Page 173 of The Nanny and the Hothead
“Yeah, like you,” he answered, then took her hands into his as he glanced from the food truck to the media, to the iPad, then to the line of people recording them on their phones. “You inspired this, Charlotte. I’m sorry I said those awful things to you. I took, and I took, and I took from you. I was selfish, thinking only of my needs and my career. And when things didn’t go exactly as I’d wanted, I lashed out. I resurrected the angry hothead. But now I see that I’m at a crossroads. I’ve got two choices. The first is to fall back into my old ways, wallow in pain, and cling to old grudges.”
“Where does the second path lead?” she asked, breathless.
“If I’m lucky,” he began, his eyes shining. “It leads to you.”
She sensed the lights pointed their way. She could feel the palpable anticipation of the crowd. But nothing could distract her from Mitch’s face.
“The second path takes work,” he continued. “This path requires introspection. It forces me to see that I have the power to choose to be better. It’s up to me to embrace empathy, kindness, and forgiveness. It’s on me to do better, to be better, and to understand that life isn’t lived in black or white, but all the colors in between. And it starts by giving back, by opening my heart, and becoming your Mr. Cheesy Forever 2.0.”
Tears trailed down her cheeks. “Mr. Cheesy Forever 2.0, huh?”
“It’s catchy, don’t you think? The perfect name for a grilled cheese food truck,” he replied, tears glistening in his eyes.
She released a nervous laugh. “Yeah, it’s quite catchy.”
Never in a million years would she have guessed that her Mr. Cheesy Forever would become a food truck.
He tightened his hold on her hands. “Charlotte Ames, I’ve loved you from the moment you hurled a salad at me. You brought me back from a dark place. But it’s not your job to make sure I don’t revert into being that miserable hothead.” He glanced at Oscar, who stood by, beaming up at his father. “It’s up to me to be the man you and my son deserve. And I can promise you, I will not disappoint either of you. A very wise person told me not to throw away the things that matter in life. For me, that’s you, and that’s Oscar. I love you. What do you say? Can I be your Mr. Cheesy Forever 2.0?” he finished. He released her hands, reached into his pocket, then removed the ceramic orange heart. “This is yours. You hold our hearts in your hands.”
“And I’ve got one, too. You can wear this heart on your finger,” Oscar added, pulling a sparkling diamond ring from a little pocket in his backpack. The enormous diamond was shaped like a heart—a beautiful, glittering heart.
She pressed her hand to her chest. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Hold on! There’s more,” Mitch said, then unzipped another pocket on Oscar’s backpack and removed a folded-up piece of paper. He took a knee, and Oscar joined him as he unfolded the page.
“I did the writing,” Oscar said, giving her his sweet, toothy grin.
She read the sign once, then twice.
Charlotte, will you marry my dad and be my Charlotte forever?
“And Charlotte?” Oscar said, pulling a photo of him and his mother from his pocket.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“I think my mom would have liked you a whole, whole lot,” the boy added.
“I think I would have liked her a whole, whole lot, too,” she answered, smiling through her tears, then met Mitch’s gaze.
“If it’s not completely obvious, I’m here to tell you that both Elliott men are pretty crazy about you. Will you marry—” Mitch began when Oscar bolted to his feet.
“Wait! We almost forgot the virile lock,” the child exclaimed.
“The virile lock?” she questioned.
“Virallock,” Mitch corrected, his cheeks growing pink.
“Yeah! Are we eating for free or not?” a man called from the line.
“What is he talking about?” she asked as Mitch’s blush intensified.
“That’s the twist. It’s the reason this whole thing went viral.”
“What happened?” she pressed.
Mitch shook his head as a look of disbelief crossed his face. “I wanted to do something that would get your attention—something that helped people.”
She took in the crowd gathering around them. “You certainly succeeded.”
