Page 91 of Love at Teamsgiving
“When Mom said I had an appointment, I thought something might be up. I’d been waiting for the right moment to plan something similar.”
“And what if that moment never came?”
His lips brush mine. “It would’ve. You and I were inevitable.”
“Meant to be.”
Our lips drift together as naturally as inhaling and exhaling, as the beat of our hearts, as the steady thrum of our pulses.
His fingers twine into my hair and I slide mine along the side of his head, down his neck, and over his broad shoulders before melting into his chest.
Just as the kiss deepens, our phones beep with the security app alarm. Mikey presses his mouth to mine in one more kiss before breaking contact.
I spring to my feet, but he casually gets up as if he knows it’s the squirrel again.
Only, instead of a small woodland creature, two moms, a Pop, and five brothers appear—including Asher—along with Margo, Beau, and a few of the others from the hockey team and their wives.
They enter the salon, clapping and cheering. Margo and Leah unfurl a sign that congratulates us on our re-engagement.
Mikey finds my pinky and holds tight, reminding me that this time we’re in it together—it’s no longer the Cruzes against the Popoviks.
Swept up in the excitement, it takes me a moment to ask how they all knew.
My mother wears a smirk, but her gaze keeps darting to Asher, who remains expressionless, save for a slight smile that grows when he taps me on the back.
“Congrats, sis.”
Whereas sometimes it feels like Mikey and I are plugged into the same brain, I can’t figure my twin brother out. But hopefully, he’s sticking around until Thanksgiving, and I can interrogate him and get answers.
“So, when’s the big day?” Erica asks.
She and Shane postponed their honeymoon until after the holidays since they’ll have time off from school.
Mikey and I exchange a glance and I instantly know.
He nods. “We have a lot to be grateful for, especially all of you.”
“Is December first too soon?” I ask.
Mama and Carlotta exchange a glance and say, “We were counting on it.”
Mikey sweeps me into his arms, full bridal carry, and we kiss again.
I whisper, “I love you.”
“I love you, Junie,” he replies. “Will you marry me this time?”
“Definitely,” I say.
Just like the first time I accepted his proposal, he spins me around until we’re both laughing. Only, this time, I am certain we’ll land at the altar.
EPILOGUE 1
It’s Thanksgiving Day eve, and while the moms are having a lasagna cook-off, Junie and I are rolling out the dough for the pumpkin pie. Technically, she’s doing the work, but I’m getting a workout watching her smooth the rolling pin forward, turn the dough, and repeat.
Well, a mental workout—cardiovascular too, with the way she makes my heart pound.
It’s nearly midnight and I’m tired after winning the game against the Oklahoma Thunder—seriously, I’m not even sure why they bother playing. But someone has to be the losing team. Unfortunately for them, they haven’t won a game in over a decade.
