“Well, we all know it wasn’t God now, don’t we?”
Leading the way out of his apartment, he says, “I beg to differ. I’m one hundred percent sure that God had a hand in setting you up with Byrne.”
“What changed your mind?” I want to know.
“Shelby.”
“But Shelby doesn’t believe in God,” I remind him.
“It doesn’t matter if she believes or not. Her coming into my life was divine intervention if there ever was such a thing.” He continues, “I hated her for forcing me into the office and I even thought about quitting so I didn’t have to go. But it turns out that pushing me outside my comfort zone allowed me to finally accept who I am. It even brought love my way.”
Walking down the stairs, I say, “We’ve both come out on top, haven’t we?” Then I tell him, “I’m going to pay you back for that canvas and the supplies.”
“No way. That’s not how this thing works. You bought me a sweater for my first day at work; I bought you a canvas for your first big showing. If you want to do something for someone else, go for it, but our slate is clean.”
Hailing a cab outside of our building, I’m so full of excitement, contentment, and optimism, I’m practically levitating. Driving down Central Park West on a beautiful fall evening is inspirational and awesome. Byrne is standing outside the gallery when we pull up. He opens the door for me and pulls me into his arms. He looks over my head and tells Zay, “Shelby’s inside.” My friend hurries past us.
Then Byrne looks down at me and says, “I love you, Jen. I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you too, Byrne. Thank you for coming into my life and believing in me.”
“You ready?” he asks.
“I’m so far beyond ready, I can hardly stand still.”
“Let’s go!” Taking me by the hand, he leads me into the gallery. The guests turn toward us and start to clap which makes me feel like a rock star. Tipping my head in recognition, I say, “Thank you all for coming.”
The next thing I know, someone takes my coat, while someone else offers me a glass of champagne. The rest of the night is a blur.
I overhear Mary tell a reporter from Page Six that she knew the minute she saw my sexy lilies that I was an artistic genius the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since Van Gogh. She could seriously make a killing as a promoter.
Joe regales a well-known socialite with instructions on how to make his Guinness stew. While you might think she wouldn’t be interested, she seems positively enchanted.
Seraphina pulls me aside and comments, “You know your success was written in the stars all along, don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” I tell her.
“I’m thinking about adding a new feature to my star sign app. Decorate for your star sign!” She flings her hands up into the air like she’s just performed a spell meant to conjure the dead.
“If anyone can do it, Ser, you can.”
Before she has a chance to say anything else, we hear someone tapping on a champagne flute and calling out, “If I can have your attention, please …” It’s Byrne.
When the room quiets, he says, “For those who don’t know me, I’m Gabriel, the lucky man who gets to call Jen my girlfriend. Tonight is truly momentous because it’s the first opportunity for the world to discover an incredible new talent in the art world. And if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you all a little story. Once upon a time I was a different man. I thought I was happy, but that’s because I didn’t know what true happiness was. I thought I was content, but I was living in a fog. All of that changed when Jennifer Flanders came into my life.”
He approaches me and continues, “We haven’t even known each other for six months, Jen, but when something is meant to be, time loses all meaning. You are my other half. You are my inspiration and my joy.”
He drops to his knee in front of me and says, “As lucky as I am to call you my girlfriend, my life would be complete if I could call you my wife.”
Holy heck! Chills rush through me as I look at Byrne. Everything he said goes double for me. While six months is no time at all, it’s more than enough time to know Byrne is my future. I think on some level I knew that the day that I met him. Tears pool in my eyes as he continues, looking adorably nervous. “Jennifer Ann Flanders, will you marry me so we can be madly, deliriously, can’t-get-enough-of-each-other happy for the rest of our lives?”
“Yes. Gabriel Oliver Daly,” I start to say, when my voice cracks with emotion. “I will marry you.”
Byrne jumps up and throws his arms around me before pulling a small, black, velvet box out of his jacket pocket. He opens it and nestled in its interior is a gorgeous pear-cut diamond. It’s seriously so beautiful, I gasp, but not a normal gasp, more like the crazy-weird honking sound that happens when I’m choking.
Byrne’s eyes grow wide. “You okay?” he whispers.
I nod quickly. “That was a happy honk. Carry on.”
He chuckles, then takes the ring out of the box. “This belonged to my gran,” he says, while slipping it onto my finger.
The room erupts in a loud cheer and I’m overcome by the rightness of this moment. The next few minutes are filled with hugs and congratulations from our friends and Byrne’s family. Well, they’re mine now too, I suppose. Mary squeezes me so hard, I feel like my ribs might crack. When she lets me go, she looks at Byrne. “Now, you treat her right or you’ll be answering to me.”
Byrne has a nonplussed look on his face until she lunges at him and he flinches. I burst out laughing as she points to him—”Bigger.” Then she points to herself—”Meaner.”
Joe walks over and says, “Mary, love, don’t be scaring our boy in front of his future wife.” Then he looks at Byrne. “Seriously, man, your ma weighs no more than a sack of potatoes. And she’s recovering from a stroke. How can you be scared of her?”
Giving me a big hug and a kiss on the forehead, Joe says, “I’ve raised a coward.” Lowering his voice, he adds, “Don’t tell anyone, but he gets that from my side.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Mum’s the word.”
“You’re a good girl, Jen. What you’re doing with a knucklehead like Byrne is beyond me, but I’m glad you’ve agreed to put up with him for the rest of your life.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Byrne says, coming to stand next to me.
I put my arms around Byrne’s waist and say, “I’m the lucky one.”
I watch as our friends and Byrne’s family laugh and talk together, feeling a sense of pure joy. This is the start of my real life, and it’s going to be wonderful. Negative Me isn’t saying a word and I hope she’s gone for good, replaced by a new voice that I swear says, “Ask and you shall receive.”
Or, in my case, text and you shall receive.
THE END
Text Wars: An Accidentally in Love Story, Book 3
May the text be with you…
Seraphina Lopez is not your typical airy-fairy astrology fanatic. First and foremost, she’s a businesswoman who happens to have a fascination with the stars. Her lifestyle app, “Live for Your Star Sign” is blowing up, and when she’s asked to be a guest on New York’s most watched Morning Show, she knows the exposure will launch her app into the stratosphere.
Astrophysicist Ben Williams just landed his dream job at NASA’s Goddard Institute. Not only is he heading a multi-disciplinary team in search of habitable exo-planets, he’s also been tapped to be the spokesman for the project. While he’d much rather be crunching the numbers to pinpoint the location of Earth II, he also has to sell the concept to the American public.
When Seraphina and Ben meet on the set of the Morning Show, sparks fly! Sera is there to show viewers how to dress for their star sign. Ben in there in the name of science. Their explosive chemistry sets records for the network’s viewing audience. As such they’re asked to host a regular segment— together.
Ben and S
era hate each other so much, they resort to texting instead of talking when they’re off air (and sometimes on). Yet somewhere in the haze of dislike, they start to realize they have more in common than they thought possible. Is love written in the stars or will it burn up on impact?
Find out in the Text Wars, the third installment of the deliciously funny and romantic Accidentally in Love Series.
GET IT HERE
About the Authors
WHITNEY DINEEN
Whitney Dineen is a rock star in her own head. While delusional about her singing abilities, there's been a plethora of validation that she's a fairly decent author (AMAZING!!!). After winning many writing awards and selling nearly a kabillion books (math may not be her forte, either), she's decided to let the voices in her head say whatever they want (sorry, Mom). She also won a fourth-place ribbon in a fifth-grade swim meet in backstroke. So, there's that.
Whitney loves to play with her kids (a.k.a. dazzle them with her amazing flossing abilities), bake stuff, eat stuff, and write books for people who “get” her. She thinks french fries are the perfect food and Mrs. Roper is her spirit animal.
MELANIE SUMMERS
Melanie Summers lives in Edmonton, Canada, with her husband, three kiddos, and two cuddly dogs. When she's not writing, she loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. Melanie also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something. More like just staying until they turn the lights off.
The Text God: Text and You Shall Receive ... (An Accidentally in Love Story Book 2) Page 22
