Page 66 of 28 Dates

It’s not the most romantic way to propose. I’ll think of something better later, but I’m not wasting a minute in making her mine.

“What?” Her fingers curl around mine, gripping my hand. “Did you just say—”

“Marry me, Caitlin.” I whisper it against her mouth. “I wasn’t planning this, but we’ve wasted enough time. Marry me and spend the rest of your life with me. Please.”

Shit. It’s too soon. Her eyes widen and her body has frozen and I don’t care. It’s asking a lot of her, but there’s not a damn ounce of uncertainty in my mind that this woman is the only one for me.

“What do you say?” I ask when she still hasn’t said anything.

A slow smile spreads on her face, and she tosses her phone off the bed. “Yes, Jonas. I’ll marry you.”

Epilogue

Caitlin

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” croons from the Bluetooth speaker on our new mantel. A year ago, I was spending Christmas on the coast with Corbin and Teagan and Trey. and this year, I’m surrounded by my unpacked boxes, piles of wrapping paper, and a tree that has been strung with lights and a star on top, but not much else.

In front of me is my pile of gifts I’ve bought for Jonas, and they have to get wrapped before he gets home from work.

The most important gift I’m giving him? The receipt of purchase that I’ve signed up to start the new year doing what he’s been wanting me to do for almost a full year now. I have resigned from working with Trey after years of being his right-hand woman, and once January starts, I’m going into business with my husband.

That’s right. The girl who never wanted to be married is now married and will soon be a sommelier so I can spend all the time I want with the guy who refuses to leave my side.

Also because there’s a giant swell in my belly that makes him insufferably adorable.

Twins are coming. A boy and a girl, and as soon as we found out I was pregnant, approximately five weeks after our honeymoon in June, Jonas and I immediately began looking for a townhome. Both of our apartments were too small, and thank goodness we did because when our first ultrasound revealed two little gummy bears swimming around in my stomach versus one, I wasn’t exactly sure which one of us was going to faint first.

Fortunately, it was neither, and just like everything else Jonas does when he gets an idea in his head, he’s barreled into impending fatherhood with the same tenacity as he’s done with expanding Dirty Martini’s.

It really is the most wonderful time of year.

I lean forward, groaning at the way my massive belly seems to grow more and more every day. At almost five months pregnant, I have no idea how much larger I can get, but a girl who’s only five-two only has so much room to grow, and most of it’s straight out.

I rip off a piece of tape and attempt to fold the paper, and by the time I’m done wrapping my presents, grunting and maneuvering my body into uncomfortable positions to get the job done, my ankles are swollen, a new and recent and much despised development, and I have sweat trickling down the back of my neck.

“Good Lord,” I groan again and push up from the couch. My hands go to my lower back, rubbing the aches and pains away, and I once again survey our new living room. We closed a couple of weeks ago, in plenty of time to get moved in before Christmas, but there’s still so much to do.

And so little energy. I swear these babies are aliens, sucking all my energy out of me. And yet, they’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me outside of Jonas. Currently, I’m pretty sure the babies are in a UFC match inside my belly. They flip and flop almost constantly, especially loving the early morning and overnight hours to get in their daily exercise.

Jonas tells me my mothering books say I should eat less spicy food at night and they might not be so active. I have no idea why he thinks inhaling a jar of salsa a day is unreasonable.

I have moments of fear, wondering how in the world I’ll be able to be a decent parent when I had such shitty examples, but then I realize all I have to do is the exact opposite of what my parents did, and I’ll be just fine.

The door opens as I’m bent over a box of Christmas ornaments. My goal is to have everything done and decorated by the time Teagan and Corbin arrive in a few days. With me being pregnant, Jonas insisted we not travel this year for the holiday, even though I’m plenty capable of sitting in a car for a few hours.

“What are you doing?” Jonas asks, coming up behind me. His hands immediately go to my waist, and he steadies me unnecessarily as I attempt to decorate the higher parts of the tree first. “I told you I’d help when I get home?”

He turns me and I fall back to my heels, tipping my head back. “I can decorate a tree. I’m pregnant, not incapable.”

He huffs. It’s the same sound he makes every time I mention something along the lines of women doing this since the beginning of time and he has to chill out. Who would have thought laid-back Jonas would go unbelievably caveman protective with babies on the way? It’d drive me crazy if he didn’t look so damn sexy with his stern face.

“You’re working too hard and you have to take it easy.” His hand slides to my belly and stays there. “You’re carrying precious cargo.”

This man. He’s given me everything I’ve desired and so much more than I ever imagined.

“You’re impossible,” I mutter, leaning forward until he kisses me. My belly is so big it’s hard for us to get close. It also requires a bit of creativity in other areas that I havedefinitelyenjoyed exploring over the last couple of months. “And I love you.”

“I’m impossibly in love with you and our babies,” he replies and tugs me closer. “Now let’s get you off your feet so you can rest.”

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