Page 123 of Paper Roses

He says nothing, pressing his lips together.

I smile. “You’re being very mysterious.” I pinch his cheek affectionately. “But okay.” I hold up the coin. “Ready?”

He swallows hard and nods.

I insert the coin and immediately sit back in his lap as he holds up a piece of paper in front of me aimed at the screen.The first flash still surprises us, and I’m pretty sure we both look startled, as everyone does in these booths.

I snort. “Shit, that’s bright.”

I sit back again as he holds up another sheet of paper, and this time, when the flash goes off, I manage a smile. I probably still look like a startled rabbit, and Jed will look as handsome as ever, but we pose for the rest of the shots, and I keep my promise not to peek.

He pokes his head out of the booth when our time is up. He smiles. “Nobody’s waiting. Let’s sit here while the photos develop. We’ve only got a minute.”

“We can snog,” I offer.

“You have the best ideas.” He pulls me close and takes my lips in a lush kiss. I run my hands over his shoulders and discover his body seems to be thrumming with nerves.

I pull back. “Are you really okay?” I ask.

He smiles at me and then sets me on my feet. “The photos will be ready.”

“Just so you know, you’re being sexily mysterious right now.”

He drops me a wink. “And just think. I’m not even trying.”

We step out. The street is still deserted, but the wind has died down. A string of nearby Christmas lights play over Jed’s face, giving his features a magical cast. There’s a whirring, and I watch as a strip of photos dispenses from the booth’s slot. Jed picks up the strip, hiding it from me as he looks at it. He swallows convulsively, and I step closer.

“Are they bad? I’m pretty sure I’m going to look like a serial killer, and I’m equally sure I’m going to frame it and keep it on my desk at Confetti Hitched.”

Without looking at me, he hands it to me. “See what you think,” he says almost brusquely.

I look down, and as my smile dies, my eyes widen in shock. The photos are actually lovely. My huge grin is alive withlove and happiness, and Jed is watching me raptly as if I’m everything he’ll ever want or need. But it isn’t that which stuns me. I can now read the messages on the sheets of paper.

The first photo’s page has one word on it—Will. The second hasYou, the third hasMarry, and the last one hasMe.

Will you marry me?

My hand starts to shake. He’s watching me solemnly, his eyes big and dark.

“Will you?” His voice is hoarse.

“We already are married,” I whisper.

He steps close, bending his head to hear me. “Not like we should be. The first one was fake.Thisis real.”

“I think we were always real.”

He smiles. “You could be right.”

I gasp as he goes to his knees, looking up at me.

“The ground is wet,” I whisper.

“So?” He takes a breath and kisses my hand. “Arthur Campbell, will you take me in sickness and in health, in foolish decisions and in all my stupid stubbornness? Will you stand by my side when dealing with chaotic building apprentices and mad brides and grooms? Will you keep me, despite my complete failure to realise what I had until I lost you?” Emotion is written all over his face, as clear as day for anyone to read. “Will you marry me again?”

“I will,” I say solemnly, pulling him to his feet. And then he kisses me lushly on the empty street, the photos held tightly in my hand.

I’m definitely framing them, because this is the best moment of my life. For now, anyway. Jed Walker will give me many more.

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