Page 109 of Dropping the Ball

“Thank you for choosing me to do it,” I answer.For so many reasons.

“There’s only one thing missing,” Madison adds, scanning the warehouse.

Kaitlyn looks as surprised as I am to hear we’ve missed something, especially since we’ve added to her vision.

“There,” Madison says, pointing at the wall opposite the bay door. “The Marigold Austin sign should go there.”

I wrinkle my forehead. “The what?”

Madison doesn’t answer, standing instead. “Harper has had enough to hold her over until I can nurse her properly in front of aSelling Sunsetmarathon. See you Monday,” she tells Kaitlyn. Then with a wink at her mom, she hands Mrs. Armstrong the diaper bag. “We have some big-ticket phone calls to make.” They disappear through the exit, leaving Kaitlyn and me alone.

“Did she say Marigold Austin?” I ask.

“She did. It was your idea,” she says.

“Pretty sure I never said those two words together.”

“Maybe you had an assist from Drake Braverman.”

“Now I’m really confused.”

She tilts her head and smiles. “Come on. Let’s build a snowman and I’ll tell you about it.”

A half hour later, the snowman is headless, and I am speechless. I stand in front of Frosty, listening, while Kaitlyn leans her arms on the snowman’s empty wire head—we ran out of packing peanuts—and finishes her explanation.

“And that is how, between you introducing me to the talent in your neighborhood and Drake explaining what it would take for them to donate, Marigold Austin happened.”

My own head feels empty as I try to wrap my mind around what she’s explaining. “This is a done deal?”

“I’ll need to pull a proposal together by Monday afternoon for a board meeting, but they’ll go for it.”

I run my hands through my hair, staring at this magical woman. “I’m blown away.”

“I have something else to tell you.”

“Not sure I can absorb anymore but hit me.”

She grimaces and straightens. Wipes her hands down the front of her dark tan velvet pants. Clears her throat. “I’m . . . ready.”

“You’re ready?” Did I forget something we’re supposed to do?

“For us. I’m ready.” Her eyes meet mine.

I go still for a second as I read her expression, her blue eyes shiny with hope, her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip like she’s expecting another rejection.

“You’re ready for us,” I repeat. My heart rate kicks up.

She nods. “The next month is going to be wild handling the final details for this gala, and I’ve suddenly given myself the massive job of creating Marigold Austin. There will be nothing normal about my schedule, but if you can find some of your legendary patience, I’d much rather balance all of that with you than balance any of it without you.”

I was prepared to wait as long as it took for her to say these words, but I was afraid it would take months—at least until February and the bar exam—before she would say and mean them. But it’s now. I smile as it sinks in. It’s happening right now.

This seems to give her more courage. “It doesn’t feel at all like balance without you, Micah.”

“You’re ready.” I slide the snowman away with my foot. I glance from it to her. “There’s nothing between us.”

“Only literally?”

I cross my arms, knowing it accentuates my chest. This wonder of a woman deserves a reward, and when her eyes drop straight to my pecs, my smile stretches into a full grin. “In every sense. Just one question, Katie-Kat. What took you so long?”

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