And he was hers.
That fact swept through her, feeding the gratitude that continued to strengthen their bond.
She finished the last bite of egg roll off her plate. “About Saturday, Delaney texted and said to bring the kayaks to the baby shower.”
“That’s weird. Why?”
“She wants you to take Aidan off her hands for the afternoon. He’s hovering and won’t let her do anything, and it’s driving her nuts.”
“I get that. She looks like she’s about to pop.”
“Women have been giving birth forever, Grant. She’s going to be fine.” She tilted her head. “You wouldn’t be the hovering type, would you?” she asked lightly.
He stopped, stared, and carefully wiped his hands on a napkin. “I don’t know. Are you trying to tell me something?”
“God, no.” She shook her head. “That’s for some time down the road.” She leaned against the booth and groaned.
“You doing okay?”
“I think I ate too much,” she said. “I’d forgotten how addictive the egg rolls can be.”
He laughed. “You always say that.”
“And I always mean it.”
“Here your fortune cookie,” Mei-Ling said, plopping a small pot in front of her.
She studied the strange sight. “What the heck?”
Fortune cookies with thin strips of red ribbon hung like ornaments from a small tree. Stacey blinked, then looked across the table. “Grant? What are you up to?”
“Go ahead,” he said, grinning. “Open one.”
She slipped a cookie off a branch, then cracked it open.
She straightened the tiny piece of paper. “Please say yes.” She frowned and turned the strip of paper over. “There’s nothing on the back. What am I supposed to say yes to?” She looked around for Mei-Ling. “That doesn’t make sense. Chef Dennis must’ve been distracted when he wrote this one.”
“Actually, it does make sense.” Grant slipped out of the booth and was at her side. He then dropped onto one knee.
“Wha—?”
He opened the tiny black velvet box in his hand and held it out to her. In the fading afternoon light, the single solitaire diamond in it sparkled. She blinked, pretty sure she was imagining things.
“Stacey Nicole Winters, I love you with every ounce of strength I have in me. Please be my partner, my best friend, my lover, my everything. Please say yes.”
Mei-Ling passed by their table. “Yeah, you say yes now. I bring you more tea.”
“Ma!” her son called from the kitchen. “Stop it. You leave them alone.”
Stacey’s gaze never left Grant’s. “I’m guessing if I don’t say yes there’ll be a whole lot of explaining I’ll have to do, huh?”
He swallowed, and the vulnerability in his eyes reached out to her, offering her all that she’d wanted, all that she’d hoped for.
“Only say yes if you want to, Stace.” The words were quiet, humbling. That Grant could feel so unsure about her, about them, yet was willing to take the risk anyway, was the greatest gift he could ever give her.
Stacey grinned, and a delicious warmth spread through her. “Grant Adam Phillips…yes.”
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Acknowledgments
I am so grateful to the many talented people who made this book possible!
Heather Howland, thank you for sushi and hand-holding, for believing in me, and always pushing me to be a better writer. I am so blessed to have you as my editor!
Meredith Clark, I’m so lucky fate threw us together! Your insight and structural knowledge of craft is amazing, and there’s so much I’ve yet to learn from you. Thank you for not rolling your eyes (that I could tell, anyway!) and for talking me off the ledge. Every. Single. Time.
Tawna Fenske and Marie Harte, thank you for long talks, long walks, and lots of wine! That you seasoned authors share so much with a fledgling like me makes my heart smile.
My awesome fan group, Melia’s Marvels, thanks for sticking with me on this crazy publishing journey. Here’s to another book birthday!
Lounge Ladies, thank you for your friendship, laughter, and unconditional love, even when I’m pretty sure you’d like to sometimes shake some sense into me. You all ROCK!
Rhonda Pollero, thank you so much for the Facebook friendship, and for providing the movie suggestion that kicks off Grant and Stacey’s first love scene. You rock!
And, as always, my heartfelt gratitude to the team at Entangled Publishing. Your hard work and dedication to authors makes me so proud to call Entangled “home.”
About the Author
A native of Guam, Melia Alexander is the author of sassy, sexy, fun contemporary romances. She’s fortunate to work at The Male Observation Lab (a.k.a. her day job at a construction company), where she’s able to observe guys in their natural habitat. She likes to read, catalogue her shoe and handbag collection, and search out the perfect sunset, preferably with a glass of cabernet sauvignon and a box of dark chocolates. In an attempt to balance out her life, she also attempts to conquer her CrossFit fears: ring dips, power cleans, and the dreaded 800-meter run. Stay in touch with Melia on Facebook, Instagram, and her newsletter.
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