Weekend in Paris

Five months have passed since New Year's Eve on the roof. The group of friends had been so happy since then. Farkle was overjoyed to be with Smackle again even if it was long distance. In a couple of days that distance would be no more. He would be in Australia with his beloved and they could pick up where they left off the day she had left for Australia. Video chats and late night phone calls were ok, but nothing could compare to the moment he would see her in person for the first time in months. Everyone had come with him to the airport and he was glad they did. He knew he would miss a lot while he was gone but would see them at the end of the year. They all had plans for the summer. Plans that didn't really include the group as a whole. Maya and Josh would be spending the summer in Philly with his family. Zay and Sara would be staying in the city, as Zay was doing some summer theater and Sara was working. Riley and Lucas would be spending the summer in Texas and Lucas had some big plans for Riley. Lucas had mentioned his plans to Farkle and he couldn't be happier for them. Riley was about to have a summer she would never forget.

As always want to thank the wonderful friends who support me always, Sue, Nette, Kayla, Courtney and Carolyn. Thank you all!

Chapter 1

Sunday, June 4, 2023 at the apartment of Lucas and Josh

Lucas and Riley were just returning to the apartment from the airport where they just said their goodbyes to Farkle. He was going to be in Australia with Smackle for the next 6 months. As a matter of fact, the whole group of friends would be gone for the entire summer. Riley and Lucas were due to fly out of La Guardia airport for Austin, Texas the next morning at 9 a.m. They would be spending the whole summer at Pappy Joe's Ranch in Texas. Riley couldn't wait to get away and have Lucas all to herself for the summer. She was helping Lucas finish his packing and they were going to have dinner with Maya, Josh, Zay and Sara upstairs at the Matthew's apartment. Topanga had been cooking all day and wanted to send Riley and Lucas off with a small get together of friends and family.

Lucas just walked back into his bedroom after gathering all the things he would need to pack from the small bathroom that he shared with Josh. He would miss Josh over the summer as the two had grown close in the last year that they had been living together. He knew Riley would miss Maya a lot. The girls always spent most of their summers together and this was the first year in a very long time that they wouldn't be seeing each other daily. They shared a small loft together and were already having separation anxiety. Sara Carpenter, Zay's girlfriend, was going to be staying in their loft for the summer. That was especially convenient because Zay was the girls next door neighbor. Cory and Auggie would be keeping an eye on Josh and Lucas' apartment for the summer since it was in the same building as the Matthews' apartment. Cory had joked he would take over the apartment as his man cave for the summer. Josh had a big flat screen TV that Cory liked to watch baseball on. So, Auggie and Cory had plans to watch lots of baseball for the next 3 months.

As Lucas was putting his stuff in one of his bags, Riley walked in the room with Lucas' beloved cowboy boots and hat. She had put the hat on her head and Lucas didn't think he'd ever seen anything cuter than her in his cowboy hat. He walked over to her to take the boots and she placed the hat on his head and smiled up at him, "I think those boots have seen better days, Lucas. Why don't you buy some new ones?"

Lucas looked at her with disbelief, "Riley, these boots are just getting broke in. I've had them since I was 14. They're perfectly fine. Besides, they are my lucky boots. I wore these when I rode Tombstone." Just as he said that Maya walked in the room.

She laughed and said, "Don't you mean unlucky boots, Huckleberry? If I remember right you were also wearing them when Riley brother zoned you, weren't you?"

Lucas took a deep breath and looked down at his feet after she said that. "Really Maya, you had to bring that up after all these years?

Maya walked over to Lucas and took the hat off his head and said, "Wah, wah! Get over yourself, Ranger Rick, you got the girl in the end, didn't you? Now what bag do you want this hat in?"

Lucas took the hat from her and said that he was just going t carry it with him, as soon as they landed in Texas he would wear it. Riley laughed as she walked over to Lucas' side and said, "and it will stay on his head for the rest of the summer. He'll only take it off when he sleeps."

Lucas laughed and said, "That's what you think, Riles. I can sleep in my hat just as well as I can sleep without it."

Riley rolled her eyes at him and then noticed the time. "I promised mom I would help her finish getting dinner ready. You want to come with me, Peaches?"

Maya left the room to go tell Josh where she was going and told Riley she'd meet her in the living room in 10 minutes.

Riley walked over to Lucas and as he wrapped his arms around her waist she placed her hands on his chest and looked into his eyes and said, "You know I'm staying with mom and dad tonight. I haven't spent the night up there since just after the new year."

"Yea, I know. Want me to sneak up there after Josh is asleep?" He asked with a sly grin on his face.

Riley just laughed and shook her head yes. "It's a date then." Lucas added. He bent his head to kiss her, he would never get tired of kissing Riley Matthews and tonight he would get to sleep with her in his arms. He was a lucky guy.

Lucas finished packing his bags and started to gather clothes to change into for dinner with the Matthews. As he reached into the drawer for a clean t-shirt he saw the box that he had been hiding since Thanksgiving, it was his Grammy Emma's engagement ring. Pappy Joe had given it to him when his family was in Texas for Thanksgiving. Lucas had been thinking about proposing to Riley ever since. He was meeting with Cory and Topanga tonight to ask for their blessing. He just didn't know how or when he would do it. He had asked some friends for ideas, but he wanted something unique to him and Riley. All Lucas knew for sure is that it would happen while they were in Texas. While he was lost in his thoughts, Josh came into his room.

"Hey roomie, whatcha looking at?" Josh asked startling Lucas.

Lucas quickly closed the box and turned around to face Josh, "Oh, nothing," Lucas answered nervously, hiding the ring box behind his back. Just something that I had been looking for, nothing important. Lucas wrapped the clean t-shirt he was holding around the box to hide it from Josh. Lucas grabbed the rest of his things in silence and walked past Josh out into the hall to the bathroom. Once he was behind the closed door, he took a deep breath. H didn't know why he was so nervous. The only people he had told that he was planning to propose were Zay and Farkle. Farkle was on his way to Australia and wouldn't say anything and Lucas had to threaten Zay's life for him to keep his mouth shut.

Josh couldn't help but laugh at Lucas. The look on his face when Josh asked him what he was doing was priceless. Josh had a feeling he knew what was in the box and couldn't help but be happy for his niece. Riley deserved all the happiness in the world and it was pretty clear that Lucas was the person that made his niece happier than anybody else. He also knew that Riley was spending the night with Cory and Topanga in her old room tonight. That meant that Lucas was going to be climbing up the fire escape to Riley's bay window. He discovered that little secret after the New Year's Eve party and had kept it to himself and hadn't had a chance to confront them. He wanted to catch Lucas in the act of entering Riley's room. He really didn't care that Lucas was spending the nights with Riley back then, but Riley was his niece and it had been a running joke for years about Cory stealing Lucas' shoes when he would catch him in Riley's room and he felt it was his duty to keep the gag going. He had to figure out a way to catch Lucas and find out what the boy was planning. He and Lucas had gotten close in the last year since they had been living together and he knew that Lucas would rather die than ever hurt his niece. He also knew that Cory and Topanga had long ago accepted the fact that Lucas Friar would one day be their son in law. That meant Lucas would be his nephew and if one of his best friends was going to be family he was glad it would be Lucas.

Josh had an idea about how to confront Lucas and find out the information that he wanted. He just needed the help of a certain gorgeous blonde.