Page 134 of Until You

His grin spread as he opened the box, revealing the emerald-cut diamond, surrounded by tiny stones.

She put her hand on her chest, trying to catch her breath.

“If you don’t like it, we can exchange it.”

“No. It’s perfect.”

He grabbed her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger, then he glanced over his shoulder at his brother. “She said yes!”

Eric waved his saxophone in response as the crowd broke into cheers.

Butterflies swarmed through Lanie’s stomach as Tyler swept her into his arms and kissed her.

But all the excitement didn’t change the fact that she was moving to Atlanta. “Tyler, the distance thing. It’s never going to work.”

“I know,” he said. “Which is why I’m going to quit my job and look for a job in Atlanta.”

“What?” She shook her head. “No. Your job—you’re almost a partner. You’ve worked hard to get there. You can’t give it up. And Eric—you two are just now getting to know one another. You can’t move away from him.”

“Eric’s already given his blessing. We worked it out yesterday. I’m going to fly him to see us once a month. And we’re going to FaceTime a couple of times a week.”

“But it’s not the same.”

“Lanie,” he said, holding her hand. “Nothing about our living options is ideal, but we’re making the best of it. If I have to choose between my job and you, you win.”

“Tyler.” She couldn’t let him do this.

A woman moved through the crowd toward Lanie while the marching band still played on the street behind them. “Ms. Rogers? I’m Dinah Pettier, with Dinah’s Fashions. My own store is halfway down the street. I was the one who filed the lawsuit.”

The reporters picked up on Dinah’s entrance and started shouting questions, but Dinah turned to Lanie. “But my former attorney”—she tilted her head toward Tyler and grinned—“pointed out that I’d end up spending a lot of money I’ll never get back. I saw your store as competition, but he suggested that we can work together to increase sales. He even has an event planner who’s willing to help set up a joint fashion show to raise money for the Rose Brooks Center.”

Lanie stared at her, realizing what she’d implied. “Wait. Does that mean you’re dropping your case?”

Dinah offered Lanie her hand. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

Stephanie’s eyes lit up. “So can we open the doors?”

Lanie was pretty sure legal would want to give the go-ahead, but it was her last day, and she was more interested in making the crowd happy.

She took a step back and shouted, “Margo Benson Boutique, Kansas City, is now open!”

The security guards took over their duty of herding the crowd inside, and Lanie turned back to Tyler. “I don’t have to quit now. The store’s open!”

His eyes widened in understanding. “You get your promotion.”

Why didn’t that make her feel better?

But Tyler seemed to notice. “Aiden’s job will make you happier. You should take it.”

“I don’t want you to leave everything you love, Tyler.”

“What if you could have what you wanted?” a voice asked behind her.

Lanie spun around. “Aiden. What are you doing here?”

“When I realized you were here, I decided to come by and talk to you in person. I didn’t fly home yesterday. I had some business to take care of. Which is why I called earlier. I’m looking at expanding my business and setting up two locations. One in Atlanta and one in Kansas City. I’m still gathering funds for the Kansas City location, so I won’t be able to open it for a while, so I need you in Atlanta until I can find someone to fill your spot. But surely you and Tyler can make it work for six months to a year.”

Lanie gasped. “Bonus.”

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