“Really? What about that time you sat me down and had to tell me that you ruined my brand-new dress by accidentally spilling your glass of red wine on it?” She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands as she waited for his answer.
“That was just an accident, it’s not like I’ve actually done anything really wrong,” he scoffed.
“Well, this must be something really bad because your eye is starting to twitch along with your lip.”
“Just a long, stressful day at work.” He tried to make the lie sound as believable as possible, but this was already going downhill fast. She knew him too well for him to pull anything over on her. He was surprised he’d gotten this much planned without her finding out.
One eyebrow shot up as she said, “Okay.” Her hesitance to believe him still prominent in the way her eyes continued to suspiciously glare at him.
The guy at the mic finally walked off stage and Ethan saw Dolores catch his eye and wink. He rubbed his hands together and gave Brooke a coy smile. “Well, I’ll be right back. Stay put.”
“Wait, what?” she asked curiously, as she watched him walk towards the stage.
As Ethan stepped in front of the mic, his eyes found Brooke’s and he smiled, loving the fact that he’d caught her completely off guard. He tapped the mic and cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Ethan and I wrote a poem that I’d like to share with you all.” He glanced at Brooke again, to see her frowning at him, her eyes full of questions. He winked at her and began reciting the words he’d spent hours memorizing.
“It isn’t much. A little pull, a little tug. It’s so delicate; you can’t even feel its touch. But it can stretch, it can tangle. It can even get caught on your bangle. No matter what, it will never break. Because by a string, is where my love waits.”
As he said the last line, he began walking towards her. He saw her shift nervously in her chair as the words from the poem began to sink in and then her expression widened as everything clicked. When he got up to her, he took her hand in his and said, “Brooke, I knew fate was on our side the moment I came to Sweet Haven and saw you. The rejection from St. Mary’s in New York finally made sense. Then, when we had to part ways for you to come here to be with your sister, and I got the call from St. Mary’s about a position, I knew we were connected by that little red string of fate. I had never really believed in fate before, but I do now, because I believe in us. I know that I came here to meet you, because where you go, I go.” He dropped to one knee, looking into eyes that were glistening with what he hoped were happy tears, and pulled out a black box. With hands that were trembling, he opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. He pulled out the ring and dangled it from a thin red string. “Will you do me, and the Gods of Fate, the honor of being my wife and walking through this crazy life with me forever?”
“Ethan,” she gasped, staring at him and then the ring.
He raised a brow in question.
Her hands covered her mouth as she nodded her head, tears finally releasing and rolling down her face. “I’ll follow you until the stars call me home.”
Ethan slipped the ring onto her finger and swept her into a hug, his lips crushing against hers as the restaurant erupted into cheers.
As their kiss ended, she finally looked around her restaurant at the crowd standing and clapping. Her eyes scanned the restaurant, finding Casey in the back, smiling wide and wiping her eyes. Their eyes met and they both smiled. Her sister gave her a thumbs up and Brooke threw her fist in the air and cheered, “Woohoo!”
Her eyes then found Paige and Kyleigh standing next to her sister, both smiling. Paige was wiping her eyes and Kyleigh was clapping wildly. Brooke blew them both a kiss and they returned the gesture, laughing.
Lastly, her eyes found her Gram. She was standing on the opposite side of Casey, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Brooke smiled when her Gram waved enthusiastically at them. She looked over to see Ethan waving back, and she was full of so much love at the idea of him calling everyone and planning this whole thing.
She saw his friend, Nick, come up and shake his hand, congratulating them both. Brooke was full of smiles as her Gram came up to them. She leaned down and hugged her.
“I’m so happy for you,” Gram said, gently rubbing her back.
“Thank you, Gram. I’m glad you made it up here,” Brooke said.
“Ethan made all the reservations for me. All I had to do was board the plane,” she said with a smile.
“Brooke!” Kyleigh and Paige yelled in unison.
Brooke turned around and saw them coming towards her. Within seconds, she had them both in her arms, hugging them fiercely.
“We are so happy for you guys,” Paige said, wiping her cheeks and laughing at her tears.
“You guys didn’t even say a word when you visited last month. I can’t believe you guys kept this secret so well.”
“It was hard, but there was no way we wanted to spoil it,” Paige said. “I’m so happy things worked out with you two in the end.”
“Me, too,” Brooke agreed, as she looked at Ethan.
Ethan laughed and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her and the restaurant erupted into cheers again.
And a million miles away, the stars were spread against the ebony sky in perfect alignment, shining down on a love that would last until the end of time.
Epilogue
ETHAN
Ethan slid his key into the lock and shoved his front door open. The smell of Mediterranean food made his mouth water and the rap music that filtered from the kitchen made him smile. He put his briefcase on the floor and headed towards the kitchen where she was undoubtedly cooking dinner. He turned the corner and smiled at what he saw. She was dancing in front of the stove in four-inch bright blue heels, a blue rose mini skirt, and a cream-colored shirt. Her long hair was pulled back in a low ponytail with loose waves cascading down her back. She dipped down, her ass coming close to the ground in a seductive dance move that didn’t match the rap music that was playing, but she somehow made it work. Ethan laughed, breaking his cover. Brooke whirled around, smiling from ear to ear.
“Are you sneaking up on me, Ethan?” she asked, as she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I was enjoying the show,” he said, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He leaned back a little to study her skirt. “I like the skirt.”
Her eyes lit up as she said, “Today marks exactly two years since I matched the tablecloth.”
“Ah, yes, that lovely first date that started it all,” he said, nuzzling against her neck and inhaling the light scent of peach.
“The one that started it all and almost ended it all,” she said.
“But thankfully it didn’t, because you’re the best thing that has walked into my life,” Ethan said.
“And you’re the best thing that has happened to me. Now, come on, let’s eat,” she said, as she grabbed his hand and led him to the table.
“What are we having?” he asked as he took a sip of wine.
“Eye of the Mediterranean,” she said with a smile.
“That’s one of my favorites.”
“I know,” she said, as she reached out and squeezed his hand.
He squeezed her hand back and looked down at the rings on their fingers glinting in the light, and smiled, glad they had found their way back to each other thanks to a little help from fate.
The End
Dear Reader,
I hope you have enjoyed When Love Ignites. This is book three of the Sweet Haven Trilogy, but each book can be read as a standalone.
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About the Author
With her roots planted in Indiana, Tara Neideffer forms medical devices by day, and spends sleepless nights twis
ting random words into beautiful stories. She has a love for animals, especially horses, and as a child she could be found in the saddle, running her horse at full speed through open fields. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her daughter.
Connect with Tara online
www.taraneideffer.com
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ALSO BY TARA NEIDEFFER
Sweet Haven Trilogy
Where Forever Lies (Sweet Haven Book 1)
With a Brave Heart (Sweet Haven Book 2)
Horror Standalone
Deadly Road
When Love Ignites Page 28
