Page 85 of The Mr. Right Checklist

“Aren’t they great? The pregnant blonde is Piper, and the guy with her is her husband, Harley.”

“They’re Frankie’s parents?”

“Yeah, and the other guys are Fletch’s brothers, Chuck and Jimmy, and the blond is Beth, Jimmy’s fiancée. Beth and I have been keeping in touch since we met, but she never let on that they were coming today.”

“She’s a good secret keeper. I like that in a friend.”

“Speaking of secret keepers.” I look at Fletch and call out, “Did you know about this?”

He grins like a Cheshire cat. “They asked if I thought you’d mind a few days ago.”

“Mind? I’m thrilled! Come on, Rube. I’ll introduce you and John.”

After bear hugs, introductions, and some good-natured heckling, the guys carry up the rest of the tower, and the flowers arrive. The rooftop is filled with activity and jovial conversations as we all set up. I’m overwhelmed at how big my small circle of friends has become. As usual, my emotions get the best of me, and tears threaten. A familiar set of strong arms circles my waist, and Fletch’s deep voice whispers in my ear, “How’s the great mastermind holding up?”

I turn in his arms as tears spill from my eyes, and we both laugh. “Sorry. It’s a bit overwhelming, going from having only Ruby and John in my life to this.” More tears fall, and I huff out a breath and wipe them away. “It’s times like these I wish I could hide my emotions. Nobody needs to see me crying.”

His brows knit, and he shakes his head. “It’s times like these that make you even more beautiful.” He kisses me sweetly. “Don’t ever change, sunshine.”

“Hey, loverboy,” Chuck hollers. “You going to help us with this or get a room?”

“Jealous?” Beth teases.

“Nah. He can have the kisses as long as I get the cookies,” Chuck says. “But we’ve got work to do.”

“Are you nuts? Don’t give Fletch tools, or we’ll all be in trouble,” Jimmy calls out, sparking a slew of jokes about Fletch’s inability to fix things, which has us all laughing.

Three hours later, everyone has left except for me and Fletch. I’ve gone over the evening’s program with Rich and his staff for the last time, the photographer and violinist have arrived and know how to reach me if they need me, and I’ve confirmed with Arjun that everything is still on track. Fletch is taking pictures as we stand at the entrance to the roof, getting one last look at all our hard work.

Battery-operated candles flicker along the stone path, which is sprinkled with red rose petals and snakes through the lush green turf, leading to the majestic Eiffel Tower. The stunning tower is covered in moss and boasts twinkling lights along the frame and is decorated with red and white roses. The lights of the town sparkle in the distance, just as I knew they would. More candles and rose petals lead to a gold easel holding a large sign with CAFÉ OF LOVE WELCOMES ARJUN AND MAURA TO THE START OF YOUR HAPPILY EVER AFTER written in French above an adorable picture of them taken on the day they met. Just beyond the easel is a table set for two with a bountiful floral centerpiece featuring the most important special-moment card that reads THE MOMENT I KNEW I LOVED YOU—STANDING IN THE raIN WAITING FOR THE BUS ON THAT GLOOMY OCTOBER AFTERNOON.

Champagne is chilling in a silver ice bucket beside the table, begging for a celebratory toast, and on either side of the entire proposal-area setup, waterfall lights twinkle above stone-patterned barriers draped in greenery and roses, with planters along the bottoms. Each bundle of flowers prominently displays a special-moment card.

“Fletch.” I clutch his hand, heart racing. “Am I dreaming, or is it as perfect as I think it is?”

“It’s every bit as perfect. I knew it was going to be gorgeous, but, sunshine, there are no words for what you’ve created here.”

“We did it. We actually did it!” I throw my arms around him.

“This is all you, baby, and once people get a look at the pictures of tonight, you’re going to need to hire a crew bigger than just Beth to keep up with your clients.”

“I hope you’re right!”

“We’d better get out of here before Arjun shows up.”

“I just need one sec.” I look up at the sky and feel my parents smiling down on me. “This is it, Daddy. I hope you and Mama enjoy the show.”

As we head downstairs, I’m giddy with excitement, but anxious, hoping Maura and Arjun are happy with the outcome. “Do you want to take a walk or grab a bite to eat?”

“Yeah. Let’s grab a bite. I know a place right down the street, if that’s okay.”

“You just spent all day helping me set up. I’ll go anywhere you want as long as there’s cell service in case there’s an issue.”

We walk down the street to a tall brick building. Fletch holds the door open for me, and as I step inside, it looks like a regular office building. “There’s a restaurant here?”

He eyes me coyly and puts a hand on my back, leading me down the hall to a maintenance elevator. He pulls out a key card and uses it to open the door.

“Fletch, what are you up to?”