A Weekend in Paris

Chapter 9

Saturday, July 22, 2023, Old Magnolia House Bed and Breakfast, Paris, Texas

Lucas rolled over in bed and reached out next to him where Riley should be. Nothing, he felt nothing. She wasn't there. He sat up in bed and looked around the room. She wasn't in here. He ran his fingers through his hair and took in his surroundings. They were in the Magnolia room of the Old Magnolia House Bed and Breakfast in Paris, Texas. The B&B was an old Victorian that someone had lovingly restored. Riley squealed with excitement when they drove up to it yesterday when they first arrived. They were given a tour by the women that ran it and every square inch of the place was filled with something lacy and frilly and Riley was in awe. When they were showed to their room, Lucas couldn't believe how beautiful the place was. There was a small sitting room with a couple of chairs and a TV, then there was the bedroom which held all kinds of antiques and knick knacks that he could see Riley or himself knocking over. The walls were a soothing green color and the windows were covered with floral and lace curtains. In the center of the room was a huge bed with a wrought iron headboard and footboard. He got up and walked over to the far side of the room to where the bathroom door was. He knocked and there was no answer. When he opened the door, it was empty. He wondered where she could be.

He walked to the nightstand where he had put his phone the night before. It was only 9 a.m. maybe she was already downstairs. He noticed he had a few missed calls on his phone from his mom and Topanga. He sent them both a quick text message telling them he would call as soon as he got a chance. As he was laying out his clothes, he noticed a note on Riley's pillow.

Lucas,

I didn't have the heart to wake you. I'm going downstairs to explore. I'll be in the dining room at 9 for breakfast. Meet you there.

Riley

He quickly got dressed, he would shower after breakfast. He left the room and walked down the stairs into the dining room. She was sitting at the large dining table with 3 other people. They seemed to be having a lively conversation. When Riley saw him enter the dining room she stood and introduced him to the other people at the table, there was a couple the same age as their parents and an older lady. They were all guests at the B&B for the weekend. They made small talk while they waited for breakfast to be served. The two ladies that owned the B&B entered from the kitchen with plates of eggs, bacon, French toast, and warm syrup. The food was passed around the table and they ate in silence, the owners, Donna and Shirley sat and ate with them. As everyone was finishing eating, they all began discussing their plans for the day. Riley mentioned them going to see the Eiffel tower and checking out one of the local museums. Other than that, they were just going to enjoy a relaxing day and not doing much at all. Lucas was smiling at her if she only knew what he had planned.

They returned to their room and took showers. While Riley was in the shower Lucas returned the calls to their mothers. They just wanted to let him know that everything was in place, everyone was in town and all he had to do was make sure he got her to the Eiffel tower that afternoon. He spoke with his mother about how his dad and Pappy Joe had gotten along yesterday.

Lucas' parents had decided to surprise him and showed up at the ranch a couple of days early. His dad and Pappy Joe couldn't even get along for 24 hours. His dad hated that Pappy Joe could never seem to be proud of him. He was proud of everyone else but him. Lucas just wanted his dad and Pappy to get along. Riley, always the fixer had tried to get the two of them to talk but, they were both too stubborn to sit down together. Lucas figured that was the real problem. The two of them were just too much alike and clashed at every turn. His mother confirmed what he feared. She had to intervene between the two of them and his father stormed out of the house. He came back a little bit later only for the two of them to come to Paris last night instead of this morning like they originally planned. Lucas hung up the phone just as Riley was coming out of the bathroom. She noticed the look on his face and sat on the bed next to him.

"Lucas, what's wrong, who were you on the phone with?" she asked with a worried expression on her face.

"I was talking to my momma. I wanted to see how my dad and Pappy Joe were getting along. They had an argument yesterday afternoon, mom had to get between them and dad left to cool off. When he got back to the house she and dad left. Mom said Pappy Joe didn't even try to stop them. What's wrong with them, Riley? I've seen your dad and Grandpa Matthews get along great. My dad and I get along, why can't the two of them?" he asked her with tears in his eyes

"I'm sorry you have to watch them like this, Lucas. There is obviously something that goes deeper than we know. All your dad wants is for his father to respect the life he's made. He wants so badly for Pappy Joe to be proud of him. Have they always been like this?" she asked.

"To some extent, yes. It got really bad when dad took the transfer to New York and Pappy Joe wanted them to leave me with him. Dad told him that I needed to start over in a new place and try to get my anger issues under control. I felt bad for a long time because I felt like I was the reason they fought so much." He hated telling her all of this, but they had no secrets between them.

Riley knew that Lucas hated when his dad and grandfather fought. She had never known anyone that fought like Pappy Joe and James and she wanted more than anything to help, but the two men refused to see past their differences. She gave Lucas a hug, "I wish I could help. I think this is something that time will have to heal."

"What if there isn't enough time? Pappy isn't getting any younger, what if they never fix this? I don't think dad could handle it if something happened and it was all left hanging." Lucas said. The deep concern was visible on his handsome face.

"Lucas, don't think like that. They may fight and not get along very well, but you must know that they love each other. I think that's why it's so hard for your father. Pappy Joe is your hero, but he's your father's hero too." She was trying hard not to shed tears, but one look into Lucas' eyes and that wasn't going to happen.

He put his arms around her and pulled her to him, "Look at us, we're supposed to be here to relax and have a nice weekend and I've made you cry. We need to talk about something else. So, what did you find during your exploration this morning?" He couldn't stand to see her cry.

She pulled away a from him a bit and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "I went out and looked at all the flowers, there is a really nice flower garden out back. I don't know how you found this place or how you're affording it, but it's beautiful. Thank you for bringing me to Paris, Texas. I can't wait to see the Eiffel tower later today."

He had to laugh, "This is far from the discussion we had when I first told you I was taking you to Paris, Riley."

"What can I say? You told me we were going to Paris and all I could think about was France." She said with a smile.

He giggled as he thought back to their conversation about him taking her to Paris. He had left her looking at Buttercup and the new foal that they had just named Paris. He took off to the house and it didn't take her long to come and find him.

(Flashback in italics)

Lucas was sitting on the steps with a cup of coffee in hand. He looked at his watch and laughed when he heard her come through the screen door, "Well that was quicker than I thought." He said.

She sat on the step next to him and smiled, "How long did you expect me to wait before I came to find you? You just dropped a bomb on me and walked away."

He tried to put his arm around her shoulders but she shrugged it off. She seemed a little miffed at him.

"No. Tell me exactly what's going on. You can't tell a girl you're taking her to Paris, then walk away." she said, trying to sound angry.

"I meant exactly what I said, I'm taking you to Paris this weekend. I thought it would be nice to get away for a bit." He informed her.

"How can you afford Paris? We don't have that kind of money, Lucas." She stated.

Lucas knew that she would be thinking of France, that was his plan. "You thought I was taking you to France?" he questioned.

"Well, what other Paris is there? When someone mentions Paris, that's the assumption." She answered.

"Let's see, there are lots of cities called Paris, right here in the states. I could take you to Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Missouri or New York. There is a city named Paris in each of those states and that's just scratching the surface. A few of them even have their own Eiffel towers." He said, making sure that she knew he meant it. "Someday I will take you to France, to see the real thing, Riley, I promise."

"I know you will, Lucas. So, which Paris are we going to visit?" she asked. "They all seem too far away for a weekend visit."

"Do you feel up to a 300-mile drive?" He really wanted her to be excited about this.

"Sure, but how far will that get us?" she didn't think in a state the size of Texas, that would be very far.

"That will get us to Paris, Texas. They have their very own Eiffel tower and I promise you'll love it, there's even a couple of little museums we can see. What do you think?" He asked with a hopeful look.

"You're awfully excited about this, I don't think I can say no." she was smiling ear to ear.

"Awesome!" he said with a pump of his fist. "I promise you won't regret it."

Lucas felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, taking it out he saw that he had a message from Zay. He opened the message and had to laugh at it. Just wanted to let you know that Sarah and I made it to Paris, we brought cameras. I've got the video and she's got the photos. Sarah's been dropping hints, I think that she thinks we're next…thanks, Buddy!

Lucas replied with you're welcome and a smiley face emoji. He still had a smile on his face when Riley looked up from her own phone.

"Who was that?" She asked eyeing his phone.

"It was Zay, he and Sarah are in Texas. I told him we'd come see them when we got back to Pappy Joe's." he was trying so hard not to lie to her.

"Who texted you?" he asked her. "I see you smiling too."

"It was Maya, she was telling me about a play that she and Uncle Josh went to see last night. You know it's funny, I really thought I'd have a harder time being away from Maya for the summer. It hasn't been too bad. I'll be happy to see her when we get back to the city, though. Have you checked your email today?" Riley asked him.

"No, email has been the least of my worries. I've been more interested in my lovely girlfriend than checking my email." He answered.

She smiled at him, "If you had checked your email, you would have seen this." She pulls up a picture on her phone and hands it to Lucas.

He takes her phone and can't help but smile when he sees the picture, Farkle and Smackle with the biggest smiles on their faces. The Sydney Opera House and Harbor can be seen in the background and they sent the message, Greetings from Sydney, wish you were here! "They look really happy and I really miss them. I'll check that email later. We have some sights to go see, don't we?"

"Yes, we do. I guess you have everything planned?" she was curious about what there was to see and do in this small town.

"I have a couple of things planned. I thought we could get something to eat after we go to the museum and have a picnic of sorts at the Eiffel replica if that's okay with you?" he wanted her to have a say in their plans.

"Of course, that would be very nice, actually. I love picnics," she answered with a smile.

He grabbed his hat and walked to the door of their room and looked at her, still standing in the same spot. "What are you waiting for then. Pappy Joe's truck leaves now."

She grabbed her purse and walked through the door as he held it open. He watched as she headed to the stairs. He double checked his pockets, making sure he had the ring box with him. This was it! By the time, they returned to the B&B this evening they would be engaged, providing she said yes.

The first stop he wanted to make was the Samuel Bell Maxey State Historic Site. Samuel Bell Maxey was a local hero and he was a Mexican War veteran, Confederate general, and a two-term U.S. Senator, when he and his wife were still alive they hosted many parties in their home. Lucas thought that learning a bit of local history would be nice. It didn't take long for them to get there and they paid their admission and joined the tour. It was a beautifully preserved home and the tour was very nice.

"What did you think?" Lucas asked Riley once their tour was over.

"It was very interesting. The house is quite beautiful and my dad would be happy to know that we learned a bit about a local hero." She answered.

They headed back to the town center near the B&B. Lucas thought they could check out some of the local shops and then grab their lunch and head to the Eiffel Tower.

In the town center, they walked in and out of some antique stores and even found a local bookstore. They headed to the fountain on the town square. Culbertson Fountain was gifted to the city, celebrating 10 years of recovery from a fire that destroyed most of the downtown area in 1916. They sat and enjoyed the sound of the fountain and threw pennies in it, each of them making a wish.

"What did you wish for Riley?" he asked her. She was still sitting there with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful and he was sure she took the business of making wishes seriously.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I can't tell you or it won't come true."

"Well, I hope whatever it is, it comes true for you," he replied with a smile.

"It will, someday." she said sounding very confident.

"How do you know that it will, Riley?" curiosity getting the better of him.

She looked him in the eyes and smiled at him very sweetly and said, "you've made all the other wishes I've had come true, so someday, you'll make this one come true."

She amazed him, "I'll always do my best to make them come true." He said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"What was your wish?" she asked after the kiss ended.

"Oh, I didn't wish for anything. I just threw that penny in trying to help you out." He told her.

"Why not, Lucas? Your wishes still count." She said.

"I don't wish for anything because you are my every wish come true." He told her.

"Lucas, that's so sweet. Thank you." She watched his face for a moment and added, "I love you, Lucas Friar."

He kissed her again, this one a bit longer and sweeter, "I love you too, Riley Matthews."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sat for a few more minutes enjoying the scenery. Suddenly, something caught Riley's attention. It was a man and a woman and their teenage son. She caught a glimpse of the woman's hair, it was long and blonde, reminding Riley so much of her mother. The man and teenager that were with her could have very easily been her dad and brother.

She tapped Lucas' leg, "do you see that blonde woman with the dark-haired man and teenaged boy?"

He looked at where she was pointing and froze, it was her parents and Auggie walking away from the fountain. He had to cover, "Riley who are you pointing at?"

"That family right over there. They look like my parents and Auggie. Can't you see them?" They were getting farther and farther away.

"No, I don't see anyone that looks like your family." He looked at her as she watched them.

"Never mind, they're gone now. I was sure it was them. I must be missing them so much that I just thought it was my family." She said.

"Yea, that must be it." He said, relieved she hadn't gotten a better look at them. He grabbed her hand, "come on, our lunch should be ready."

He had called last night and placed an order for two lasagna lunch plates for them today from a local Italian restaurant he found in the phone book. They walked back to where they had parked the truck. As Lucas got in he looked at her and smiled. They drove to the restaurant in silence.

Once there they walked in and picked up their order. While Lucas was paying for the food a woman's laugh caught his attention. He turned to where the sound had come from. He couldn't believe his luck, there sitting in a booth not far from the cash register, near the front windows, were his parents. It looks like they were having lunch and enjoying themselves. He took the bag the food containers and bottles of soda were in and grabbed her hand before she could see them.

As they exited the restaurant Riley suddenly stopped. "Lucas, slow down!" she was puzzled as to why he was in such a hurry. He seemed nervous for some reason.

"I'm sorry Riley, I just want to get to the tower before the park gets crowded." He said with a nervous laugh. He looked to the right. Great, she had to stop right in front of the window where his parents were eating. He caught his mother looking at them. She had wide eyes and was pointing to his father. They got up from their table very quickly and headed to the back of the restaurant.

Riley was looking at him and wondered what had his attention inside the restaurant. She looked into the window just in time to see a couple heading to the back. There was such a glare on the windows though that she couldn't tell who it was. "Lucas, do you know those people?"

"Uh…I thought they looked familiar, it was rude of me to stare. They just looked like someone I knew in Austin a long time ago. I'm sorry, Riley." He couldn't believe his luck, first her parents and now his. He's so glad she didn't see them.

"It's ok, you were just acting kind of strange there for a second." She laughed.

They walked back to the truck hand in hand. They passed by a small bakery and Riley could smell the chocolate in the air as they walked by. She stopped and looked in the window. There was a sign that was advertising cupcakes for $2 each. "Lucas, can we get some cupcakes to have after we eat?"

"Sure thing, do you mind getting them, I need to take a rest. I'll just sit here on this bench for a minute if that's ok. I'll take a vanilla cupcake if they have it." He told her.

She left him to go into the shop and came back with two large cupcakes. "They had vanilla with lemon icing, is that okay?"

"Thanks, lemon icing is one of my favorites. What kind did you get?" he asked.

"Chocolate with whipped chocolate icing. It smelled really good in there." She told him.

"Let's get this stuff to the truck, I promised you the Eiffel Tower, didn't I? he asked

"Yes, sir you did." She replied.

"Tour Eiffel, Texas style coming up." He said with a tip of his hat.

"What exactly does that mean, Texas style?" she asked as he unlocked the truck door for her.

He smiled and said, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

They drove the short distance to the Eiffel Tower replica. Riley could see it from the road and she had to laugh, "That is the cutest thing I've ever seen, it has a cowboy hat."

Lucas got out of the truck as they parked, "See, I told you, it was done up Texas style." he was happy to see that she liked it. He took the bag of food from her and she grabbed their cupcakes. Before he closed the door, he grabbed a blanket from behind the seat of the truck.

They found a spot under a shade tree with an unobstructed view of the Eiffel and spread the blanket out on the ground. Lucas had to admit that the closer it got to proposal time the more nervous he got. They talked while they ate their food. They wondered if their friends were having as much fun as they were and couldn't wait to get back to New York so they could see them. They talked about her parents coming to Texas next week and how they wanted to have a big dinner with them at the ranch. Lucas couldn't wait until she realized her parents were already here.

After they finished their food and ate their cupcakes, Lucas was even more nervous. He looked at his watch. They had about 30 minutes until their parents were due to show up. He couldn't figure out why he was such a mess. He had planned this for weeks. Maybe it was the way every guy got right before he proposed to the girl of his dreams.

Riley was taking pictures of the Eiffel and chatting away. He wanted to remember every moment of this day. He was looking around the park and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Zay and Sarah. They had set up across the park from them with a perfect view of the tower. He didn't want Riley to see them so he got to his feet.

"Hey, Riley, you want to go for a walk? I need to move around after all that food" he said.

"Sure, we can get up closer and I can take some better pictures. Do you think someone would mind taking a picture of us?" she replied.

"I'm sure there will be someone that won't mind. Come on." He offered her his hand.

They left the blanket where it was, figuring no one would bother it. They walked toward the tower, he was looking for the perfect spot. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He had two texts from Cory and Zay, letting him know they were there. He replied with an ok and looked around for their parents. Riley was oblivious to what he was doing. He spotted them. They were close enough that he would have to keep her from turning their direction before he was ready for her too. He turned her toward the tower.

"Riley I know this doesn't compare to the real thing, but I wanted to bring you here and share this one with you." He said.

"I don't care that it isn't the real thing, Lucas. Someday we will see the one in France. It may be years from now, but I know I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else." She said as she snuggled into him.

"What about a honeymoon in Paris someday? What would you think of that? I know you wanted to be proposed to in front of the Eiffel Tower. I remember you telling me that when we were in high school." He said, sure that she could hear how loud his heart was beating by now.

"You remember that? It's just a silly dream I had as a girl. It will happen when and where it does. I just know I want it to be you that proposes to me…someday." She told him. Why was he bringing this up?

"I want that too Riley. You are my future." This was it. He heard the noise their families were making. He saw the signs.

"I guess we both feel the same way then, huh?" she said. She could hear a group of people making noise, but she didn't want to take her eyes off him. "What is that noise?"

He smiled and looked around. He looked behind her and said, "it's coming from over there." He pointed in the direction of the noise.

She turned around, confused at what she saw. There were people standing there holding signs. They started walking towards her a bit and she couldn't make out the writing on the signs but she started to recognize the people holding the signs. Her mom, dad, and Auggie along with Lucas's parents. She still hadn't read the signs. She could see the sun glistening off the tears in her mother's eyes.

"Mom?" she asked.

"Hi sweetie, have you read the signs yet?" her mom asked.

Riley finally looked at what the signs said…Riley Matthews, Will You Marry Me?

"What?" she asked. "Lucas what's…" she said as she turned around. She saw Lucas one knee with a red ring box in his hand and tears in his eyes.

She started crying when she saw him, Was she dreaming this?

"Riley Matthews?" he asked

"Yes," she answered.

"Would you…" he continued.

"Absolutely," she interrupted

"… do me the honor..." he continued

"Any time at all," she interrupted him again.

"...of becoming..." he continued.

"Whatever you want," she said, still interrupting.

"Mrs…" he went on

"Do you not understand, yes"? she asked him

"…Lucas Friar?" he ended.

"Yes, yes, yes, and yes! I will marry you, Lucas! She said with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

Lucas took the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. It was a perfect fit. He took her in his arms and whispered, "Thank you for making me the happiest guy on the planet, Riley."

She couldn't find words so she took his face in her hands and kissed him sweetly. They held on to each other for a few more seconds. She had forgotten about their parents. She turned and ran straight into the waiting arms of her father. He kissed her on the cheek and told her how happy he was for her and Lucas.

"Thank you, daddy! How come you didn't tell me you were coming to Texas?" she asked her him.

"I think that would have ruined the surprise, honey." He said.

"I guess you're right?" she said through the tears as she saw her mom, still crying. She reached out and hugged her mom then, she was also being hugged from behind by Auggie. They were all crying happy tears.

"Hey Aug," she said in greeting to her brother.

"Hey Ri, I'm so happy for you and Lucas." He said as he hugged her.

"Lucas!" she yelled while pulling away from her mother's embrace. She turned to see him in a similar embrace with his parents.

"Riley!" he yelled back, his parents let him go to her. As he reached for her he was pulled into a hug by Topanga and Cory, while Kelly and James hugged and congratulated Riley.

Once they were all hugged out, Riley looked at her ring. She hadn't even had a chance to see it. It was a perfect solitaire diamond set on an antique filigree band. She had to know, "Lucas this ring is beautiful, where did you get it?"

He took her left hand in his and held her hand where he could see the ring. The diamond sparkled perfectly in the sunlight, "Pappy Joe gave this to me when we came to Texas for Thanksgiving, it belonged to my Grammy Emma. He wanted me to have it to give to you. There's a matching wedding band, do you like it?"

"It's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen, I love it and I'm honored to be wearing something that belonged to your Grammy." She was crying again, "Can I see that ring box?" she asked.

He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to her, "Is this the same box that you gave me the jelly bean in?"

Lucas had tears in his eyes and all he could do was shake his head yes and say, "the ring box was your mother's idea."

She reached for his face again and placed another kiss on his lips. Everyone was clapping and cheering.

When the need for air won out, they broke apart. Lucas looked at her and asked, "I hope the proposal was all you hoped it would be, Riley."

"Lucas Friar, it was perfect. I'm glad we made this trip and if we never get to France, we'll always have Paris…Texas, that is." She laughed and leaned in for another kiss.