Once Raif closed the sliding glass door behind Lucinda, he turned his attention to the very man that had his blood pressure rising. Flexing his fists and taking a calming breath, he looked Tanner dead in the eyes.

"Leave Lucinda alone. She is my girl." He pointed into his chest. "Mine. So back off."

Tanner smirked. "You're such a caveman. She's not a piece of property and last time I checked, one night stands are more your speed. Lucinda is a classy woman and she deserves someone with a little more... class."

"Oh and let me guess, you think she'd be better off with you? Oh please!" Raif scoffed. "You just like competing for shiny new things you can brag about. This isn't really about Lucinda. This is about you trying to beat me at something. Well guess what?" he said as he tapped Tanner's temple. "You're the only one competing in that contest going on inside of your sick head."

Tanner practically snarled as he snatched Raif's fingers, but as the sliding glass door slid open with a bang, the two of them spun to see what the commotion was about. A nervous looking Loris was rubbing his hands together and approaching them in quick, long strides.

"Is everything ok here?" He cleared his throat as his expression took on more of an annoyed appearance. As he looked from Raif to Tanner, he added, "Not going to ruin the most important night of my life, are you?"

"No," both men said at the same time.

"Good!" He nodded in one stern motion. "Cause if you ruin this night for Annie, I swear I'll chop each of your balls off with razor blades... rusty and dull, razor blades."

Raif reached out and squeezed Loris's shoulder assuringly. "I wouldn't dream of ruining this for you. I promise. I just needed to set Tanner straight on Lucinda being my girl."

Tanner rolled his eyes with a snort, but Loris glared at him, causing him to straighten his posture. "Sorry Loris," he apologized. "But you know how I feel about the situation."

Loris brought his hands to his temples and sucked in an agitated breath. "Do you think that for one night, the two of you can bring your chest banging to a halt? Then after tonight, the two of you can wrestle to the death over Lucinda's heart, or do whatever you damn well please!"

"Not a problem," Raif replied. "Like I said, I don't want to ruin this night for you."

"Good. Thanks mate." Loris smiled and then shifted his attention to Tanner. "And you?"

"I can bite my tongue for one night."

Loris raised his brow at him. "Don't forget that you're in Raif's home and you're only here because I asked for you to be invited. So please don't make me regret it?"

"You're right." Tanner nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "I apologize, Raif. I shouldn't be disrespectful in your home and especially not on a night like this..." Taking a deep, humbling breath, he added, "despite disagreeing with you, in regards to Lucinda, I'll behave cordially for the rest of the night. For Loris and Annie's sake."

"Good, good." Loris nodded with a smile spreading wider over his face. "Now let's head outside so I can start the rest of my life with the most incredible woman I've ever known."

As the night went on, everyone finished their appetizers and then gathered around the table to feast on dinner. Despite any awkwardness between Raif and Tanner, everyone chatted amicably over their garden salads, while taking sips of their cocktails. Cocktails which a few of them were guzzling without concern for the headaches they might bring them in the morning. As they moved onto the main course, Emma served up heaping bowls of cioppino to everyone. Soon the atmosphere filled with the sounds of cracking and snapping from the shellfish being devoured. Merrill also began talking about the fishing he was looking forward to doing once he got back to Redwood Village. He offered to cook Bass for anyone that visited, which Hector and Emma eagerly accepted.

"Well I want to go too!" Annie insisted. "Loris has gone up there, but I've never been and I hear it's gorgeous."

"You're more than welcome, Annie," Merrill replied. "The invitation to come visit me is for everyone."

"Including me?" Tanner asked, while cracking into a giant crab leg.

"Including you." Merrill nodded as he brought a glass of red wine up to his lips. His eyes slid over to Lucinda, but she gave a slight nod, as if letting him know that it was ok.

And it was more than ok. As she leaned into Raif, with his arm around her shoulders, she glanced up at him and felt at peace. After having him walk into the hallway right as Tanner was caressing her face, she feared he might think the worst and become furious with her. Except, his reaction surprised her. He trusted her and never questioned her loyalty to him. It was such a different reaction compared to how her ex used to react. Sometimes it seemed like a man couldn't even be friendly towards her because her ex would have a fit over it. Looking back on it, his jealousy seemed ridiculous considering that he had a wife and kids that he had been lying to her about.

Bringing the back of Raif's hand up to her mouth, she kissed his knuckles. How lucky she was to be far away from that man. She was grateful for Raif's trust in her and she knew that one day, the issues with Tanner would become something they all joked about. Because when he wasn't being cocky, he was actually nice. So maybe one day they could all dine together under Merrill's roof, eating grilled Bass and enjoying one another's company? It was a nice thought.

"Who's ready for dessert?" Emma asked as she stood to clear some plates.

Lucinda and Raif sat up, realizing that it was the signal for everyone to leave Loris alone with Annie.

"Here, let me help you with that," Raif said as he got to his feet and took some plates off of Emma's hands.

"And I'll help you bring out the cheesecakes!" Lucinda clapped.

"And I'll freshen these up so we can have some dessert wine with the cakes," Tanner said as he stood from the table and began collecting used glassware.

As the four of them went back into the house, they all hovered by the window to watch the proposal unfold, while simultaneously grabbing what they needed. Just as planned, Hector and Merrill retreated to the lounge area again and began playing music. Hector sang softly, while Merrill strummed the guitar in rhythm with his voice and their melodies floated off into the air. Loris, who looked a little pale, stood up and smoothed down the front of his dress shirt before extending his hand to Annie to ask her to dance. She rolled her eyes at him with a playful grin that she couldn't hold back and took his hand.

Loris guided her away from the table and towards the picket fence that opened up to the ocean. With the moon shimmering across the sand and the twinkle of the decorative lights wrapped around the fruit trees, the two of them appeared to be on a stage for everyone to see. Together they swayed slowly, barley turning, as if they were just content to hold each other closely. Merrill began playing a different cord and Hector followed in with the lyrics to Elvis Presley's, Why Do Fools Rush In. Lucinda squealed by Raif's side and she took Emma's hand as they all watched from the window. Loris had requested that Merrill play Annie's favorite song as he dropped to one knee and the seconds ticked by as they all waited for the moment. With the windows in the kitchen open, Loris's voice carried over the soft breeze in the night.

"Annie," he cleared his throat. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed as she snuggled her cheek into his chest. "Best day of my life."

"Mine too." He kissed the top of her head. "You've forever changed me and I'll never regret living so far away from my family, because you have become my family. You've become my everything."

"That's so sweet." Annie smiled as she inhaled his scent, with her cheek still pressed to his chest. "And you're my everything."

"You see, when I was a young boy," Loris continued, his fingers noticeably trembling as he stroked some hair away from Annie's face. "And my parent's brought me and my sisters here for vacation, I had never fallen so much in love with a place before. The ocean, the redwood trees, the weather and the overall relaxed feeling... I never wanted to go back to busy London. So I promised myself that when I got older I would come back here and visit. Then as the years wore on, I decided that I would take a chance and go to university here. Ugh, those college years were so miserable for me! I was lonely, sad, I missed my family and had a hard time making friends... I couldn't wait to go back home."

"Really? I didn't know that. You always seem to speak so fondly of your college days." Annie murmured against his chest.

"That's because I only tell you about the good stuff." He kissed her forehead. "For the most part I was pretty lonely, but then one day I took a drive down the coast and really took in my surroundings. Then all of the reasons why I love it here, hit me all at once! The trees, the clean ocean air, the seafood and the same awe inspired love that I had for it when I was a kid, all came surging back to me. So I stuck around longer and after I graduated Uni I got a job and for a good while I was perfectly happy. But then something happened and it completely changed me. The happiness I thought I had, suddenly seemed so trivial in comparison."

"Like what?" Annie lifted her head and looked up at him.

"I met you." He smiled and Annie's face lit up. "Being with you... I've never been happier in my life. I've never fallen in love with something or someone, as much as I have with you, Annabella Juliette." Pulling away from her embrace, Loris slid down to one knee and for a moment Annie looked confused as he fumbled through his cargo pocket.

"Sweetheart, do you have a cramp in your leg?" she asked.

"No, no," he laughed lightly and then finally tugged the little black ring box free from his pocket. "What I'm trying to say is, will you marry me, Annie?"

As soon as he opened the ring box, Annie's hands went to her mouth and she shook her head side to side. From inside the kitchen, both Emma and Lucinda gasped. It sounded like Annie was saying something, but her hands over her mouth made it hard to hear her and Loris's expression fell as if his face was melting. Merrill and Hector had stopped playing music and were now starring at the couple in anticipation with their jaws almost to the ground.

"Is she saying no??" Emma asked with a sudden panic in her voice.

"I'm not sure..." Lucinda replied, a bit of defeat in her voice. "Do you think she's just in shock?"

"Gosh, I hope so! Loris will die if she's really saying no," Tanner said and when Lucinda looked down at his hands, they were balled into white knuckled fists. "Should we go out there?"

"Wait." Raif pointed. "I think she's crying."

The four of them watched as Loris rose to his feet and pulled Annie into a tight embrace. He lifted her off the ground and spun her around, but then quickly put her down. His hands went to the sides of her face and he was whispering something to her. This time she was nodding her head in an up and down motion, as if she was saying, yes, repeatedly. Loris then began covering her face with kisses and when he broke away grinning, he waved at everyone to come outside.

"I think it's safe to go out there again." Emma grinned as she tapped her fingers together excitedly. "What a night!"

With the cheesecakes and dessert wine in hand, the four of them practically barreled out of the sliding glass door. They rushed to the dining table and began shouting out various questions.

"Did she say yes?"

"Should we start planning the wedding?"

"Why were you shaking your head?"

"Please tell us you're not breaking up!?"

"Well everyone!" Loris beamed as he guided Annie back to the table. "Shall I present to you Miss Annabella Juliette, my fiancé?"

A round of cheering erupted and the happy couple curled into one another, both of them glowing. Unable to resist, the group rushed in to bombard them with hugs and congratulations.

"For a second there we were worried," Tanner said as he squeezed Loris's shoulder. "Looked like she was saying, no, from the kitchen."

"I nearly fainted when I saw you shaking your head!" Emma exclaimed as she playfully smacked Annie's shoulder. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"Well, looks like we have more good news," Loris replied as he stretched his hand out to reach for Annie. She paused as Lucinda and Emma were admiring her new engagement ring and placed her hand in his. "Would you like to tell them, my love?"

Everyone glanced around at one another, wondering what other news the couple had to share and then brought their attention back to Annie. With a deep breath, she announced with a shrug, "I'm pregnant."

"What!!" Emma shrilled and then pulled Annie into a bear-hug.

"No wonder you were only drinking water tonight." Raif wagged his finger at her."

"I know, I know. I can't believe it either..." Annie wiped her eyes which had become misty and as Emma pulled away from her, she let out a part laugh, part cry. "I never imagined in a million years I'd become a mother. I mean, here I am, forty two years old and pregnant for the first time in my life! I spent so much time focussing on my career that I thought my ship for motherhood had sailed long ago... but then surprise."

"How far long are you?" Lucinda asked.

"Well, I've been feeling nauseous and dizzy for the last few weeks, so I had some lab work done and then my doctor called, saying how she wanted to see me. So of course I started to think the worst, like maybe I've gor cancer." Tears began rolling down Annie's cheeks and Loris slid his arm around her waist, planting a kiss to her temple. "But then she told me I'm pregnant and ordered an ultrasound. According to the doctor I'm almost four months."

"Four months!" Both Emma and Lucinda exclaimed in unison.

"I know. I began panicking," she continued. "I immediately started sobbing right there in the doctors office. I started telling the doctor about all the alcohol and junk food I've had in the last few months and how I've probably damaged the baby. After she calmed me down, she explained how everything was most likely fine, but that because of my age, she will have to monitor my pregnancy closer."

"You know what?" Emma waved her hand. "You'll be fine. The baby will be fine. Look at Gwen Steffani, she had a baby at forty five, and Janet Jackson had her fist baby at fifty two. So don't even worry about being forty two and pregnant for the first time. You and the baby are going to be just fine and the two of you are going to be amazing parents!"

"I think so too." Loris beamed. "I just can't believe she managed to keep it a secret from me until now."

"I've just been so worried and didn't know how to tell you..."

"It's fine, darling." He squeezed her waist. "I'm ecstatic. I mean, come on, I'm going to be a Dad! I feel like I've won the lottery tonight, a bride and a baby all in one night. Has there ever been a luckier man?"

At the sound of sharp popping noises, they all turned to see Chuck and Isabel walking through the sliding glass door with champagne bottles in their hands. Foam was spewing out and they held their thumbs over the openings of the bottles while shaking them to agitate the suds. It caused the champagne to squirt out in an explosion from behind their fingers and showered everyone.

"Congratulations!!!" They cheered as they joined the celebration.

With the entire gang all together, they continued the rest of the night enjoying one another's company and eating cheesecake. While everyone drank champagne, Annie simply sipped her water, a grin permanently plastered on her face. As the night wore on, the women remained at the table, already planning out details for the wedding. The men, on the other hand, had meandered into the house for a game of drunk dominos and their explosive laughter echoed outside every now and again.

As Lucinda looked around the table at her new friends, she felt completely content. However, when she looked up and toward the sliding glass door, her heart leapt with joy as Raif stared back at her. Like a magnet, she felt herself stand from the table and make her way to him. His arms opened for her and she folded herself in them.

With a deep satisfied sigh, she could feel it in her bones, that without a doubt, she was falling in love with Raif.

🌊🌊🌊

That Monday as Merrill finished packing his old Blazer with his belongings, Lucinda stood by with Raif, in tears. Their time together had flown by so quickly and she wasn't ready to say goodbye. She knew she was being overly emotional since it wasn't as if it would be the last time they would see each other, yet her emotions got the best of her anyway. The tears really started to fall as he began to say goodbye. He wrapped his arms around her and she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said, rubbing circles into her back. "This has been the best two weeks I've had in a long time and I plan to come back and have plenty more."

"I know." She pulled away to look at him. "It's just been so nice having you here. The apartment will be so quiet after you leave."

"I'll keep you company," Raif chimed in and offered, "We can watch a movie?"

Lucinda wiped her eyes. "But it won't be the same..."

"Gee, thanks." Raif nudged her playfully.

"You'll be fine, Lucinda," Merrill insisted. "You'll be back to your normal routine before you know it."

"Call me as soon as you get home? I don't care how late it is."

"I will." He caressed Lucinda's face. "Time to go, but I'll be back."

Raif held Lucinda close as they both watched Merrill climb into his truck. He started the engine, gave a wave and then pulled away from the curb. It was still dark out, the sun not even a wink on the horizon so they remained standing there until Merrill's break lights could no longer be seen.

"Feel like getting back into bed and partaking in some cuddles before the sun comes up?" Raif asked.

Lucinda pulled her gaze away from the long-gone break lights and looked up at Raif. "I doubt we'll actually get any cuddling done, knowing you."

"So do you want to?" He bobbed his brow.

"I suppose it could take my mind off things." She grinned.

Lifting her up, Raif threw Lucinda over his shoulder and marched back into the apartment. She giggled all the way as he rushed to her bedroom.

Yes, she was definitely falling in love.