“What are you doing?” I ask through a smile, but he doesn’t answer. He pulls me to the center of the stage, then brings the mic back to his mouth.
“For anyone who doesn’t know, this is Harper St. James. Lead bartender as of this week at the Gatsby Underground. I might be looking for a new personal assistant soon because I want her here all the time, stirring and shaking up those magic concoctions. She’s really brilliant at the art of mixology.”
Oh my God.
As Ash talks about me in front of all these people, my heart is dancing the mamba in my chest. Is he about to confess his undying love for me? Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. But by the way he is looking at me, and pulled me up on stage with him, I don’t know what else it could be. I’m kind of holding my breath at whatever is coming next.
“Harper, I have known you for…a very long time. You’ve always meant something to me. But it wasn’t until another man asked for your hand in marriage, a man that in no way deserved you, that I realized I couldn’t just stand around anymore. I certainly couldn’t watch you make the biggest mistake of your life.”
Oh my God.
The crowd lets out a collective gasp, but he just keeps smiling.
“After spending nearly a week with you alone in a gorgeous, secluded villa in Costa Rica during one of the worst storms I’ve ever seen, I realized a couple of things. One, forced proximity isn’t as romantic or entertaining as it is in books. Ladies, keep that in mind the next time you’re looking for something to read,” he says, and everyone laughs. “Two, you are more to me than just the beloved little sister of my lifelong best friend. You are the love of my life. And as much as I tried to deny it, fight it, andrun away from it, there was no way I could. Literally. Because we were stuck in a villa during a tropical storm.”
Everyone laughs again, but I can hardly breathe as my heart pounds in my chest.
“So Harper, with no question in my heart, and your brother’s blessing,” he nods to Jaylen before dropping to one knee. Then he pulls his hand out of his pocket and brings out a small box. “If you don’t think I am too much of a jerk, if you aren’t upset with me for turning your life upside down, if you don’t think I am too old for you…” he says, and everyone laughs. I stand in amazement when he says the words I know are coming next. “Will you marry me?”
The room fills with a loud gasp, and I am so stunned in that moment that I’m not even sure of my reaction. I’m just standing there with my jaw on the floor, my hand on my chest, and my heart beating wildly as tears sting my eyes.
The ring in the box is the one that belonged to his grandmother. Asher is smiling up at me, tears in his eyes, waiting for my answer. I have no hesitation. I know what I want, what I’ve wanted for some time and didn’t think I could have, even if I admitted to myself that I wanted it.
It’s him.
And my answer is,
“Yes,” I nod with a smile, and the room erupts. He slides the ring onto my finger and comes to his feet to take me in his arms. It feels like I’m watching all this happen in slow motion. As his hands cup my face, I glance over at Jaylen, who is smiling and clapping with everyone else. When I see him, my heart finally feels like it has permission to accept this moment as my dream come true.
“Are you sure?” he whispers. “I mean, I did put you on the spot.”
“Hmm, let me think about it. Am I sure I want to marry you? Am I sure that I love you? Yes. A thousand times yes,” I say, and the tears spill down my cheeks. Asher is grinning with a smile that reaches his eyes, and I press my hands to his chest.
“I love you, Harper,” he says.
“I love you too,” I say. “And no. You’re not too old for me.”
He laughs and covers my mouth with his lips. The music starts up again, drowning out the cheering, talking, and everything else around us.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Harper
“Why am I getting déjà vu?” I ask as I look at Darlene, who is fixing my hair for the hundredth time.
“Because you flew across the planet to get married for the second time,” she answers while pulling out a makeup brush to add more blush that I do not need. “The only difference is that this time you will actually walk away from the altar as a married woman and to the right man!”
“Amen to that,” I laugh shakily. Unfortunately, I am a mess. Who knew that getting married to a man who you are actually in love with could be so nerve-wracking?
“You just have to breathe,” she tells me. “You are in a beautiful place, in a beautiful dress, and you are about to get hitched to a sexy silver fox who looks at you like the moon and stars all hang by your smile. You have it all, girl,” she reassures me. I know it’s true. Maybe that’s why I am so nervous. I’mafraid all of this is just a perfect dream, and I am going to wake up and it will all be gone.
As if Darlene can read my mind, she spins me around to face the full-length mirror and hugs me from behind as we both stare at my reflection. The dress is satin, understated and elegant, floating around my soft curves like a halo. It’s perfect.
“Are you ready?” I hear Jaylen’s voice from behind me, and I think that’s when it really hits. I am about to get married. I am about to walk down the aisle in Hawaii in front of a small group of people we know and love. I couldn’t have come up with a more beautiful love story if I’d written it myself.
I take in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. “I think so.”
