“My eyes!” Jeremy shouts.
“Gross,” James mutters.
We break apart, the moment ruined by my favorite pair of dunderheads.
“Our own place sounds perfect.”
Epilogue
Reid
One Year Later
“It’s so beautiful,” Jodi whispers in awe.
We’re standing on the sidewalk in front of theSkyline Bar and Grillalong with a huge crowd of people all watching the Christmas Parade in Hope Peak. We celebrated with Jodi’s family the week before we came out to visit Amber for the holiday this year.
“Yeah,” I agree, but my eyes aren’t focused on the floats coasting down the street. I can’t take my eyes off my girlfriend. A year later she still knocks the breath from my chest with just a casual glance.
“This was the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary,” she says as she leans back into my embrace.
She clutches a steaming cup of hot cocoa fromPerfect Brews,taking a small sip as another float passes by, this one with an inflatable snowman on top and several children tossing candy canes to the crowd.
“I’d go anywhere with you.”
Jodi turns away from the parade and nuzzles her cold nose into the crook of my neck.
“You’re going to miss Santa,” I tell her as she trails soft kisses down to my collarbone. “You’re going straight onto the naughty list.”
“Oh no,” she whispers low enough that only I can hear. “Could you put in a good word for me?”
“Why should I do that?” I whisper back.
We’re not close to the front, and it’s easy for us to move further back, allowing other people to get a better view.
“I’d be so grateful.”
My plan is sinking faster than a shipwreck in those deep blue eyes.
“Not good enough,” I say. “You’re asking a big favor from your boyfriend.”
The space between her eyebrows scrunches as she frowns up at me in confusion. When I reach into my coat pocket her expression clears. She’s trying to mask her delight, but she can’t fool me. I knew I wouldn’t able to surprise her.
My Jodi knows me too well.
The ring box is light in my trembling hands, and I nearly drop it as I fumble to open it.
“If you want husband privileges then you’ll have to marry me.”
My knee barely touches the ground before she says yes.
“Yes, yes, a million times yes!”
The people closest to us clap and congratulate us as I slide the ring onto Jodi’s finger.
“I bought this ring before we closed on our cabin,” I confess.
“Yeah, I found it in your sock drawer. That was the worst place to hide it.”
