Page 115 of You've Got Male

“You were, sunshine,” he said. “I don’t want you to be with me because of some arrangement made out of desperation.”

“No, of course you don’t.” Evie could no longer look at him so she studied his shirt.

His finger cupped her chin and tilted her head until she was looking at him again. “I want you to be with me because of all the right reasons.”

“And what would those be?” she whispered.

“Because you want to be. Because you love me. Because you can’t imagine spending another day without me in your life. Because that’s how I feel. I love you, Evelyn, the kind of love that doesn’t go away over a little speed bump. Hell, I’d be willing to scale a problem as big as the Rockies if it means earning your heart.” He gripped her hips and gently tugged her toward him. “Let me earn your love. Prove to you that we can make thiswork.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me.” She pressed her palms flat against his chest. “You already have my heart.”

“Thank God for that, because I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you since you offered to toast my balls.”

She choked on a laugh. “I’m pretty sure I fell that night over the summer on the back porch when we talked beneath the stars and shared a glass of wine.”

“I might not have been ready then, but I am one hundred percent ready now. The question is: Areyouready, sunshine?”

“Yes,” she said, and before she could get another word out, his mouth came down on hers. And it wasn’t just a kiss. It was the kind of fireworks, sweep-you-off-your-feet, famous-World-War-II-in-Times-Square-kiss kind of kiss that went soul deep.

And the kiss went on and on until they slowly became aware of the people around them. Some were chanting, “Cupid! Cupid!” Others were talking feverishly about tossing their pennies into the Lucky in Love tip jar. But it was her heart that Evie was listening to, and it was telling her she’d found her Charming.

Jonah pulled back and there was so much emotion in his eyes she started crying again—the good kind this time. Then he did the unexpected: he took both of her hands in his and got down on one knee.

A bit of panic set in and he must have seen it on her face because he gave her a reassuring squeeze of the hands.

“Evelyn Granger,” he began. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my real girlfriend?”

“Does that mean you’ll accept my final rose?”

He stood and pulled her into his arms. “Sunshine, I’ll accept all your roses.”

Epilogue

Evie

Two weeks later…

Kristen Bell didn’t have a thing on Evie.

She was about to pull off the greatest surprise in the history of surprise parties. And her mom hadn’t a clue what was going down.

Arms slid around her waist from behind and she felt lips nibble her ear. “Beautiful,” was all he said.

Evie took in the yard. “It really is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Evie stared at the rose-lined walkway, the white tents glowing with fairy lights, and the white mesh draped over the entrance like curtains. Then there was the red carpet that connected the pathway to the party, which was held in the backyard. It looked like some elaborate party from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Then there was Jonah’s yard.

He’d worked so hard to make sure it was perfect. And he’d reached perfection. In fact, everything about him was perfect for her. He’d proved to her over the past few weeks what anincredible support system he could be, and what an incredible man he was.

Their lives still resembled a three-ring circus—a ring for each other’s dreams, their respective families, and a ring just for them. And their ring seemed to be growing by the day. Every secret look, every gentle kiss, their romance was blossoming. Because they were each nurturing the love between them.

“I was talking about you.” Another gentle kiss pressed against the column of her throat.

Evie turned in his arms and what she saw shining back at her robbed her of oxygen. She’d never had a man look at her like she was his whole world.

“What?” he whispered.

She went up on her toes and gave him a tender kiss. Against his mouth, she said, “I love you.”

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