Page 219 of One More Kiss

“CJ, where have you been?”

“Well, I logged out at five, at the end of business. I was busy when you called. Is everything alright?”

“No, I emailed you some reports that need to be done before Monday.”

My brows furrowed and I turned to my computer. “I didn’t get any emails, sir. I swear.” I furiously punched in my password, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder. Once I logged into my work email, I saw one. “Sir, this was sent at ten after five. I wouldn’t have seen this until Monday.”

My boss shouted through the phone. “Which is exactly why I called you!”

“Sir, I, can’t work this weekend and honestly, I don’t know that I can get this done in two days. I promise—”

“CJ, your personal life is not my problem. If you don’t have this done by Monday morning you’re fired!”

Looking at the phone with my jaw open after the call ended, I fought back tears.

Johnny turned off the burners and rushed to me, kneeling next to me. “Hey, what was all that?”

I looked over; my brows pinched together. “I’m gonna lose my job. Can they even do that?”

“What?” he asked before clenching his jaw.

I explained what my boss said, and Johnny stood, hands on his hips. “Well, the way I see it, we have two options. One, we can sue their asses,” he said before cupping my jaw with his hand. “Or two, you come live with me and write all day.”

I stared up at him for a moment, still as board, then burst into a roaring laughter. Tears squeezed from the corner of my eyes as I failed to compose to myself. When I was finally able to open my eyes for a moment, I stopped laughing almost immediately when I saw his face.

He wasn’t laughing…or smiling. Under a cocked eyebrow, his blue eyes gleamed.

“You’re not serious?” I asked, a nervous chuckle leaving my throat as I brushed my palms over my thighs.

Johnny knelt down again, pushing himself between my thighs and grabbed my chin, his eyes locked on mine. “CJ, I want you with me always. And you can live out your dream of being a hobbit writer in the woods.”

Giggles erupted from me. “Johnny, I can’t just run away. What if you got sick of me? I need to find a new job or something. It’s not like I’d be protected.”

“Protected? You’re worried I’ll leave you high and dry?” His lips thinned and the gleam in his eye saddened.

I squeezed his shoulders. “No, I just mean, well, maybe but that sounds so horrible. I’d have no leg to stand on if you decided to give me the boot.”

“Okay so let’s get married.”

My body flew to a standing position, sending the chair rolling behind me and Johnny struggling to balance before he stood, too. “Okay, now I know you’re crazy. Let’s finish dinner and try to enjoy the weekend because next week I have to find a new job.”

He grabbed my hands, pulling each one to his lips and softly kissing my knuckles. “CJ, I may be crazy, but I also am stubborn. I know what I want. And I will spend the rest of our days proving it to you, if you’ll have me.”

My heart swelled but my stomach was doing summersaults.

“CJ,” he said before dropping down to one knee, “will you marry me?”

My breathing stopped. Pressure rushed behind my eyes.

“It may not be exactly how you imagined having a family, but I have a son who will love you, and one day he’ll have a family. You won’t have to worry about any asshole boss. You can write to your heart’s content, and I’ll worship you as long as you’ll let me and respect any times you don’t. This doesn’t have to be complicated. We aren’t complicated.” He stood and grabbed my face with both hands, tipping it up toward him. “You can even bring your dog.”

“Johnny, I—”

“Just say yes. Say the words and we’ll go this weekend.”

My mind moved a hundred miles a minute trying to wrap my head around it. “You know what, I screwed myself overthinking things my whole life, even when they didn’t feel right. This feels right.”

The edge of his mouth turned up. “What are you saying, CJ?”

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