She sucked in a breath, not sure she heard him correctly. “You love me?”
“I love you. You have no idea how much.” He touched her shoulder only, this time she didn’t shrug off his hand. “I don’t want to live without you. Please give me a second chance. Let me show you how much you mean to me.”
His words filled her with longing, but she still had doubts. “You and me. It’s so complicated. We live in different states. Our businesses—”
“Aren’t as important as us being together.” He cupped her face. “I never thought I’d say that, let alone believe it, but you showed me it’s true. You know my past. You know me. I’ve never wanted a family. Never thought I needed one. But that was the little boy who didn’t want to deal with the reality of being abandoned again. What you have with Fallon and the kids… It’s like a modern-day sitcom. Not perfect. But you love each other. Care about each other. I want to be a part of it with you and them.”
Hadley fought the urge to lean into his touch. Heaven help her, but she wanted him to be a part of their family, too.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “If you tell me to go, I will, but you will remain in my heart forever, and I have a feeling I’ll be in yours for at least a little longer.”
The choice was hers. None of her planning or processes would help her. That meant doing the one thing she never thought she could do again—trust her heart.
Deep down, she knew, if she didn’t give Blaise a second chance, she would regret it. Possibly for the rest of her life.
Being without him was difficult. A piece of her felt as if it had died on Friday night. But, if things ended between them again, at least Hadley would know she’d done everything in her power to be with him.
“I don’t want you to go.” She lowered his hand from her face, but laced her fingers with his. “I want you to stay with me.”
“Always. We just need to work out the logistics.”
“Shhh. Not now.” She stood and kissed him on the lips. “We’ll figure this out later.”
“‘This’ meaning us?”
Joy overflowed from her heart. “Yes, us. I love you.”
“I love you.” Blaise flashed her a billion-dollar smile before releasing her hand. He removed something from his pocket and then knelt on one knee.
Her heart slammed against her rib cage. She covered her mouth with her hands.
“We haven’t known each other long, but I want you to know I’m one hundred percent committed to you. To us. Once I realized that, waiting made no sense. There’s no reason for us not to be together.”
He opened the black velvet case and showed her the exquisite diamond, a big one, in a shiny platinum setting.
“Hadley Lowell, you match couples and help them find their happy endings. You are my perfect match. I want to spend every morning waking up to you and every night kissing you and dreaming about you. Will you marry me and live happily ever after?”
Tears of happiness filled her eyes. Her pulse raced, and she struggled to breathe. This was the last thing she expected, but it felt right.
“Yes!” Her voice cracked. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He kissed her hard on the lips, taking her breath away.
She leaned back. “But what about the bet?”
Blaise slid the ring onto her finger. “I don’t care about the bet. Wes and Dash can battle it out. You’re all I need. All I want.” Blaise kissed her hand. “Hearing you say yes. Seeing my ring on your finger. That’s all I need. I won something more valuable than the fund or the bragging rights. I get a future with you at my side. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
EPILOGUE
November
Standing with the other wedding guests, Wes watched Blaise and Hadley dance for the first time as husband and wife. Joy radiated from their faces, a captivating mix of happiness and love with a dash of giddiness thrown in.
Ignoring the burning in his chest, Wes sipped from his champagne flute. He no longer drank much, but a wedding was a time of celebration—a time to splurge. Something he’d once done famously. Now…
He took another drink.
The bubbles tickled but in a good way. Excellent brand. It went down smoothly. Wes would need another glass. Maybe a few more.
