Page 32 of Sex, Lies, and Margarita Mixes

MARRY ME, AGAIN… WITHOUT ELVIS

ROXY

The idea hits me in the middle of the grocery store, right between a wall of pastel napkins and a pyramid of discounted paper plates.

I’m staring at Easter colored paper, I don’t need for an event I haven’t booked yet, thinking about centerpieces and cake toppers and photo booth props.

And then, quietly, like a whisper under all the noise, I think, “ We never wrote vows.”

I don’t realize I’ve said it out loud until Chase looks up from the freezer section, holding a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream in his hand. “Huh?”

“Our wedding,” I clarify, facing him fully. “Vows. We never exchanged actual vows.”

He smiles faintly. “We were kind of busy being drunk and getting married by Elvis. He said ‘Do you?’ and I said ‘Yes.’ And then, he looked at you and asked if you did and you said, ‘Sure do.”

I grin. “Exactly. We skipped actual vows, Chase.”

He strolls over, slides the ice cream into our basket, and cups my face with one warm, calloused hand. “Well, we’re still married anyway. But you wanna do it now?”

What? Is he serious?

I blink. “Like… now now? In HEB?”

He laughs. “Well, not like in the ice cream aisle.” His thumb traces my cheekbone. “We do everything backward anyway. So, Roxy West… will you marry me, again? With actual vows this time and maybe a real wedding dress?”

Oh my God, my husband is proposing to me in front of Bluebell and Creamy Confections ice cream in the middle of our favorite grocery store.

I bite my lip. “Yeah. I think I do. No, I definitely do.”

He kisses me softly, like a promise. “Okay, babe. Let’s do it. Right this time.”

We’re at Mari Lynn and Knox’s beach condo.

A justice of the peace is before us in the sand as waves roll and crash onto the beach.

Seagulls fly about and the wind blows my white dress between my legs and my hair dances about on the sea breeze.

Chase is beside me in khaki shorts and a white linen shirt, unbuttoned, of course.

Mari Lynn and Knox are beside us. The air tastes like salt and summer and lime. It’s a perfect day.

I think about how far we’ve come—from that neon-lit Vegas chapel to Chase’s food truck—with my face and name on it—parked in a lot he fought tooth and nail to lease.

From strangers who collided at a party to two people who stitched together a life full of laughter and mess and midnight tacos after sex that’s still so hot it ignites our blood.

I flash back to that night in Vegas: the heat, the neon, the sticky chapel floor.

Chase, laughing as he slid a Ring Pop onto my finger.

Me, holding my breath because I knew, even in the chaos of getting married to a man that terrified me because I was so in love with him after only three weeks, this was it. And now, four years later, here we are.

“You first,” I say nervously, my heart doing somersaults under my ribs.

Chase turns toward me, taking my hands in his.

His gaze is steady, and his eyes are shining.

“Okay.” He clears his throat, takes a breath, and then, he says, “Rox, I never knew love could be loud and quiet at the same time. You’re the chaos and the calm.

You drive me crazy and somehow keep me sane.

You’re the reason I wake up wanting to try harder every damn day.

I promise to show up, even when it’s messy.

Especially then. I promise to keep laughing with you, keep fighting for you, and keep learning how to love you better every day.

And when we’re old and yelling at our grandkids from the porch, I promise I’ll still think you’re the hottest girl in the room.

Plus, you tried to drive me away for three point five of these last four years and I refused to budge.

I hope you know that I’m never leaving. I don’t want to, and you don’t want me to either.

I’m like a love leech. I’m here to stay. ”

I burst into laughter while swiping at my eyes. “Oh, Chase… a love leech. Really?”

He grins. “Your turn, baby.” The justice of the peace nods.

Okay… my turn.

I clear my throat, heart pounding so loud I can barely think.

“You,” I say softly, “Chase, you are my anchor. You see me when I don’t even see myself.

You’re the calm in my hurricane and the match that lights the fire of every dream I’ve ever dared to have.

You’re every piece of home I didn’t know I was missing.

“I promise to keep fighting for us, to keep choosing us, to never let the chaos drown the magic we’ve made. I promise to show up, even when I’m scared. Even when I’m stubborn. Even when I don’t have the words. Because you are my words. You’re my beginning and my always. You’re my home .”

Before the justice of the peace even says it, he pulls me into his arms, kissing me like he’s memorizing the taste of forever.

Mari Lynn and Knox clap when our lips part. The justice of the peace chuckles, “Mr. and Mrs. Chase West, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Chase West. You’ve renewed your vows.”

Mari Lynn snorts, “These are their first vows, Sir. Elvis didn’t care about vows in that sleazy Vegas chapel. But damned if that wasn’t fun.”

Knox mutters, “Viva Las Vegas.”

Chase laughs and stares into my eyes. “I love you, Rox.”

I stare back at the man I love more than life itself and reply, “I love you, too, Chase.”

Much later, we’re on the balcony, sitting in silence, wrapped in each other under a blanket, letting the night carry our promises into the sky.

It feels… complete.

Not flashy. Not fancy. Just real.

Our real vows.

Our real forever.

No cameras.

Just us.

Exactly how it was always meant to be.

The opening of the balcony door rouses me. “Did y’all sleep out here?” Mari Lynn asks, raising an eyebrow as she sips her coffee.

Chase grins. “Kinda.”

“Ah, sexcapades on the balcony… good times.” She winks.

I smirk. “Amazingly good.”

She laughs. “Well, we didn’t hear y’all from inside. Amateurs.”

I lean against Chase and the blanket slips slightly. He quickly grabs it and pulls it up over our nakedness. “It was perfect.” He kisses my shoulder and my insides warm.

Mari Lynn grunts, “Yeah, I know that look. No, it’s daylight. There are kids right there.” She points at the beach. We look.

Shit! There are literally kids right there and we’re both buck ass naked.

Mari Lynn snickers. “Uh huh. And I’m pretty sure those are your shorts and your panties in that palm tree.”

Seriously? Son of a bitch.

My white satin thongs are indeed stuck in the fronds, waving about in the sea breeze like a surrender flag.

Knox appears in the door, shirtless and grinning.

“Coffee is ready and so is breakfast.” His brow arches as my panties continue to flap in the wind.

“Nice… but since you two are both naked and there’s only one blanket, would you like me to grab you a towel?

” He waggles his brows. “Can’t be scarring the neighbors. ”

Chase winks. “That’d be great, man. Appreciate it.”

Knox shrugs. “Yup. It’s really good to see y’all in such a good place now.” He disappears into the condo and tosses a towel out. Chase catches it as Knox yells, “Breakfast in five.”

We book it back to the city after breakfast. After deliveries and vendor calls and a last-minute mixer malfunction, Chase finds me wiping down the truck window and reading through emails on my phone.

He wraps his arms around me from behind. “Glad we did it? Again?”

I lean back against him. “More than anything.”

He nuzzles my neck. “Me too.”

We stand like that, quiet and steady, the hum of the city swirling around us.

And for the first time in a long time… everything feels exactly right.

Like the chaos has settled.

Like the has story found its heartbeat.

Like home.

We’re curled together on the couch with Golden Girls reruns playing in the background as white noise. My head rests on his chest. His fingers trace lazy circles on my arm.

“You know what’s wild?” I murmur.

“What?” he asks sleepily.

“This started with a drunken wedding and somehow turned into a life.”

He kisses my hair. “You’re the best bad decision I ever made, Rox.”

I laugh softly. “Bad decision? I’m a bad decision, huh? I’ll show you a bad decision.”

The TV flickers and his heartbeat races under my lips.

Maybe we’ve been writing vows all along.

In the breakfasts and late nights and quiet apologies. In the forgiveness and laughter and stubborn love, maybe the vows were never words. Maybe they were always actions.

And if that’s true… we’ve already kept every promise that matters.