When Troy and I flew out to meet his parents, they had liked me so much they told Troy right then and there that they wanted to adopt me. His mother kept throwing out hints about engagement rings and wedding planners. It was quite comical, actually. I was just glad we got along so well. Troy told me he already knew we would because, apparently, I had a girl-next-door image or something like that. Whatever. I didn’t think I was that goody-goody, but I guess others saw me that way.
Today was the one-year anniversary from the day Troy and I first met, and Troy suggested we stop by Busy Bean Coffee before we went out to dinner to celebrate. I thought it was sweet and romantic given we’d met each other there. Granted, we had a rough start, but we’d certainly made up for it ever since.
Troy held my hand as we walked inside the coffee house, the scent of peppermint and hazelnut filling the air. We joined the back of the line and took a few seconds to study the menu. He glanced at me. “Are you getting what you had the day we met?”
I smiled mischievously. “I don’t remember what I got.”
“Oh, I do.” He laughed. “You ordered a non-fat latte with caramel drizzle and extra whipped cream.”
I cocked my head to the side and squinted. “Are you sure? That doesn’t sound very good. Who wants a non-fat latte? Yuck.” I winked to let him know I remembered but was going along with his teasing.
He chuckled. “Don’t forget, you added three sugar packets and artificial sweetener on top of that.”
“I only did that because I was nervous. You were watching me…”
His mouth fell open and he stared at me in disbelief. “You never told me that.”
I fluttered my eyelashes in an exaggerated fashion. “You never asked.”
“I remember everything about that day, but that was the one detail I didn’t know.”
“Seriously? What was I wearing then?”
“Cut-off shorts, a red checkered blouse, and fire engine red cowboy boots.”
I squeezed his hand as we moved up in line. “You have a good memory.”
“Couldn’t help it. You made quite the impression.”
“You made an impression as well. I thought you were a hunk the moment I laid eyes on you.”
He rewarded me with one of his lopsided grins—the kind that melted me on the spot. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
When it was our turn to order, I opted to get the full-fat latte this time, partly because it sounded delicious and partly because I wanted to see Troy’s reaction. He seemed to think it was funny, and that was good enough for me. I loved making him laugh. Loved every moment we spent together. At the last second, he asked for two mini chocolate cakes to be added to our order. They were circular and about the size of a small coaster. Troy turned to me. “It’s our anniversary. We have to splurge a little.”
“You don’t have to twist my arm. It’s chocolate. I fully support your splurging idea.”
The guy at the register put the cakes on a tray and added two forks. Troy picked up the tray, and as we passed the counter to find seats, my eyes suddenly widened. My parents were sitting at a table in the far corner of the room, and they were talking to Troy’s parents. They were all drinking coffee and seemed immersed in a discussion. At our approach, they stopped conversing and turned to look at us with huge smiles as if they knew something we didn’t.
“Mr. and Mrs. Littman, it’s so good to see you!” I leaned down to give them both hugs. “I had no idea you were in town.” I glanced at Troy and playfully shoved his arm. “You never said anything.”
He had a secretive smile on his face. “Didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”
I glanced at Mom and Dad. “You guys didn’t say anything either.”
Mom nodded eagerly. “Troy arranged the whole thing. Said we should meet you both here so we could all celebrate your anniversary.”
“Well, that was nice.” I looked at him, feeling somewhat confused. What was he up to? I had thought we were going to spend this day alone, not that I was unhappy with his decision. It was great seeing his parents, and I always looked forward to spending time with Mom and Dad. I hugged my parents and then sat down. Troy set the tray on the table and it was then that I noticed the letter “K” on one cake and a “T” on the other.
“That’s so weird. How did they know our initials?”
“I called ahead of time and asked if they’d do it. Said it was our anniversary.”
“Aww… That is so sweet. I love special details like that. Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“You’re welcome.”
The barista informed us that our coffees were ready, and Troy told me he’d get them. He returned a few moments later with our drinks as well as a few sugar packets for me.
I emptied one in my coffee and took a sip to check the sweetness. It was perfect. Next, I picked up my fork and cut off a large piece of the cake and gingerly lifted it to my mouth. I closed my eyes and chewed slowly. “This is so good.”
Troy watched me carefully and then bit into his own cake. “You’re right. It’s excellent.”
I turned my attention to his parents. “So, how long are you visiting for? I still can’t believe Troy didn’t say anything.”
“We’ll be out here a whole week,” his father said. “When Troy asked us to come out, we were thrilled at the idea.”
Troy nodded and smiled, and I had the distinct impression they all knew something I didn’t. I didn’t want to make assumptions, but… He was acting weird.
“Eat up,” Troy said, nodding towards my cake.
“I am.” I took another bite and then washed it down with a sip of my coffee.
We talked about his parents’ flight to LAX and then Mom and Dad told us about their new next-door neighbors who’d just moved in. I updated everyone on the latest regarding Country Star, and Troy shared a few details about managing the newest division of Bad Boy Bodyguards. He was still trying to get his friend, Shane, to come work for him, but that was proving quite the challenge. Shane loved to travel and wasn’t ready to settle down. I hadn’t met him yet, but Troy had told me plenty about him.
Bad Boy Bodyguards received a lot of media attention after I started hosting Country Star. I had a bodyguard now when I attended large events, and I got a sweet discount since I’d given the business exceptional PR, mentioning them multiple times on the show.
When the conversation came to a lull, Mom made us retell the story of how we met for the first time, and everyone got a good laugh at that.
“You were too nice to him,” Troy’s Mom said, grinning. “If he had taken that attitude with me, I would have dumped my coffee on his head.”
“I couldn’t reach that high up,” I said, laughing.
Troy just shrugged. “The perks to being tall.” He pointed at my half-eaten cake. “Aren’t you going to eat the rest?”
I wrapped the leftover portion in a napkin. “No, I don’t want to ruin my appetite for dinner. I’ll take it home.”
Both of our moms said no at the same time, and I jerked back.
“What’s the problem?”
“Oh… I think they just mean…” Troy turned his head both ways, cracking his neck, and then he gave me a sheepish grin. “They probably want you to enjoy it while it’s fresh.”
“That’s right,” Mom said. “Don’t let it go to waste.”
Mrs. Littman nodded in agreement, while I took in each person at the table. They were all watching me closely as if waiting for me to do something. It was so weird. “Okay, if you insist, I’ll eat the rest now.”
Rather than use my fork to cut off a piece, I picked the whole thing up and was about to take a bite when my dad’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, and he seemed almost panicked. “Stop!”
I blinked and set the cake down, frowning. “What’s wrong?”
“Uh… You can’t eat it like that. It’s bad manners.”
“What? That’s crazy. I don’t see what the b
ig deal is.”
Dad ran a hand over the back of his neck and glanced at Mom as if needing her support. She folded her hands on the table and gave me one her looks. “That’s right. We taught you proper etiquette and wouldn’t want the Littmans to think you were raised in a barn.”
Troy’s Mom chuckled. “Oh, we would never come to that conclusion. We just adore Kayla.”
My face heated from the attention over my “poor manners,” and I found myself annoyed. Why were they making a big deal over how I ate my cake? Was this what happened when people got older? They obsessed over strange details? I wouldn’t have cared if it had only been Troy and my parents, but I didn’t want Mr. and Mrs. Littman to think poorly of me, so I picked up my fork and sliced off a new piece. After chewing, I put my utensil down.
“Eat all of it dear,” Mom scolded. “Every last bit.”
I looked at her like she was crazy, but I bit my tongue. No use in arguing over cake of all things. I cut off another slice and was about to lift it to my mouth when I noticed something hard inside the remaining piece. Frowning, I touched it with my finger and then pulled it out.
My heart stopped, and I stared in shock at the diamond ring. Tears rushed to my eyes, and I looked at Troy in disbelief. “Is this what I think it is?” It all made sense now. They wanted me to eat the cake to get to the ring.
“Yes.” He looked at me with concern, his brows pinching together. “But if you’re not ready to put it on—”
“I’m ready.” I hastily wiped my tears and let out a laugh that was filled with joy. “It’s beautiful, Troy.” It was an oval solitaire that sparkled in the light, and it was so gorgeous, my mouth hung open in amazement.
He took the ring and kneeled in front of me, a smile spreading over his features. “First, there’s a question I need to ask you.”
My pulse quickened and warmth spread through me at the love flickering in his eyes. I nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Kayla Keller, this past year has been one of the best years of my life. I’ve never met anyone like you before, and it didn’t take long to realize I’d hit the jackpot. You’re kind and sweet and extremely talented, and most of all, you’re beautiful inside and out. I can’t imagine living without you. I love you so much, and I hope you’ll do me the honor—”
“Yes!” I didn’t even let him finish. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”
He slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me right then and there in front of our parents and about fifteen other bystanders who were all clapping at this point.
Troy stood and pulled me up into his arms, a huge grin on his face. He leaned down and whispered, “Did I surprise you?”
“Are you kidding? I was shocked.”
He laughed. “I thought for sure you’d caught on, especially with all the talk about how to eat the cake.”
“I should have figured it out, but I just assumed everyone was a little batty.”
Our parents all laughed at that and then one by one, they got up and gave Troy and me a hug. Mom had tears in her eyes when she hugged me. “I always knew you’d find love again. I just didn’t know it would be with someone as special as Troy.”
She hugged me again, and we stood like that for a good long while. She kissed me on the cheek and then released me.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d find a love like this a second time around,” I said, picking up where she’d left off. “But here we are, receiving God’s blessing, and I’m so thankful to have found another soulmate.”
“You had some very difficult trials,” she said, “but now you’re finally experiencing some of the joys of life. It thrills my heart to see you this happy. You’re practically glowing.”
She kissed me on the cheek again, and then Troy’s parents hugged us one last time before we walked out to the parking lot. From there, we would all go out to dinner to celebrate.
Troy put his arm around me, and we both smiled at each other. “Each day is a gift,” he said, “and I promise to never take that for granted. No one knows when God will call us home, but as long as I have life and breath on this earth, I will love you.”
“And I promise you the same. I will love you until the very end.”
And that was the commitment we made to each other. Life was full of surprises, but both of us pledged that day to walk through them together. One adventure had ended, but another had begun, and we couldn’t wait to get started.
***
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, Protected by the Bad Boy. Evangeline appreciates your support more than you know. If you enjoyed this book, she would like to ask you a favor. Would you be kind enough to leave an honest review? It would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to get in touch if you have questions or comments at [email protected]
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Check out Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire, the first in the Blind Date Disasters Series.
Can her blue-collar man prove he’s different from all the rest?
Lindsey Clarke was doomed. Every serious boyfriend she had fell for her more beautiful cousin, Destiny. When it happened yet again on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, she was devastated and wondered if she would always be delegated to second best.
A friend suggested a blind date, and Lindsey went along with it in order to get her mind off her wounded heart. Once she met Grayson Hall, she was star struck. Not only was he good-looking, but he was kind and sweet as well.
Grayson Hall owned the largest general construction company in Los Angeles. He had everything he could possibly want except love from a good woman. After being burned by a girlfriend who was only with him because of his money, he was determined to keep his financial status a secret from Lindsey. Following a disastrous first date, Grayson determined to make it up to Lindsey. Soon, he was falling hard and could easily see a future with her.
But when a terrible lie threatened their relationship, Grayson had to prove he was the kind of man she could count on.
And Lindsey had to make a decision. Was Grayson the man he said he was? Or was he no different than the men who dumped her for her cousin?
This is an inspirational Christian romance about the power of forgiveness and how one woman learns to trust God during difficult times.
Check out Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire!
Other Books by Evangeline Kelly
Blind Date Disasters Series
Blind Date with a Blue-Collar Billionaire
Blind Date with a Billionaire Professor
Blind Date with a Billionaire Biker
Blind Date with a Billionaire Single Dad
California Elite Series
Collision of Wills
The Ruthless Billionaire
The Lawkeepers
Lawfully Blessed
Lawfully Protected
Stand-alone Books
The Unwanted Assistant
Love’s Sacrifice
Road Trip
Santa Clarita Love Stories
Shaken
Matchmaker
The Blushing Brides
The Prince’s Bewildered Bride
Georgia Patriots
The Playboy Patriot
An Alaska Romance Series
Married to an Alaskan Man
Best Friends with an Alaskan Man
Christmas with an Alaskan Man
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Protected By The Bad Boy (Bad Boy Bodyguards Book 1) Page 18
