’d already buttered.
He looked down at the dish, which was patterned with pink roses and trailing vines, before looking at each of the girls who wore smiles. Saxon shot me a questioning look, but he lifted the cover off the dish to reveal a black velvet jewelry box instead of a stick of butter.
“That’s not butter!” Sophie said perfectly, just like we rehearsed this morning.
“Where butter?” Lola looked under the table.
“Dallas, what is this?” Saxon’s eyes widened.
“Open it up and see.” What I wanted to tell him was that our entire future sat inside that box. My chest was too tight to get the words out.
Saxon picked up the box. His thumb rubbed over the velvet thoughtfully. He looked around the table. Everyone had stopped what they were doing. Mom was recording every second. All eyes were on Saxon. He lifted the lid and gasped, his tear-filled eyes meeting mine.
“I had a whole speech.” I burst out in a fit of nervous giggles.
“Yes!” Saxon laughed at me.
“I was going to tell you that you’re the moon to my stars.” It was true. Saxon was that and so much more.
“Yes!” Saxon said again, swiping at his leaky eyes.
“Then I was going to tell you I’ll spend the rest of my life making you the happiest man alive.” I meant every word. I would do anything for Saxon.
“Yes!”
“Last, I was going to tell you how much you changed my life. Showing me the meaning of true love, making me a father, and giving me a family of my own.”
“Yes!” The whole table said with Saxon.
“Will you marry me, Saxon?” I was nervous as hell, even though Saxon had been saying yes for the last five minutes.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” He held out his shaking hand for me to slip the ring on. He reached over to hug me, but his eyes were glued to the platinum band set with a row of small diamonds.
Sophie started to cheer, while Lola stood on her chair to dance.
“I love you so much,” Saxon whispered as I wrapped my arms around him.
“I love you more. So much more.” I held on to my future with all the strength in my body.
From the moment we’d met until the day we would part, I was, and always would be, Saxon’s savior.
THE END
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mybook.to/GunnarsGuardian
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Check out book one in the Cold Case Psychic series!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07769VFJR
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