Page 23 of A Journey in the Bay

Alissa gasped. “Is that why you were so stressed about going to see the glass blower?”

“Yeah.” He gently squeezed the back of her neck. “I was worried you’d somehow guess what I was doing.”

“You were acting a little shifty.” Alissa nudged him with a smile.

“My nerves were definitely getting the best of me.” He put his arm around her. “But the payoff was worth it and the future will be too.”

“I know you’ll both love married life,” Daniel added, resting a hand on Sandy’s back.

“I can’t wait for it,” Dane said, leaning in to give Alissa another kiss.

CHAPTER NINE

Dane took Alissa’s hand and led her outside, a smile making his cheeks ache. She said yes. Even though they’d discussed marriage and what they both wanted for their future, he was still nervous about proposing. It was the biggest thing he’d ever done in his life so far.

“I was worried about proposing using the paper,” Dane admitted, lacing his fingers between Alissa’s. “I know you read every issue, but I wasn’t sure if it was too indirect.”

“No, it was perfect!” Alissa looped her hand around his upper arm, resting her hand on his shoulder. “I never would have guessed you’d do it that way. And now we have something to commemorate the day by.”

“I’m glad you loved it.” He slowed to a stop. “And I had some other things planned for us. I planned to be with you when you read the article, but you took your lunch a little earlier than I’d planned. Do you want to do them now?”

She beamed. “I’d love to.”

Dane leaned down and kissed her softly.

“Good. I’m excited.”

He kissed her again, pulling her close. The kiss almost felt like one of their firsts, filling him with warm, fluttery feelings. He felt Alissa’s smile against his lips. They broke apart, laughter bubbling up between them.

“I still can’t believe it,” Alissa said, glancing down at her ring. “We’re getting married.”

“I can’t believe it either. It was so hard keeping it a secret.” He looked down at her ring as well. “I’ve hardly slept in days.”

“Did you think I’d say no?” Alissa’s eyes widened.

“No, but I was worried about it not being perfect for you. It’s a once in a lifetime moment.”

“Well, you made it more than perfect.” They kept walking. “What plans do you have for us?”

“It’s an all-afternoon thing. Josie knows we’ll be out of the office for the rest of the day.”

They turned onto the boardwalk, then walked down the docks to a boat.

“Here we are,” Dane said, gesturing toward the boat.

“A boat ride?” Alissa’s face lit up.

“Yup.” He waved at the captain of the boat. “There are a few surprises on the boat too.”

Dane stepped onto the boat, then extended his hand out to Alissa to help her aboard. He’d ordered dozens of her favorite flowers to decorate the space, making the entire boat smell heavenly. It wasn’t big, but it was perfect—thoughtful and perfectly executed. A very Dane thing to do, especially because it was for her.

Despite his tendency toward seriousness, he surprised her with romantic moments all the time. He had big moments, like this, then smaller ones, like leaving little notes on her desk in the morning, or bringing her one of her favorite treats when she was having a bad day. All of them were perfectly timed, as if he knew just when she needed a boost.

He guided her to a seat on the back of the boat, where a spread of pastries and a bottle of champagne were waiting for them in a bucket filled with ice.

Dane grabbed the champagne bottle and opened it with a pop, pouring them each a glass. He handed one to Alissa and raised his own.

“I don’t know if there’s a toast that can encapsulate all of the feelings I’m having right now,” Dane said.

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