Page 70 of Committed to You

She starts to fidget, and I close my hands over hers. “Everything all right?”

She lets out a breath. “I’m nervous.”

“What are you nervous about?”

“They told me I have to make a speech, and I don’t feel prepared.”

I stroke her hand with my thumb. “Whatever you say will be great.”

“There’s going to be a lot of people there,” she frets.

“Yes. They are all there to celebrate you.”

She turns out the window.

“You don’t like the attention on you, do you?”

“No. A lot of people do a lot of work to make the initiative successful, and it feels like I’m taking credit for all their effort.”

I turn her chin toward me. “Without you, thousands of families wouldn’t have a beautiful, safe home to live in. Five-hundred-plus people would still be homeless. What you’ve done is incredible, and I’m not just saying that. You’ve achieved what major developers haven’t been able to accomplish. You deserve every bit of applause you receive tonight and every day after. It’s okay to be proud of what you’ve done.”

Her humbleness is not allowing her to enjoy this moment.

“I’m going to make sure you have fun tonight.”

She smiles. “Is that so?”

“Yep. I have the most beautiful woman in the room as mine, and I’m so proud of you. Everyone is coming tonight to celebrate you and what you’ve done for others, and if you get on stage and speak in Greek, they will think you are amazing and still love you.”

“I actually am fluent in Greek, so that could happen.”

With a cocky grin, I wiggle my eyebrows at her but don’t tell her I already know that. “Does that mean you’re going to speak dirty to me in Greek?”

Her lip twitches, and I give myself a mental high five for making her forget her nerves for a moment, but it’s short-lived. She takes a deep breath. “I suck at speeches.”

“I doubt that. But I have an idea for you.”

“Picture everyone naked?”

“No, only me.”

She lets out a little giggle, and I press my advantage.

“I’m sure you spent tons of time on the speech you wrote, but you shine brightest when you speak from your heart. There’s no right or wrong here. I promise you that you can’t go wrong if you do that.”

She bites her lip then says, “So ditch my speech?”

I shrug. “I’m sure whatever is important for you to get out, you will. And whatever else is in your heart that you want others to know, you’ll find a way to work it in.”

“Okay. I’ll think about it.”

“It’s only a suggestion. You do what you feel is best. Whatever you decide, you’ll be amazing.”

She leans in and kisses me so sweetly, I know I’m the luckiest guy alive.

When she pulls back, I say, “If anyone should be nervous, it’s me.”

“You?”

---