“Yeah,” she replied, sounding as breathless as he did. “My thoughts exactly.”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since last night.”
“I wanted you to kiss me last night.” Her cheeks turned rosy.
Joe laughed. “Claude was right after all.”
Sophie frowned, brushing her fingertip over the almost nonexistent bee sting on Joe’s cheek. “About what?”
“I’ll explain later. Sophie, I know it’s strange and we haven’t known each other that long—”
“Only since kindergarten,” she said, a wry smile on her lips.
“Right. But I’m talking about more than that. I want to get to know you, Sophie. I want us to date. I can show you how to play golf, and you can show me how to, uh, arrange flowers.”
“I wouldn’t put you through that torture,” she said. “But I’d love to play golf. I want to spend more time with you too.”
“How about tonight?”
She grinned. “Definitely.”
He finally released her and took a step back. “At least we got the first kiss over with.”
Doubt crossed her features. “Was it okay?”
Joe grinned. “It was perfect.”
Epilogue
Two months later
Sophie adjusted the crown of daisies in her hair and checked her makeup in the mirror, then sighed with happiness. Back in May when she decided to take a chance on dating, she had never expected to find a man like Joe Johnson, much less fall in love with him. And now here she was, standing in a beautiful hotel room in the Dominican Republic, waiting to marry a man she had known all her life, and who had unexpectedly turned out to be the man of her dreams
She frowned slightly at her reflection. Her mother was going to kill her for this. Not just her mother, but April and her other friends, Hayley and MacKenzie, and probably half of Maple Falls. When she’d called her mother and told her she was seeing Joe, Mom had peppered her with so many questions Sophie’s head was spinning by the time she hung up the phone. Why she wanted to know what brand of spaghetti sauce Joe preferred, Sophie had no idea. When she told Mom he made his own, she said, “You’re dating a man who can cook? Now that’s a keeper! I can’t wait to meet him.”
Mom and Dad would meet him all right... after the honeymoon.
Soon after she talked to Mom, she’d called her sister. Like everyone else, Lis was happy for her and told Sophie she had dibs on being matron of honor, which was only fair because Sophie had been her maid of honor.
Of course, April had approved of Joe, too, and of how he had thrown Landon out of the shop.
“I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s so slimy,” she’d said. “But do you think his client will be able to buy up Main Street?”
“Not if I can stop it. I told Hayden and Riley what happened, and Hayden is going to spread the word to the other businesses about what’s going on. We have to preserve Maple Falls.”
“Agreed.” Then April had switched subjects, insisting that she and Darren double date with Sophie and Joe soon. They’d all gone out together several times, as well as with Travis and his wife. Sophie overheard Travis hinting about being Joe’s best man the last time they came over for dinner.
Sophie cringed at the memories. She never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings, and she would apologize to everyone when they returned to Maple Falls. But she had to be true to herself. Today was her day, and there was only one person she wanted to spend it with. Then there was the practical angle of getting married and honeymooning in the same place, and she couldn’t think of anything more romantic than that.
She stepped back from the mirror in the hotel bathroom and looked at the simple sleeveless white dress she slipped into a few minutes ago. The hem hit above her knee, and she wore flat-soled white sandals. A strand of pearls completed her outfitand she nodded with satisfaction as a knock sounded at the door.
“Sophie?”
“Coming.” She hurried to open the door. Joe stood there, dressed casually in tan shorts, slip-on shoes, and, at her insistence, a short-sleeve polo shirt.
Very nice.
He took a step back and whistled. “You look gorgeous.”
