Page 42 of Mishaps and Mistletoe

“Why do I feel like we’re being watched?” Josie said with her forehead pressed to Kevin’s, as they tried to catch their breath.

“Because we are.”

They both looked up at Johnny, still hanging out on the balcony, watching them like a show on television.

“I just love a good happily ever after, don’t you?” he shouted.

“What do you say we find somewhere a little more private?” Kevin whispered in Josie’s ear.

“One more for the road?” She held up the mistletoe with a mischievous grin. He dipped her as their lips joined, and catcalls echoed from the balcony above.

“I’m going to kill him, you know,” Kevin grumbled.

“Nah. Just wait till it’s his turn.”

Epilogue

FOUR MONTHS LATER

“Order up for Kevin Jonas.”

“Oh! That’s a new one.” Kevin cheered as he rose from his seat at Mountain Brew, high-fiving Johnny on his way to the counter.

Josie shook her head. “I can’t believe this is a thing now.”

Johnny’s fake last name bit was such a hit, the owners of Mountain Brew adopted it. The baristas took pride in coming up with the best surnames for each customer. Some famous, some funny. Each one an opportunity for creativity. Mountain Brew was officially the coffee shop“Where nobody knows your name.”

“It’s the Johnny effect,” he said, arms splayed.

“You’re a trendsetter, Johnny. Congrats.” Josie tapped her cup to his.

“Congrats to you. I hear things are going quite well with your new job.”

“Quite well is an understatement,” Kevin said as he returned to the table. It was true. Things at Oglebay were going better than she ever imagined. And having Kevin promoting the very events she put together was the partnership dreams were made of.

“I’m happy with everything.” And Josie meanteverything.She and Kevin had spent every single day together since that night at the gala. His parents brought their RV up for Christmas and stayed through New Year’s, claiming they couldn’t get enough of Kevin’s new hometown and promising to spend more time in the area. They were scheduled to arrive within the hour, in fact, as they were spending the Easter holiday at Kevin’s house.

“I must have your parents on my brain, because I swear that guy hiding behind the morning paper looks just like your dad.”

“Huh,” Kevin muttered as his eyes rapidly roved around the shop.

“I don’t see ’em,” Johnny quickly supplied, though he didn’t even look up from the table. Weird. And also, that woman with her back to them looked a lot like Josie’s mother.

Quinn stood at the counter with a big drink and an even bigger smile. “Order up for Josie McCann.”

“Wh—wait. I don’t know a famous Josie McCann… Kev—” She turned in his direction, but she didn’t see him right away… because he was down on the floor.

Actually, he was on one knee.

“You can keep your last name if you want.”

Josie sucked in a breath as the shock of what was happening settled in her brain.

“Josephine Caroline Ward, this moment has been decades in the making. And I’m hoping it’s the start of many more years of memories together. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” she shouted as she nearly tackled him to the ground. Which would have been fitting since that’s pretty much how they’d met for the second time right here in this shop.

Applause erupted as Johnny, Max, Hannah, and Quinn walked over to them, followed closely behind by her folks and the McCanns, who actually had been hiding behind newspapers and magazines.

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