Over the Moon

As we sat there, eating, I was on top of the world. The woman I loved had said yes.

I wasn’t sure why I’d been so anxious about her possibly rejecting my proposal. There was this nagging voice in the back of my mind, whispering that she might say no.

I tried to ignore it, but I’d seen enough people who weren’t ready to take that step, or worse, heard the one word no man wants to hear when he’s down on one knee: no.

That tiny word was a regular part of everyday conversation, but it also had the power to shatter someone’s heart.

I glanced at Shay. She was glowing, like a kid on Christmas morning, rushing downstairs to see what Santa had left under the tree.

With a broad grin, I took a bite of my lobster. Seeing her so happy filled my heart with warmth.

“Zane!” Conner’s voice yanked me out of my thoughts. “I know you’re on cloud nine right now, but you need to save some brain space for my questions.”

I shot him a glare. “What do you want, man? I was in a great place, and you just yanked me out of it.”

“He asked if you’d heard from your dad. He called me this afternoon and said he’d been trying to reach you for over an hour but you weren’t picking up.

“I told him you were busy getting ready for tonight, so he said to tell you to call him when you had a chance.”

I frowned, wondering what my dad could possibly want. He knew we were on this cruise to relax and have fun.

I pushed thoughts of my dad to the back of my mind. I could deal with that later. I nodded at Conner, then turned my attention back to Shay.

She was still smiling, chatting with the guys about all sorts of things. How the baby was doing at her last doctor’s appointment, how surprised she was by my proposal.

She said she knew it was coming since we were expecting a child, but she didn’t think I’d do it on the cruise.

Everyone enjoyed the dinner, which was some of the best food I’d had on this trip. When we finished, I paid for everyone and left a generous tip for the waitress, who’d done a good job after we came back inside.

Max had told her that I was outside proposing to my girlfriend when she’d come to check on us. Her whole attitude changed after that; she stopped flirting with me and focused on the other guys.

Max brushed off every advance she made, either rolling his eyes or grunting to discourage her. He had no patience for women who were after money.

He grumbled every time she touched his arm as she set down a plate or cleared one away. When we finally left, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

“Man, that waitress would’ve been all over you if you’d let her,” Noah commented, punching Max on the arm.

“She’s not my type. She saw each of us as a ticket to an easy life, so she wouldn’t have to work another day. Forest, you should go back in there and ask her out. I bet she’d love your deep pockets.”

Forest growled at him. “Max, if we were anywhere else, I’d kick your ass for saying that.”

Max squared up to him. “If that’s a challenge, I accept. Want to head down to the beach and settle this like men, see who’s the better of us?”

Laughing, I shook my head at both of them.

“What, Boss, you don’t think I can take this skinny pussy?”

“No, Max, you’re twice his size and about four inches taller. I’ve seen you fight and I know Forest would get hurt if you two went at it.

“I can see you picking him up, then bending him over your head like you’re bench pressing your two hundred and fifty pounds. He’d be toast.”

Forest spun around to face me. “Who says he can even get his hands on me?”

“No offense, Forest, but Max is as fast as he is strong. He was state champion in the hundred meter and two hundred meter for three straight years in high school. He just got faster and faster.

“When he graduated, he had twenty colleges after him to run for them. After a year of training, he was even asked to represent Italy in the Olympics. He won gold in the hundred meter and silver in the two hundred.

“He was supposed to run the four hundred, but he pulled a groin while warming up. Ended up tearing his hamstring, which took him out of the running for the last three events that year.

“He was supposed to run the four by one hundred, two hundred, and four by four hundred. When he finally healed, I asked him to come work for me, and he’s been with me ever since.”

Max smirked at Forest. “I’ve been fully healed for years now and I can still outrun my boss here. He’s tried to beat me for years, but I’m just too fast for him.”

“All right, Max, how about this? I don’t want to kick your ass right now, but how about a friendly race down the beach? Then we can see who’s faster.” Forest stepped into Max’s path, looking up at him with a challenging grin.

“Forest,” Shay’s voice was soft. “Are you sure you want to do that? You haven’t run like that in years.”

Forest smiled at her.

“Yes, I was also a state champion in high school. I did it to impress the girls but never took up any of the college offers. I already had my life planned out and had to get the degrees my father required.”

Max nodded, and they both headed down to the sandy beach a few yards away. We all followed, shaking our heads. Forest didn’t know what he was getting into.

Max took off his shoes and socks, and Forest did the same.

“Boss, will you do the honors?” Max asked, looking over at me.

“Conner, go a little way down the beach and tell us who wins, please. This is going to be fun to watch.”

Connor and Noah took off down the beach, giving us a thumbs-up when they were about two hundred yards out. I lifted my hands, signaling Max and Forest to get ready. They kicked up sand and made goofy faces at each other, their competitive spirits shining through.

Once they were set, I gave the signal to Connor and Noah. Lowering my hands, I shouted, “Go!”

Max and Forest bolted, their bodies blurring as they sprinted down the beach. From my vantage point, they seemed to be running neck and neck. I couldn’t tell if there was even an inch of space between them.

Sand sprayed out behind them with each powerful stride. They reached Connor and Noah, then all four of them ambled back to us, laughter and playful shoves punctuating their return.

When they finally made it back, I turned to Noah and Connor. “So, who won?” I asked.

“Max, but just by a hair. Forest was hot on his heels the whole way,” Connor answered, grinning from ear to ear.

“I thought I had this skinny guy beat, but he’s got a surprising amount of speed. That was one of the tightest races I’ve had in a long time.”

“I had a blast, Max. I haven’t had this much fun just goofing off in ages. Thanks for racing with me; it helped me unwind for the first time in a while.”

Shay rested her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Can we just sit here on the shore and watch the waves before we head back to the hotel?”

“Absolutely, babe. Guys, feel free to join us if you want.”

We all settled down on the sand, letting the soothing sound of the waves wash over us. I lay back, gazing up at the stars, my smile unwavering. I was in the happiest place I could ever be.