Page 133 of Blitzing Emily

In the middle of a crowded stadium, with millions watching on live television, suddenly, it was only the two of them. Her heart was pounding. She tried to take a breath. Mostly, she had a feeling she knew what he was up to. She hoped she wasn’t wrong.

“Sugar, I love you with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me. Will you marry me?”

His eyes twinkled. His smile dazzled. He was at his most irresistible, and she could only guess at why, out of all the women in the world, he’d chosen her.

“Sayyes!” someone sounding remarkably like Amy shouted, followed by laughter and applause. Tears filled Emily’s eyes. The amount of adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream left her jittery and trembling, but she’d never been so happy.

He waited patiently. It was the most private moment of their lives, and millions were witnessing it. If she was dreaming, she never wanted to wake up.

“McKenna, don’t you know you need a ring when you ask a woman to marry you?” Shane said, and pulled the huge Super Bowl ring off his own finger. He pressed it into her hand. “Here’s a loaner till the cheapskate buys you one.”

She pulled Brandon’s diamond ring from her jeans pocket. “I already have his ring.”

“Well?” someone behind her said. The smile played around Brandon’s mouth.

“Yes. Yes. I love you. Yes,” she gasped out.

The crowd went crazy. Brandon took the ring she held, slid it onto the third finger of her left hand, and then gathered her into his arms. The trophy? Well, Emily managed to hang onto it and Brandon at the same time. Brandon kissed her, she cried, and he said into her ear, “We’re still getting married February fifteenth.”

All she could do was nod.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She buried her face in his chest.

“Give Shane his ring back, sugar.” There was laughter all over the stadium at that comment.

“Goddamn it, McKenna,” they heard Damian say, “How do you expect me to follow that?”

Chapter Twenty-Six

EMILY OPENED HEReyes to sunshine streaming through Brandon’s bedroom windows. Anyone who’s ever lived in Seattle knows sunshine is a minor miracle, especially in February. All she wanted was a couple of hours more sleep. She was struggling with jet lag. They wouldn’t be sleeping in this morning, though. It was their wedding day.

Brandon and Emily had returned home from New York the day before. The Met, it seemed, was fairly willing to overlook the fact she walked out on a performance. The international publicity that came after Brandon’s proposal to the diva on live television caused an awful lot of people to buy tickets. The remaining performances ofLa Bohemesold out within twenty-four hours. Three days after the Super Bowl, Emily flounced onto the Metropolitan Opera’s stage as Musette. Both the Hamilton and McKenna families were in the audience. She’d achieved her goal. It was better than she ever dreamed.

Brandon kissed the back of her neck. “It’s time for the bride to wake up.”

She let out a groan. “Already?”

“I want to give you your gift before we have to leave for the church.”

Emily rolled over to face him, and twined her arms around his neck. “You already gave me my gift several times last night.”

“I sure did.” He looked pleased with himself, as he pulled her up and onto his chest. “Defensive ends are the real men of any football team, sugar.”

“We’ve got all kinds of time,” she coaxed. “We don’t have to get out of bed yet.”

“Your mom and Amy are supposed to be here in less than an hour.”

“I’ll call them,” Emily said. “They can’t have a wedding without us, can they?”

“Not so fast.”

Okay, someone had his cranky pants on. So they started their honeymoon a bit early. It wasn’t a crime. Truthfully, they had started the honeymoon two weeks ago, but who was counting? He was trying to be stern with her, but failing in a big way. It probably had something remotely to do with the amusement in his eyes.

“We have to get out of bed for at least one morning,” he told her. “I’ve ruined you, and now we must marry.”

“You’ve been reading the back covers of the romance novels in the grocery store again, haven’t you?”

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