Page 86 of Scoop Me Up

“Of course.” I took Ellie upstairs to the apartment and helped her gather her belongings, stuffing them into her bag.

When we made it back downstairs, the shop was quiet and while the kitchen lights were on, the front was dark. “I guess your daddy turned off all the lights and forgot about us,” I murmured. Ellie just giggled.

“Gabe?” I pushed open the swinging door to the front of the shop to find Gabe in the center of the floor, standing andsurrounded by strings of fairy lights on the nearby tables. I frowned, confused. A moment later, Gabe nodded and Ellie ran off. From somewhere, music filled the room and Gabe dipped down, dropping to one knee. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I approached him, words eluding me as I stood just in front of him.

“Sam,” Gabe said softly. “For just over a year now, I’ve had the privilege of loving you. I was a different person then. This town, this life we’ve built, this love we share, it’s changed me. I can’t imagine anything different. Only one thing would make it sweeter. Marry me, and let’s make this last forever.”

“Of course I will,” I whispered, throat thick with emotions and tears in my eyes. I reached for him and pulled him up, into my arms for a tender kiss. We kissed for several long seconds before Gabe stepped back.

“This is for you.” He held out a ring box with a simple silver band before pulling the band out and sliding it on my left ring finger. A moment later, he raised his voice. “They said yes.”

Jennifer, Cooper and Ellie stepped into the room from the back, cheering and clapping.

“Where did you come from?” I asked. “Ellie and I walked right through the kitchen. Were you hiding?”

Cooper nodded. “We were in the walk-in.”

“I got them out,” Ellie said sincerely. “They were cold.”

I burst out laughing and shook my head. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.Allof you.”

I couldn’t believe how different my own life had been fourteen months ago. I’d been a teacher, single, and convinced things were going to stay the same forever. Instead, all of my dreams came true. Life was sweeter than I ever could’ve imagined.

The End