Page 101 of Expose on the Ice

Carter’s smile softens. “It was… good. Great. Dad’s adjusting well to being home. He even cracked a few jokes. Mom is good too.”

“That’s great,” I say, my chest tightening with emotion. I know how much Carter has struggled with his father’s imprisonment and subsequent release.

Our waiter appears then, and we place our usual orders – linguine alle vongole for me, chicken parmigiana for Carter, and a side of garlic bread for both of us. As we wait for our food, Carter leans forward, his expression turning serious.

“I’ve been thinking, Lil,” he says. “About us. About the future.”

My heart rate picks up. “Uh oh…”

“Lily,” he says, his voice low and intense. “These past months with you have been the happiest of my life. You’ve seen me at my worst and loved me anyway.”

My breath catches in my throat as Carter slides out of his chair and onto one knee beside me.

“Lily Grant,” he says, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”

I laugh. I laugh so hard it hurts, earning a confused frown from Carter and glares from the other diners. It goes on for so long, uncontrollable, washing over me, that Carter starts to get up off his knee, but I hold a hand out to stop him.

Finally, when I’ve controlled myself, I smile at him and cup both sides of his face in my hands. “Carter, it’s not like us to do it normally…”

“What do you mean?” He says, confused but still hopeful, although I see more and more doubt crossing his face with every second. “Lily, what’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” I laugh again, and pull a ring from my own pocket. “A few months ago we couldn’t stand each other, and now we were both planning to propose on the same night!”

“Uh… so you’ll marry me?”

“Of course!”

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