Page 74 of Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Cassie laughed because it wasn’t too long ago that she’d had a string of very awkward—and bad—first dates. Thankfully, that was all over now.

At the sound of her laughter, Del’s gaze swung over, a huge smile parting his lips. “Hey. When did you get here?”

“Just now. I like the decorations.”

“See! She likes it.”

BJ chuckled. “She has to say that, she’s sleeping with you. Though for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why.”

Del jumped down off the ladder, tossing the screw gun to Ace and a middle finger to BJ. He hurried over to her side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him to greet her with a very yummy kiss.

“Gross, get a room!”

She pulled back at the sound of her best friend’s voice. When had Charlie arrived?

“Where have you been?” Ace demanded.

“We had a staff meeting scheduled,” BJ added.

Del scowled at his sister. “I tried your cell like three times.”

Charlie ignored them all, heading to the tasting room door connected to the new restaurant. As she passed, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Cassie, would you please tell my brothers to stop pestering me?”

Cassie held up her hands. “I’m Switzerland.”

At times it got tricky dating her best friend’s brother, but thankfully the Jacksons were a loving family and the arguments never lasted long. Still, she liked to stay out of the sibling squabbles.

“If I didn’t love you so much, I’d hate you.” Charlie leaned in to brush her cheek against Cassie’s in a small hug before moving to the connecting door.

“Where are you going?” Ace demanded once again.

“To get a drink, Jackasson!” Charlie yelled over her shoulder.

Cassie laughed because she knew how much her friend loved her brothers. Cassie loved them too, one in particular.

“Come on,” Del whispered in her ear. “I have something to show you.”

Willing to follow this man anywhere, she matched his steps as he led them down the small hallway out the back. When he pushed opened the door, she sucked in a gasp of surprise. The once dingy-looking, pothole-ridden, parking lot had been transformed into a beautiful garden patio. Dark brown flagstone, shot through with streaks of red and gold, covered the ground. Small pine shrubs lined the sides, and a melodic water feature tinkled away in the back. The rippling water cascaded down a set of stones into a small pond.

“Oh, Del. It’s amazing.”

“Yeah? I thought it would be nice to offer outdoor seating in the warmer months. We didn’t need all the parking back here since there’s a public lot across the street and you have a great view of the Front Range from here.”

He was right. The Rocky Mountains were in full view from where she stood, towering high above them in all their majestic glory. She breathed in deeply, the scent of fresh air, pine, and Del filling her so full of happiness she feared she might burst.

“It’s perfect.”

“I thought so, too. And not just for eating. I figured it’d be the perfect spot for an intimate wedding.”

She turned to him, cheeks hurting from the huge smile gracing her face. “I couldn’t agree more.”

They’d talked about marriage and their future a lot over the past few months, but never set anything official. She still wore the ring he gave her for their fake proposal. He said it symbolized the start of their relationship, and someday it would become real. He was right. And this time she didn’t need the perfect proposal. All she needed was Del.

“It can’t be too small,” she reminded him. “Half the town will want to be invited.”

He grasped her hips, tugging her in close until their bodies were touching from chest to groin. “Fine, we’ll have a small ceremony here with just family and friends and then a big party in Town Square to celebrate.”

Lifting her arms, she draped them around his shoulders. “Mmm, I like the sound of that.”

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