His cell phone buzzed, but he ignored it. It wasn’t hard. He was a starving man stranded on a desert island who’d finally spotted water. The first taste of her didn’t quench his thirst...not by a long shot. Hank was certain he couldspend an entire lifetime kissing her, and he would never grow tired. But he forced himself to separate from her lips because they needed to breathe, and he needed to stare into her sparkling eyes and make sure he hadn’t imagined the love he saw glowing in them.
Her lips parted. He strained to hear her words.
“I love you, Hank.”
Ahh. The sweet, sweet sound. No other words could make him feel more alive.
“I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t. I think I fell in love with you that first day, when you asked me to keep you company while you devoured a whoopie pie. And then you scaled an eight-foot fence to see me.”
Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, but she didn’t look away. “I have you to thank for all of this, don’t I?”
He kept his eyes fixed on hers, so she would know he spoke the truth. “I never imagined Elizabeth would go as far as to discredit you. I am sorry. I should have realized what was happening much sooner. When I discovered what she’d done, I was furious. I gave her an ultimatum—either come clean and turn this around or lose her job and her reputation. She chose the former. She believed the lies Desmond told her, which is why she did what she did.”
“Hey, you two, why are you hiding in here?” Travis came through the door, stopping when he saw them, a grin spreading over his face. Rosie and the girls weren’t far behind. “When’s the wedding?”
Hank smiled like a crazy man, and he didn’t much care that he had a small audience. He filled his lungs, and reached into his pocket where he’d placed his mother’s modest ring, which he’d paid extra to have a jeweler embellish with a larger diamond at short notice—was thatonly this morning? It felt like a lifetime ago. Then he clasped both of Bethany’s hands in his, turned her to face him, and got down on bended knee, right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen.
“Beth, will you marry me?”
CHAPTER FORTY
Bethany drew in a shaky breath and gazed at the sparkling diamond ring and the man who presented it to her. For the first time since she’d known him, Hank looked afraid—like all his future joy and happiness hinged on her answer.
She laid her palm against his cheek. The smell of his musky cologne reached her nostrils. “Yes,” she said. Her voice wobbled, so she tried again. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
His face broke into a broad smile, and he kissed her hand and then slid the ring on her finger. He stood and hauled her into his arms and kissed her again. He only let her go long enough to accept a hug from Travis.
“Welcome to the family,” Travis said, slapping him on the back.
Hank shook his hand. “I’m mighty proud to have you as a brother-in-law.”
Rosie squealed and hugged Bethany. The girls squeezed her legs and then rushed to hug Hank, who crouched low and pulled them into his arms and up into the air. “What do you think? Will these two do as flower girls?”
“Ican’t think of anyone better or prettier to do the job,” Bethany said.
“What’s a flower girl?” Tana asked.
“It’s a girl who walks down a carpet at a wedding and hands out flowers,” her older sister answered, sounding official.
“Will you excuse us a moment, girls?” Hank asked, setting them down. “There’s someone I really want Bethany to meet.”
Hank pulled her to his side and through the double doors that led to the dining room. They moved through the crowd, smiling and greeting the friends and customers who had crowded into Grandma Lou’s. Finally, they reached the entrance, where a tall young man stood, a grin on his face. He looked like a younger version of Hank.
“Is this. . .?”
“Bethany, I’d like you to meet my brother, Connor.”
Connor held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Bethany.” His blue eyes, so much like Hank’s, twinkled with warmth and laughter.
Bethany found herself leaning toward him. “So you’re Connor,” she said, flicking a glance at Hank. “It appears, Apollo, you have some competition in the looks department.”
Connor flashed a quick smile at Hank. “I think I’m going to like your girlfriend, big guy.”
“Fiancée,” Hank corrected.
Connor cupped his hands around his mouth and twisted to look at Bethany, pretending to relay a closely guarded secret. “My brother’s been grumpier than a starving bear these last few weeks. Thanks for agreeing to marry him and ending our misery.”
She glanced at Hank. “You missed my cooking?”
