by Alison Bliss
But unfortunately, Sidney wasn’t in her office when he arrived. She stood behind the front counter, helping a teller with a customer, and everyone looked up at him as he entered the bank. The moment Sidney saw Brett coming toward them, she gave him “the look”—the same one she’d given to him last year—and then cut her eyes to the male customer she was helping.
Brett had learned his lesson the last time this happened. He had no doubt that Sidney could handle herself in any situation, and if she did need his help, she would ask for it. So he got behind the gentleman and waited patiently for his turn at the teller window.
When the guy glanced back over his shoulder at him, Brett nodded a friendly hello and asked him how he was doing. But the man ignored him and turned back to Sidney and the other teller, who both wore looks of frustration. Yep, they were clearly dealing with an asshole. Figures.
He couldn’t hear what the man was saying to them since he was whispering as if he was afraid Brett would overhear his account number, but he was obviously being a jerk about something. Sidney’s eyes kept glancing back at Brett, and it set him on edge. Was she worried that he might say something?
So as he waited for the guy to finish his transaction, Brett glanced around the bank, noting the light gray walls paired with the darker gray carpet on the floor. It looked good together, and he wondered if he shouldn’t have the same look in his customer waiting area once he opened his garage.
After a few moments, the guy in front of him finally turned to leave, and the relieved look on Sidney’s face told Brett that she was glad to be done dealing with the jerk. Brett hated that the guy had given her a rough time, but he hoped that what he was about to do would change her day for the better. And his too, if everything went right.
Brett set the roses on the counter and then kneeled down on one knee. Then he quickly pulled the ring out of his pocket and opened the box, holding it up to present it to her. “Sid, I—”
Sidney turned away from him, and Brett froze. Did she not want to marry him? But then he saw her running around the counter as fast as she could, and he realized that she just couldn’t contain her excitement about his proposal. Smiling, he waited for her to run over and fling herself into his arms. But instead, she ran right past him without even glancing at the ring and headed for the doors of the bank.
Damn. His heart stopped beating, and his chest ached. That was brutal. If she didn’t want to marry him, all she had to do was say no. No reason to make such a dramatic exit.
He rose to his feet, closed the ring box, and turned to leave. But he saw Sidney locking the front door with her keys before returning to the counter. Her hands were shaking almost as much as her voice as she lifted the roses from the teller window and said, “I’ll be in my office. Let me know when the cops arrive.”
Brett blinked at her as shock rocketed through him. She locked me inside the bank and called the cops on me? All because I was going to propose to her? That’s taking things a bit far, don’t you think? And what was she doing with the roses…using them as evidence? Jesus.
Sidney walked toward him. Not knowing what her intentions were, he braced himself. Was she going to throw the roses in his face and slap him? My God, she was really taking things to an extreme level. What happened to a woman just saying no to a proposal?
But instead, Sidney grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hallway toward her office. The moment they got inside, she closed the door behind them and let out a huge breath that she’d apparently been holding in.
Brett shook his head in annoyance. “You know, if you didn’t want to marry me, all you had to do was say no. There’s no reason to lock me in the bank and call the cops on me. It’s not a crime to propose to the woman I love.” Her pale face broke with a smile, and that only annoyed him more. “Go unlock the doors, Sid. I’ll leave willingly.”
She laid the roses on her desk and laughed. “You big, lovable goof. I didn’t lock the doors because of you. I locked them because the guy in line in front of you robbed the bank.”
He stilled. “What?”
She grinned again. “Yeah, the guy you were trying to make polite chitchat with was a bank robber. He had us put all the cash from the teller’s register into a bank bag for him and then he walked out with it.”
“Jesus. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”
Brett couldn’t believe it. He was right there and could’ve helped her. “Why didn’t you signal to me? I was right behind him. I could’ve easily subdued him and held him until the police got here.”
Her head snapped up. “I did signal you. I gave you ‘the look.’”
“Yeah, but the last time you gave me that look, you wanted me to stay out of a situation. How was I supposed to know it meant something different this time?”
She glared at him. “God. We really need to work on our signals if I’m going to marry you. I don’t want my own husband not understanding what I’m trying to tell him.”
One of his brows rose. “Your husband, huh? So is that a yes?”
She shook her head. “Well, technically, you haven’t asked me a question yet.”
He grinned and pulled out the ring box, lifting the lid and turning it toward her. “I love you, Sid. Always have and always will. I promise I’ll work every day to make you happy and be a better man, one you can be proud to call your husband. Would you do me the honor of marrying me and allowing me to spend the rest of my life with you?”
She didn’t even look at the ring. Her eyes were on him and filling with tears as distant sirens rang in the air. “Yes! I love you too, and I’ve never wanted anything more. You’ve always been in my heart, Brett, and that’s where you’ll always stay.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her, long and hard. When he finally pulled back, he said, “By the way, I got the loan I applied for so it looks like I’m going to be opening my own garage.”
She bounced in place. “That’s wonderful news. Congratulations! I’m so happy for you. I knew you could do it.”
“Well, I had a little help from you.”
“No, you deserve all the credit. You worked so hard for your dream, and it’s finally coming true. That’s the best thing ever.”
He tightened his grip around her waist. “No, you are. I’m going to make you happy, Sid. I can’t promise I’ll always be perfect, but—”
She put a finger over his lips. “Hush. You are perfect…for me.”
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About the Author
Alison Bliss is a bestselling, award-winning author of humorous, contemporary romances. A born and raised Texan, she currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, two kids, and their dogs. As the youngest of five girls, she has never turned down a challenge or been called by the right name. Alison believes the best way to find out if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them, because if you both make it back alive, it’s obviously meant to be. She writes the type of books she loves to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, and laughter. Something she likes to call “Romance…with a sense of humor.”
To learn more, visit her at:
http://authoralisonbliss.com
Facebook/AuthorAlisonBliss
Twitter @AlisonBliss2
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