Page 12 of Her Maine Squeeze

“Oz.” I clutch my throat with my hands. Is he proposing? I’m not ready. It’s too soon… isn’t it?

His beautiful green eyes meet mine. “I know we’ve only been dating for a few days, but I’ve loved you for most of my life, Lindy, and that’s not going to change.” He takes a deep breath, preparing to open the box.

“Wait!” My hands tremble and my mouth goes dry. This is too much, too soon. I love Oz. If I wasn’t sure before, I am now. But marriage…?

“Let me finish,” he says, chuckling. “My feelings will never change. But I know you well enough to know that you’re not ready for a proposal. So—” He opens the tiny box to showcase a breathtakingly beautiful opal ring with diamond accents. “—this is a promise ring.”

“Oh,” I breathe, reaching out a finger to brush the precious stone with my finger. “It’s perfect.”

He takes it out of the box and slides it onto my finger. “Happy birthday, Lindy. I love you. And I promise that I always will.”

My gaze flickers to his face. “I love you, too, Oz.

He kisses me softly on the lips and then nuzzles my nose with his. “Someday, when the time is right, I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

When that day comes, I know I’ll say yes. But for now, I happily lean in for one more kiss.

Epilogue

Seven Months Later

I fiddle with astrand of hair, tying it in a knot as I examine my building. There’s a new sign in the window that says Lindy’s Lunch Box in swirling calligraphy. And on top of the building there’s a sculpture of a giant hoagie. “Do you think it’s too much?”

Oz gently pulls my hands away from my hair, clasping them in his. “Not at all. I think it’s perfect.”

I chew on my lower lip. “People are going to see it…”

Oz laughs. “That’s the point, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, but… what if too many tourists start to come, and the locals feel pushed out? I don’t want to lose my regulars.”

“The locals will continue to come,” Oz assures me. “They love your sandwiches and your pickles.”

“I don’t know, Oz… is it too late to change my mind? Maybe I should just keep things the way they’ve always been.”

Oz gazes into my face. “Lindy, I know you’re afraid of change, but growth is impossible without change. The two are a package deal.”

I sigh, thinking of the staff I’ve been training this week. I’ve hired three employees to help run the sandwich shop and an additional person to manage the laundromat. They’re all excellent hires, and I have complete confidence in their abilities. “I guess it wouldn’t be fair to my staff to turn back now,” I concede.

“It also wouldn’t be fair toyou,” Oz says. “It’s your time to shine. Lindy’s Lunch Box will be the best lunch spot in all of Maine.”

I smile gratefully. I couldn’t ask for a better partner than Oz. “Thank you for believing in me. Your support means more than you can know.”

Oz pulls me into his chest for a hug. “You’ll always have it.”

I nestle against him as he wraps his arms around me. “Don’t be surprised if I run to your office tomorrow for a hug in the middle of the lunch rush.”

Oz started an architecture firm and set up shop in a building two blocks from the laundromat.

Not just the laundromat anymore,I remind myself.Now it’s the laundromat and Lindy’s Lunch Box. Two distinct businesses.

“Sorry, but that’s not possible,” Oz says. “I won’t be at my office tomorrow.”

I pull away from his embrace to peer into his face. A sudden sense of panic overwhelms my senses. Ineedhim to be nearby. I can’t do this without him. “Why not? Where will you be?”

He chuckles. “Here, of course. I wouldn’t miss your first official day as Lindy’s Lunch Box.”

The panic disappears in an instant, replaced with a warm feeling of affection. It fills my chest almost to bursting. I’m head over heels in love with this man.

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