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He pauses and looks away for a moment, brushing his thumb across his lips before writing out the words,I feel the same, pretty girl.
Full of gratitude, I pen,I love you, Greyson Andrew Lee.
I love you back, Scarlett Elizabeth Rhodes.
Folding the paper, a dreamy look floats across his face and I’m sure mine mirrors his.
“Thank you for being you,” he says and winks at me. We share another moment of contented silence before he stands and bends over to kiss me on my forehead. “Be back in thirty.”
Thirty minutes later, on the dot, I’m ready and clad in my favorite summer dress—a blue floral number with spaghetti straps. Excited for this secret adventure, I bounce into his rental truck and barely exude any poise as he heads toward Engelmann Square.
“Where are we going?” I ask as he pulls into an empty parking spot.
“You’ll see.” He grins at me before climbing out.
Coming around to the passenger side, he swaggers like a man on a mission in his faded denim jeans and short sleeve blue plaid shirt over a white tee. He grabs my hand once I’m on the sidewalk and pulls me along until we’re in front of Books A Latte.
“We’re doing this date right, so first stop is your favorite place.” Smiling, he holds the door open for me and I step in, marveling at how I missed all the signs of him being the one for me.
The smells of paper and baked goods assault my nose and I take a big whiff, inhaling all the unread stories and adventures to come. This is crack for a book addict.
Clearly well-versed in everything Scarlett, he leads me to the romance section and pulls out a few titles, loading down our basket before we hunker down into a set of comfortable armchairs near the employee’s only door.
“I can’t believe you really want to read these books with me.”
Grey lounges back into the cushion of the chair and props a leg over the other. “I did it mainly because of you. I’d see you reading them and figured if I wanted to get closer to you, I had to at least try some of the same things you liked. Then I started to actually enjoy them. I’d borrow one and pretend it was for Savy, but I’d secretly read it when Theo went to bed.”
I widen my eyes. “No wonder she had no clue what the heck I was talking about when I asked her about one.”
His face pinks.
“You’re so adorable. I’m so sorry if I ever took you for granted.”
Leaning in, he brushes a thumb across my chin. “Never did I feel that way. I figured I’d never have you as more than a friend and if so, I was going to be the best damn friend I could be.”
“Now you’re the best damn boyfriend.”
He cringes. “Is there a better word for boyfriend when you’re thirty- six? Manfriend? Partner?” Pausing, he glances down at his fingers before raising his head, a glint in his sparkling eyes. “Ah, fuck it. Scar, will you be my wife?”
My mouth pops open, and he physically closes it, but I bat his hand away. “Did you just propose?”
He sketches a curved brow and shrugs, gnawing at his lip. “We’ve never been traditional, have we? So why start now? Unless it’s too soon. I’ve waited years for these moments with you—I can wait some more. I’ve known you almost half my life and I love all of you. Even the fact that you snore louder than my grandpa did and you can’t back into a parking spot to save your life.” A laugh huffs from his barrel chest and he shakes his head, rubbing his thumb along the top of my hand. I listen to him continue, heart wide open, beating out of my chest.
“Don’t even get me started on your inability to watch a mystery movie without trying to guess who did it—we both know it’s always the shady neighbor. I’ve forgiven you for your love of disgusting pickles, and I’ll never understand how you can load a dishwasher the wrong way, even though you’re a perfectionist.” He sends me a pointed look. “Pretend it’s Tetris, babe. All I’m saying is I freaking love every part of you, every last bit, and I want to marry you.”
I let the words settle around me, encasing me in a love only this man can provide.
He must read my silence wrong as he gulps and color creeps up his neck. “Shit. Should I hit rewind on this? I don’t have a ring. We haven’t talked to Theo.”
Before his panic dissolves into sheer embarrassment, I react by flying out of my chair, flinging my arms around him, and smothering his surprised face with kisses.
Perfectionist or not, I recognize the beautiful mess of our story and wouldn’t have it any other way. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll marry you, you crazy wonderful man. I don’t care how backward we’ve done everything or how soon it is. I love you. I love you as my best friend and I love you as the man of my dreams. I don’t need any more time to realize how much I want to be your wife.”
He gathers my face in his hands and presses the most gentle kiss to my lips, then to my cheeks, damp from happy tears.
“Love you back, pretty girl. Holy shit. Did I really just propose to you? And you really said yes?” His eyes are large and his smile—larger.
Nodding, I reply, “Yep and yep.” He runs his palms up and down my bare thighs and boy does my mind want to take a detour to pound town. This man and his dirty mind is rubbing off on me.
