Page 89 of Small Town Frenzy
Since everyone else is calling his name, I cup the side of my mouth, and call, “Hey, Twenty-Two.”
He looks up, the tension knitted between his eyebrows releasing when he sees me. His cocky grin goes rogue and weakens my knees. As soon as he passes through the gates, he reaches for me. Our fingertips touch, but another bunny shoots her shot and grabs his hand. Griffin frees himself from her clutches, then tells a guard to help me.
It happens fast. They surround me and move me through with their large bodies, covering me. I’m released into his arms, his eyes that are bluer than summer Texas skies, and his lips pressing to mine before he whispers, “Little Chirp.”
We’re maneuvered in front of the bus, where he takes me to a lineup of cabs waiting for a fare. Before we get in one, he kisses me again. “What are you doing here?”
“I missed you.”
This time, his smile is so sincere that it makes my heart ache from its absence lately. He says, “I missed you, too.” His eyes dip to my chest, and all sincerity is replaced by hunger. Licking his lips, he tugs me tightly into his arms. “Damn, you look good.”
“I wore it for you. Has your name on the back and everything.”
He cups my face and kisses me again as if he doesn’t want the moment to pass us by. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
“What about?”
“How do you feel about it being your name as well?” Everything stops—my heartbeat, my breath, my thoughts, my body, the world on its axis. “This isn’t romantic, babe. It just comes from the heart. I love you and want to marry you. I want to be your husband and you be my wife. Wake up together when I’m home and go to bed together at night.” He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. “I could have done this better?—”
“I’ll marry you.”
As if I hadn’t said anything at all, he says, “I’ll make it up to you and ask for your hand in mar?—”
“I’ll marry you, Griffin.”
“Wait, you will?” Disbelief is overcome by elation. “You’ll marry me? For real?”
“For real. I want to marry you.” I lift to my toes and kiss him to seal the deal because he said it. He put it out into the universe. I’m no fool. I know a great thing when I see it. Even more when I kiss it like I’m kissing him now.
EPILOGUE 1
Cricket
Two months later. . .
Griffin putsthe piece in place, then stands over the puzzle, gazing down with a grin on his face. It wasn’t a huge puzzle or anything like that. I think he just remembers putting it together with his mother. Looking over at me sitting at the table in his dad’s kitchen, he says, “That is so satisfying.”
I laugh. My guy’s a puzzler, what can I say? “I ordered some puzzles for the wine shop. They can spend a few hours drinking wine and putting puzzles together, or purchase them to take home. Surely, you can’t be the only one so into them.”
He crosses the room, stops in front of me, and pats his thigh. I place my shoe against his leg. He starts trying to fasten the tiny buckle on the ankle strap of my shoe since I had no luck. “When does the tasting room open?”
“If you make the playoffs, you won’t be there.”
He chuckles. “Let’s hope I’m not then. I’d like to be there. Is the date flexible?”
“For you, anything. It’s the first thing that’s all my own. Bought and paid for with my own earned money. I want you there if it’s possible.”
He kneels to inspect the situation closely. When his eyes peek at me, he says, “I won’t miss it, babe. Though these shoes are fucking annoying. If we can’t get them on, how am I going to get them off?”
“Good point. I’ll just go barefoot.”
The door opens just as I slip the shoes off. Jacob says, “Uncle Baylor said we need to move this along before Aunt Lauralee has the baby.”
He’s so stinking cute.“Tell them we’re coming.”
Jacob turns to yell, “They’re coming.” Not exactly what I meant, but it got the job done.
Griffin pulls me into his arms, and we start to slow dance on the linoleum. “This is it. Are you ready to tie the knot, Ms. Dover?”
