“Duke! What kind of surprise?”
“A little birthday trip. We’re going to Fredericksburg for the weekend. You didn’t think you weren’t getting a big party for your thirtieth, did you?”
I spin around to face him, straddling his lap. “You’re kidding me. How long have you been planning this?”
He smiles. “Since you finally agreed to go out with me.”
“Who all is gonna be there?”
“Everyone—all my siblings, except Sterling; Jo and Grady; your parents.”
“Duke!” I slap his shoulder. “I can’t believe you made this happen without me even realizing it!”
He grins in the moonlight. “It wasn’t easy. Rosie and Dolly helped me.”
I dip my head and kiss him, my lips pressing to his. His mouth moves against me, soft and slow.
“And I need you to be ready and understand that I’m a surprises guy. And you’re about to get, like, a shit ton of them. For the rest of our lives.”
My heart swells so big inside my chest that it almost hurts.
“Okay.” My voice is hoarse.
And suddenly, I’m overwhelmed with emotion. It’s warm, and I realize,This must be what love feels like.
EPILOGUE
DALLAS
ONE YEAR LATER
The bustling city of Austin is the hottest place in the state of Texas to go for nightlife, music, art, and tattoos.
Which is why I requested to come here for my thirty-first birthday. I have a tattoo appointment that my boyfriend scheduled for me and paid for in advance.
“So, he has no idea what you’re getting?” Dolly asks as she loops her arm through mine.
“Not a clue. And I’m so nervous for his reaction,” I say.
“What are you getting?” Rosie asks.
I pull up the picture on my phone and show it to them. Monroe and Eden lean in toward the screen.
“Oh my. Where is that going?” Eden asks.
“On my left butt cheek, in the upper-right corner.”
“Damn. Will you be upset if I get the same thing?” Monroe jokes. “I’m kidding, but that’s going to be so hot.”
“Yeah, he’s gonna freak out and wanna … gross.” Dolly scrunches her face up.
I burst out laughing. “I’ve been wanting to get this for a while. I was really hoping he’d propose by now.”
Something in me changed when Duke took a life to protect me and the twins. Old Dallas would have never gotten her boyfriend’s initials tattooed on her ass inside a heart.
I’m divorced, for crying out loud. I know how badly relationships can turn and how the person you thought you committed to can be someone else entirely, a stranger in your bed.
But I know that could never and would never happen with Duke. He’s done so much for me to protect me and the boys. If something happened with our relationship, I could never hate him, ever.