Page 21 of Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Would she lose it forever?

Her spoon scraped loudly against the empty plastic ice cream bowl. Frustrated at herself for getting so melancholy about her silly predicament when she knew others in the world had it much worse, she mentally kicked her own butt. She knew better than to mope. Whining did nothing but make you look like a baby. Gran always said so.

Cassie leaned over and tossed her empty food container in the trashcan next to her. A soft breeze blew, the smell of fresh pine and sweet blossoms floated on the wind. She inhaled deeply, allowing the aromas to soothe her troubled soul. Body relaxing, her eyelids drifted shut. So at peace, she could have fallen asleep if not for the familiar tune worming its way into her brain.

Ears perking up, she realized the tune came from the violin player and…

“Is that ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’?”

Opening her eyes, she turned her head and her jaw dropped. There, by the tall street musician, stood Del, looking—oh damn—looking very good in black jeans and a gray long sleeve v-neck with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He looked like a GQ model.

He stepped toward her, hands behind his back. “Cassandra—”

“Is she playing Journey? Did you pay the violinist to play Journey?”

He stopped in front of her, shrugging and looking very un-Del-like. “Maybe.”

“Why?”

“It’s your favorite song.”

True. Everyone knew her father had shared his love of eighties hair bands with his daughter. No matter how many boy bands came and went, her first musical love had always and would always be Journey.

“Del, what’s going on?”

With a wink, he took his right hand from behind his back and offered her a single red rose.

Call her cliché, but she loved roses. With shaking fingers, she reached for the flower.

“Del?”

Her mind put together the scene and jumped to conclusions, but when he went down on one knee, her breath caught. Holy crap! He was really doing it. This was happening. Delta Jackson had finally lost his mind.

“Cassandra Brown,” he began in a loud voice. “You are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have a woman such as you even give me the time of day. You are a goddess among us mere mortals.”

“You’re laying it on pretty thick there,” she whispered under her breath.

Del ignored her, smug smile widening. “I know I could never deserve you, but it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would agree to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

His left hand came out from behind his back, a small black box held in his palm. When he opened it, her breath caught. A ring? He actually had a ring? This was too much. She couldn’t say yes, it would be foolish. Marrying her best friend’s little brother? No one would believe it!

“Del, I…”

“Oh come on honey,” he lowered his voice to a whisper. “You can’t say no in front of all these people.”

She glanced around to notice they had gathered a small crowd. Tourists mostly, and the violinist, still playing away with a hopeful smile on her face. Couples whispered to each other, a child tugged on his mother’s coat asking what was going on, and…was that guy filming them?

“Isn’t this what you dreamed of?” Del asked, tone still hushed. “Your perfect proposal?”

Yes, a picturesque setting, a few people, but not too public, a beautiful ring, even her favorite song. Everything was magical, but it felt…wrong.

Because it’s not real, dummy!

Oh, right.

“What do you say, Cassie? Make both of our lives a whole lot richer?”

She got his meaning. If she said yes, they could both get what they wanted. She’d have Gran’s house and he would get the start-up money for his restaurant. A win-win. Then why did it feel like losing?

---