Page 143 of Feels Like Home

“Not the sexy time. Just the proposal part. But we can do that, too, if you want!” Barrett shouts. “Come on! Let usin!”

“You guys left through the same door you’re standing on the other side of, it’s not locked, you dumbasses!” Andyshouts.

He barely gets the words out and the door flies open, Josh and Barrett tripping over each other through the doorway, Josh landing on the floorfirst.

“Dammit! That’s the second time I’ve fallen today!” Josh grumbles. He pops up with a jump, smiling as though nothing happened. “Congratulations! Ha!” He points to Barrett then around the room. “I said it first,suckers!”

Andy pinches the bridge of his nose and moves to get off me. He stands first, giving me his hand to help me up before he reaches down to swipe his black t-shirt off thefloor.

“Please. By all means. Come in. We weren’t in the middle of anything.” He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses mytemple.

“Oh please, y’all can get back to it. We just wanted to make sure you guys were good, and we’re glad we did, otherwise we would have missed the proposal!” Carly claps herhands.

“Ever occur to you that it was a privatemoment?”

“Nope.” Barrett looks at us and raises his phone to take a quickpicture.

“I’ll take a copy of that,” Laurensays.

“Would you stop! I’m righthere!”

Lauren looks over at Josh and shrugs before mumbling anapology.

“For real, y’all. We’re so dang excited for you guys!” Tess bounces over and hugs usboth.

“Woman! Hands off shirtless Andy! Andy, my man, do us a favor and cover that up? You’re making us lookbad.”

“Speak for yourself, brother. I didn’t get the nickname Captain fornothing.”

“Oh, shutit.”

“Just sayin’.” James shrugs hisshoulders.

“He’s not lyin’, either,” Carly agrees quickly, but blushes and bites herlip.

“Mine! How many times do I have to tell you that?” James says oddly as he reaches over and removes her lip with his thumb. Those two are soweird.

Andy grins at everyone and slides his shirt on, and I sigh. It really is a shame. He’s incredibly good looking with a shirt on but without? They could put him on a billboard and it would stoptraffic.

“All honesty, now that we don’t have the distraction of Andy’s barechest.”

“And abs,” Tess adds in helpfully, making Barrett sigh and shake his head, rolling hiseyes.

“Yes, that. Congratulations again, you two. We couldn’t be happier for you. Between the baby and the engagement, you two deserve all the happiness in the world, and we are all so excited foryou.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to us to have you guys by ourside.”

I look over at Andy and he looks back at me; the love I feel radiating off him is overwhelming at times. He fixed a part of me I didn’t know was broken. When Todd turned to someone else rather than me when he was at his lowest, I didn’t realize how deeply it affected me. I had always brushed it off that it was just something he did because he was going through a hard time. Looking back, I realize that yeah, that was the reason. But it doesn’t excuse it or make itright.

And I know, without a doubt in my mind, that Andy will never do the same to me. That he’ll fight for us, no matter what we’re going through. I was meant to be his forever, and I feel ready to accept thatgift.

Epilogue

Christine

“This was a horribleidea.A stupid, ridiculous, horrible idea that you got us into. Why did I listen toyou?”

“Me? How is this myfault?”

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