Mess With Me

by Kylie Gilmore

  Ally spoke slowly and cautiously. “Yeah, I’d like something I could help build.”

  “Ally!” Hailey squealed, wiggling in her seat. “That sologamy thing could be a nice add-on to my business! I could put it on my website as an option.” She gestured wildly. “You could guide the bride and bridesmaids through their own special ceremony to make them feel empowered and good about themselves. Like you did with us!” She looked to their friends for confirmation, who quickly agreed.

  Ally considered it. The idea had merit and she was sure once Hailey was back to her usual non-hyper self, she’d be good to work with. “I have been looking to get out of the classroom, just get out there and do something awesome.” A slow smile dawned. “This could be really awesome.”

  Hailey bounced in her seat. “Yes! Come work for me! I’m going to need someone very soon. You can be my right-hand woman and run the sologamy service. I can train you on weekends until the school year’s over. Once that Bride Special article comes out next August, it’s going to be nuts. Then I could bring you on full time. It’s perfect!”

  Ally wiggled in her seat. “Omigod, it is perfect! I love that idea!”

  Hailey leapt out of her seat and Ally met her halfway for a jumping hug.

  “What’s all the hugging about?” a familiar masculine voice asked.

  Ally startled. She pulled away to see Ethan heading straight for her. The guys were right on his heels.

  Claire stood. “I invited the guys here for drinks. I know you usually have after book club meeting drinks, so I thought we’d just shift it here so I could join in. Hope that’s okay with you all.” She squeaked as her husband came up behind her and goosed her. Then he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck.

  “Absolutely,” was the general consensus. At least from the women reuniting with their husbands and fiancés. The single women eyed the single men, who all headed over to the fully stocked bar, where Marcus and Josh immediately got to work serving up drinks. Marcus owned his own bar, The Burrow, a popular place in lower Manhattan. Luckily Josh hadn’t brought his new girlfriend; otherwise Hailey might’ve shifted from hyper to manic and who knew what she’d plan then? Maybe a statewide dance marathon or a bare-chested bachelor auction. Actually, a bachelor auction could be fun. Ally smiled to herself, already shifting to planning mode. This new business opportunity was definitely a good fit for her.

  Ally shared the good news with Ethan right after he gave her a big kiss. “I’ve got a fantastic job opportunity! I’m going to be working with Hailey, helping with wedding planning and offering sologamy ceremonies so everyone can feel happily empowered.”

  He gave her one of his rare big smiles that lit up his gorgeous face. “Awesome. I love it and I love you.” He was so expressive now like his heart had cracked open and the love just poured out.

  She melted, heart squeezing, weak in the knees, goofy smile and all. “Oh, Eth! I love you too.”

  He snagged her by the hips. “Maybe one day you’ll be planning one of those weddings for us.”

  “You asking?”

  “I will.” He looked around at the noisy crowd and back to her. “Not here. I want to do it right. Would you like that one day with me? Something permanent?”

  She nodded happily. “I would.”

  He entwined his fingers with hers, lifted her hand, and kissed her fingers. “I would too. I could not love you any more than I do in this moment.”

  “Aww,” Ally exclaimed, her heart bursting with happiness. “Me too!”

  “More lovey-dovey stuff, Eth? Give it a rest.” Ben appeared at Ethan’s side and elbowed him. Ethan just grinned.

  Missy crossed to Ally. “Hey, leave them alone,” she told Ben. “If they want to be lovey bears, more power to them.” She fist-bumped Ally.

  Ben stared at Missy. “Do I know you?”

  Missy rolled her eyes. “We played pool together, like, four months ago.” At Ben’s confused look, she added, “At Marcus’s bar? That mixer Hailey planned. Ring any bells?”

  Ben’s brows scrunched together in confusion. “We played pool together?”

  “Yeah, on the same team.” At his continued confusion, she added, “I could not be less flattered right now.”

  Ben barked out a laugh. “I’m sorry.” He studied her for a moment. “Wait, did you used to have red hair?”

  “Yeah, it’s naturally red, but I dyed it dark brown. My face is the same.”

  “I never remember a face,” he joked, his blue eyes glinting mischievously. He glanced down at her body and then met her eyes, giving her his usual charming dimpled smile. “I do remember you! Missy Higgins.” He offered his hand. “Ben Wright.”

  “I remember you, Mr. Wrong.” She laughed dryly and walked away. Ben’s gaze followed her.

  Ally bit back a smile. Mr. Wright had sure been wrong tonight.

  “Mr. Wrong.” Ethan chuckled. “She got that right.”

  “Oh, shut up, lovey bear.” Ben stalked off to the other guys.

  Ally smiled, shaking her head.

  Ethan framed her face with both hands, tipping her head up, his eyes so full of warmth and love gazing into hers. “Being single’s not so bad, but being with your forever love is so much better.”

  She instantly choked up. Actually hearing “forever love” coming from this tough, formerly hard-to-read man zinged a direct hit to her heart. “Eth, you’re going to make me cry.”

  He scooped her up in a hug that lifted her off the ground. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy.”

  “I make me happy. And you do too. Double the happiness. We are lovey-dovey, aren’t we?”

  “I love it.”

  “Me too.”

  He set her down, his hands resting lightly on her waist before leaning down to her ear, his voice a sexy rumble. “I really want to get you alone. Could we cut out early?”

  She slid her hand to the back of his neck and brought him close for a kiss. “Yes. Absolutely. Like right now.”

  He smirked.

  She smirked back.

  They turned as one to their friends all gathered by the bar. “Have fun, guys!” Ally called.

  “We have an early day tomorrow,” Ethan said, guiding her quickly toward the door.

  Then they ran out the door, hand in hand, eager to get their hands on each other.

  Epilogue

  Four weeks later, Ethan was enjoying his first Thanksgiving with Ally and her family. They’d be heading to the Campbell house for dessert later. He’d taken Zach’s advice to get to know Ally’s family, even though he normally avoided other people’s families, feeling out of place. But Zach had a deep understanding of courtship and marriage customs and it had worked for him, so Ethan figured, yeah, do it right.

  Ally’s dad, Brian, was a large stocky man with a booming deep voice, who doted on his four daughters. Ally had three older sisters, two blond, one brunette, all married with kids. He’d met her parents before, but this was the first time he met the rest of her family. Her sisters were much more serious and low-key compared to his love’s infectious enthusiasm and vibrancy. Her mom, Susan, was sweet and bubbly like Ally and adored her six grandchildren ranging in age from nine months to twelve. Ally’s brothers-in-law were okay too.

  The food was delicious and all made by the women. He’d been relegated to the living room to watch the football game with the guys. Ally’s dad asked him to take the end seat on the sofa next to his recliner and then spent every commercial break quizzing Ethan on his family, what he did in his spare time, and what sports teams he liked. Ethan had been over for dinner a couple of times before without many questions beyond his work, but it seemed him showing up for Thanksgiving made her dad realize how serious Ethan was about Ally. He must’ve passed inspection because the minute he said he was a diehard Patriots fan, Brian got up and offered him a beer.

  Ally’s sisters kept looking at him curiously during dinner at the long dining room table, but he kept quiet for the mos
t part, not wanting to interrupt the family’s conversation. The kids had their own table set up in the adjacent living room, except for the baby, who sat in a high chair near her parents. They couldn’t see the kids, but as soon as the kids finished their dinner, they sure heard them. Ally’s mom went in there and, a few minutes later, the kids got quiet. She returned, reporting they were all watching the movie Elf, and then took her seat, addressing him directly.

  “Ethan, it’s our tradition before dessert to go around the table and say the best thing that happened all year. It reminds us to be thankful. Would you like to begin?”

  “Oh, boy. I don’t want to intrude.” He turned to Ally. “You go ahead first.”

  Ally smiled and said proudly, “Marrying myself.”

  Her sisters laughed. Everyone else looked confused. Ally quickly explained the whole concept and the empowerment behind it.

  “Then what are you doing with this guy?” her dad said, hitching a thumb toward Ethan, probably for his defense.

  Ally smiled. “I had to put myself first, be content with me before I could give myself to someone else.”

  “What do you mean give yourself?” her dad growled.

  Her sisters tittered; their husbands remained quiet, probably in sympathy for Ethan being in the hot seat.

  Ethan cleared his throat. Maybe this was the moment he’d been waiting for.

  “What do you think I mean?” Ally responded calmly. “I love him. I’m divorcing myself now.”

  Ethan put a hand on her leg. “No, don’t do that. I know how much that sologamy ceremony meant to you. I want you to keep that in spirit.” He gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. “Hang onto that, honor yourself. And I’ll honor you too.”

  “Oh, Eth.”

  “I love you.” He spoke his truth no matter the circumstances, even with curious witnesses.

  She leaned close, smiling. “I love you too.”

  He kissed her gently and then stood, taking in the curious expressions on everyone’s faces. “The best thing to happen to me all year was having Ally in my life.”

  “Aww,” the women chorused.

  “You too!” Ally exclaimed. “I should’ve said that too. Marrying myself and you. Not marrying you, but having you…I mean, not like that! You know—”

  “Still my turn,” he told her with a wink. He knew how much she loved him and never doubted his importance in her life. They were sure of each other, both of them full of gratitude for the love they shared. “And just as importantly, the best thing to happen to me this year is what’s about to happen right now.”

  He shifted to the other side of Ally’s chair so he’d have room to do it right. Pulling the ring from his pocket, down on one knee, he held the ring up to her.

  Her sisters gasped in near unison, exclaiming until their mom hushed them.

  “Omigod, Eth,” Ally said in a breathy voice. She shifted to face him, her cheeks flushed pink, her eyes huge.

  He took her hand. “This engagement ring is an antique. It was my mom’s ring from her mother-in-law, so it has a lot of family history. I want you to have it.”

  Ally squeed and nodded, her eyes filling with tears.

  He slid the ring on her finger and held it there. “Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” She grabbed his head and kissed him.

  Her family was exclaiming and shifting around, but it all faded in the background. He stood and pulled Ally into his arms, his own eyes burning with tears, his chest filled to bursting with happiness. He loved her so damn much.

  Someone put a hand on his back, and he glanced over his shoulder.

  “Welcome to the family!” her mom exclaimed, and then it seemed everyone was hugging them and congratulating them all at once.

  Her dad even brought out a bottle of champagne. “I’ve been saving this for a special occasion,” he said, handing it over to Ethan. “You do the honors.”

  “Thanks,” Ethan said, taking the bottle. It opened with a pop and her whole family cheered.

  Once they were all settled back at the table with the champagne, her dad made a toast. “To Ethan and Ally’s future happiness. I can see how happy Ally is and, though we’ve only known Ethan a short time, I can tell he’s a good man and will fit right in with our family. Congratulations, you two.” He lifted his glass. “To Ethan and Ally.” His voice choked at the end and the big man even leaked a tear.

  Ethan quickly looked away to find Ally, her mom, and all of her sisters were quietly crying. Geez, it would be tough to be stoic around this family. They all clinked glasses and drank to that heartfelt toast.

  And then Ally’s mom encouraged everyone to chime in with the best thing that happened to them all year, and damn if they didn’t all say the same thing. Every damn one of them said with a big smile: “Watching Ethan’s proposal.” By the time the third person said it, Ethan gave up the fight, his own eyes leaking. Ally rubbed his back and leaned her head on his shoulder.

  Soon they were all digging into dessert, an assortment of homemade pies—pumpkin, pecan, and mince—with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Ethan had nearly finished his second helping of pumpkin pie when Ally’s mom surprised him.

  “I have a question for Ethan and Ally,” she started, innocently enough. “Do you plan on having kids?”

  Ethan gulped down his pie and glanced at Ally, her face flushed bright red. “Mom!”

  “What?” her mom said, lifting a palm. “It’s just a question.”

  Ally grabbed his hand and held it. “We just got engaged. Don’t put pressure on us.”

  “What pressure?” her mom exclaimed. “No pressure.” She looked right at Ethan. “Just curious.”

  “We haven’t even talked about it,” Ally said, glancing at him. “Let’s move along.”

  Everyone got quiet.

  Ally leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Sorry about that.”

  He smiled and cradled her jaw, gazing into her eyes. “I don’t mind.” He wanted kids, but he understood that was a private conversation.

  Ally met his eyes, seeming to be searching his expression. “Really?”

  He kissed her. “Really.”

  “See, he doesn’t mind,” her mom put in.

  Ally looked to the ceiling. “Ergh.”

  “We’ll get back to you on that,” Ethan told Ally’s mom.

  Her mom must’ve read between the lines because she immediately beamed a smile at him, turned to Ally’s dad, who nodded once, and then conversation returned to normal.

  The ring was a little big for Ally, but she assured him it could easily be sized down. He couldn’t wait to share their engagement with his family. Ally happily planned their wedding on the drive over to the Campbell house—something fun but still serious, “a little unconventional” was how she put it. Just like his bride. He readily agreed to anything and everything. Outdoors? Absolutely. Piñata? Why not. Cake buffet? Bring it on. Bride and groom dance with confetti cannons showering them with confetti? Uh, sure. The only thing he cared about was making it official. He didn’t bring up the kid conversation, not wanting to rush her since she was younger than him, and also because he wanted her to enjoy this whole engagement moment. But it was definitely on his mind.

  The moment he stepped into the Campbell house, he stood in front of the TV, where all the guys were glued to the football game, and announced, “Ally and I are engaged.”

  Ally held up her ring hand and beamed.

  “Congratulations!” his dad said, and then everyone jumped in, congratulating them, the guys all pounding him on the back.

  “Another one bites the dust,” Ben quipped.

  Ethan bumped him with his shoulder. “You’re next, Mr. Wright.”

  “Never! I’m nobody’s Mr. Right.”

  “That’s for sure,” Josh said.

  Everyone laughed.

  He joined his family, taking a seat on an open chair and pulling Ally into his lap, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He whispered in her ear, �
�You gonna be Mrs. Case or Ms. Bloom?”

  She turned and smiled. “I’ll be Mrs. Case if you give me a bun in the oven.”

  His eyes teared up, his throat tight, so glad she was on board. He’d hoped, but he didn’t know for sure until now. “I want that so much. I want wild kids that hike and camp and fish—”

  “You want mini park rangers. Ha! What if they’re girls?”

  “Same thing.”

  “What if they want to play dress up and have tea parties? I did.”

  He thought about that. “I’ll do that too as long as the tea parties happen outdoors.”

  She laughed and snuggled close. He breathed in the soft flowery scent of the woman he loved with a full open heart, finally one hundred percent content.

  ~ ~ ~

  Would you like to read a Bonus Epilogue for more Ethan and Ally? Click here to read it! http://www.kyliegilmore.com/messwithmebonus

  Dear Readers,

  Will Josh and Clarissa last? Will Hailey plan her heart out and drive everyone crazy? Will they both miss the excitement of their sparring? Stay tuned. Ben Wright might be Missy’s Mr. Wrong now, but Fate might have other plans. Would you like an exclusive sneak peek at my next release? Just click to sign up for my newsletter and you’ll receive sneak peeks, excerpts, and subscriber-only giveaways. Next up is Ben and Missy’s story, Resisting Fate, book 7 in the Happy Endings Book Club series. Join the club and get your happy ending!

  Resisting Fate (Happy Endings Book Club #7)

  Ben Wright doesn’t believe in marriage.

  Missy Higgins has been burned by marriage.