by Liwen Y. Ho
“Hold that thought. I have something else for you that I think you’ll like even more.” He dropped his hands into the pockets of his shorts, rummaging through them until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a small box, opened it, and dropped to one knee.
Lucy’s jaw dropped as well. The velvet box contained a diamond solitaire ring sparkling in the tropical sunshine. A circle of small diamonds surrounded the pear-shaped stone in the center. The silver band bore an engraving in fancy script on the inner side: Lucas loves Lauren loves Lucas ... The phrase repeated itself over and over so one couldn’t tell which name came first. The last time she had seen this ring, she couldn’t read yet, but her dad had explained the significance of the words. Marriage was a never-ending circle of love, the greatest bond one could have with another. “My mom’s engagement ring. How did you get it?”
“Your dad gave it to me. He said your mom hoped whoever asked for your hand in marriage would propose with it.”
“You talked to him before you came?”
“I talked to both of your parents and mine, too. They all supported my decision to come. It seems they’ve been waiting for this day to happen.” He paused. “I was planning on buying you a ring myself, but your mom wanted you to have this. Is it okay?”
The tears began falling again, this time out of joy. How wonderful to have another memento of her mom’s as her own. Unable to get any words out, she simply nodded. She presented her left hand to Micah, waiting expectantly for him to put the ring on her finger.
“I haven’t asked you the question yet.”
“I already have my answer.”
“I’ll make it fast then.” He took her hand in his and stated, “Lucy Choi, I’ve loved you since I was thirteen. I want to love you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
A collective gasp resounded from the passengers gathered around them. A couple of people took their phones out to take pictures. A few others hushed the security agent who was still calling out for Lucy to claim her luggage. She didn’t care though what anyone was doing because she only had eyes for Micah. Micah with his hopeful smile and tear-filled eyes. Micah, the boy, with whom she spent her childhood and teen years following around. The young man who watched out for her like only an overprotective brother could. And now the older, wiser man who was willing to commit the rest of his life to loving her. She’d been wrong. This was the best Christmas gift he could give her. A marriage proposal from her best friend.
“Yes! I’ll marry you, Micah.” She allowed him to slip the ring onto her finger before pulling him up to his feet. Applause filled the air, mixed with whistles and shouts of congratulations. Her gaze connected with Micah’s and they both laughed at the attention they were receiving. “It looks like we’ve got quite an audience.”
He winked at her and asked, “You know what they’re waiting for, don’t you?”
“I think I have an idea.” She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s something I’ve been waiting to do, too, for a long time.”
“So, you do admit I’m a good kisser,” he ribbed. “I can only assume that’s why you want to kiss me again.”
“Really?” she laughed. “Have you ever considered that maybe I’m the better kisser and I have something to teach you?”
“It’s possible, but I don’t have enough experience kissing you to be sure. I’m willing to work on that if you are.”
“Okay. One kiss and we’ll decide who’s better.”
“One kiss, huh?”
She narrowed her eyes. “One kiss will tell all.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth as he cupped her face with both hands. A current of anticipation filled the space between them as he captured her mouth with his. His lips, so soft and gentle, warmed her to her very core. She didn’t think it was possible, but Micah had gotten better at kissing. Maybe it wasn’t so much his skills, but his heart. He kissed her with a trust and a tenderness he didn’t have before. She felt his passion and abandon as the kiss deepened, drawing her in.
He pulled away much too soon, a lovesick grin on his face. “Okay, you win.”
“Me? I was going to say you win. That was even better than our first kiss.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Oh yeah,” she nodded, her tone playful. “If you don’t believe me, we could try it again.”
“Again?” His expression turned thoughtful. “If you insist. I will kiss you as much is necessary—and more.”
“For the rest of our lives?”
He pretended to give the question some thought. “I could manage that.”
“Good. Because there’s no one else I want to kiss than you.”
And to emphasize her words, she placed a kiss on his lips … with a promise of many, many more to come.
Afterword
Unlike my other books, this one came together almost effortlessly because I knew all the characters so well already. This story was inspired by two other stories of mine: Taking a Chance on the Enemy and Tropical Kiss or Miss. Lucy and Micah showed up in those books as children and played very important roles in bringing their respective parents together. When it came time to think of a storyline for Tropical Kiss and Tell, I thought it’d be fun to make their lives intersect. I love how they were part of each other’s lives from early on and experienced a lot of growing pains together. I’m so glad I chose these two characters to fall in love because they have such a sweet and gradual friends-to-lovers story.
I truly hope you enjoyed Lucy and Micah’s romance as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! If you could, please leave a review so other readers may be encouraged to read it, too. Thank you!
* * *
For more sweet inspirational romance stories, please check out my Spark Brothers series! The first book features the oldest brother, Aiden Spark, former boy band singer turned professor.
He's a pop singer running from his past. She's a deejay who's given up on men. Little do they know how much a case of mistaken identities will fill in the missing pieces of their future.
Former boy band hottie, Aiden Spark, distanced himself from everything he valued—faith, family, and fame—when he lost his girlfriend. A decade later, he’s still hiding behind his grief when he accidentally texts a woman who’s all too curious about his identity.
Burned by the men in her life, deejay Abby Dearan has chosen to focus on her newfound faith in God and use her radio presence for good. Her plans are thwarted though when a text message—and the irritating man who sent it—won’t leave her in peace.
Aiden can’t forget the woman who reminds him so much of his first love; Abby can’t remember the last time a man made her feel so beautiful. To make matters worse, it’s impossible to avoid one another when their siblings and friends—not to mention, divine intervention—keep pushing them together. Will the sparks igniting between them end up in flames or romance?
Grab A Single Spark on Amazon today!
About the Author
Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).
In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist at www.2square2behip.com.
Sign up for Liwen's newsletter for an exclusive free book, news about her upcoming releases, giveaways, sneak peeks and more at: http://eepurl.com/bt2nEL
Also by Liwen Y. Ho
Sage Valley Ranch Series
Falling for the Younger Cowboy
Lawkeepers Series
Lawfully Cherished
The Spark Brothers Series
A Single Spark
A Sudden Spark
The Sweetest Spark
At First Spark
An Extra Spark
Taking Chances on Love Series
Taking a Chance on the Heartbreaker
Taking a Chance on Mr. Wrong
Taking a Chance on the Enemy
Seasons of Love Series
The More the Merrier
A Spoonful of Spice
Of Buds and Blossoms
On Waves of Wanderlust
Tropical Kiss Series
Tropical Kiss or Miss
Tropical Kiss and Tell
Welcome To Romance Series
Chasing Romance
Romantically Ever After
Holding Onto Love in Romance
Non-Series Books
Puppy Dog Tales
The Love Clause
Love’s Choice
The Time Rift (co-authored with David H. Ho)
