Page 98 of Take Me to the Wedding

“Six, five…”

He dropped to one knee, right there on the crowded dance floor with everyone counting down all around us. “I’ll have your back in life no matter what. Every day, I want to tell you all the things that amuse me, or worry me, or interest me. I want you to be the last person I talk to every night. Forever. Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Easiest answerevah.

“Happy New Year!” crescendoed loudly all around us. The band began playing “Auld Lang Syne.”

Someone handed us something. Glasses of champagne. The someone turned out to be Caleb’s dad. He gave us a little wave. I looked around to find everyone surrounding us—Beth, Mia and Brax, Ani, Gabe and Jason, and Wynn and Miles.

I locked gazes with Mia—a grateful gaze meaningthank you—after all, she was the one who’d run and told Beth everything that awful night when Ani was so upset. Everyone needs a friend like that, who is a sister in every way except for the shared genes.

I clinked glasses with Caleb and went to take a sip.

“Wait,” he said, his expression a little panicked.

“What is it?”

“Better look down first.”

At the bottom of the flute there was an object. Shiny and twinkling. Some kind of giant honker of a ring that I couldn’t even see very well because of the bubbles, but I knew it was gorgeous.

“Oh my gosh.”

The rest was a blur. Our families cheered and clapped. We kissed until I was weak-kneed and dizzy and felt as if I was made of champagne bubbles as all the noise and cheering continued happily all around us.

Wynn came up behind me and roped an arm around me and Caleb. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. “Wynn,” I said in a warning voice.

“You people are smokin’, you know that?” She took her hands off of us and shook them out, as if her hands were hot to the touch.

“I thought we agreed not to do that anymore.” I still had PTSD from doing it with Lilly, so it was fine with me that Wynn take over the matchmaking. But once in a while, I confess, I did sneak in a quick one, just in emergency cases where I justhadto know.

I mean, Oma would have wanted me too, right? When it was absolutely necessary. Or thereabouts.

“I can’t help it,” Wynn said. “I can feel the energy. Congrats, new brother.” She kissed Caleb on the cheek. “Oma would love Caleb,” she whispered to me, and then planted a kiss on my cheek too. “Love you.”

“Love you too. So much.” My heart was full. Somehow a person who didn’t believe in love had gotten myself a familyanda much better relationship with my sisterandsomeone to love. Oh, and not to mention an adorable little dog.

Our family and friends left us to dance one alone. Caleb kissed me, then put his cheek once again next to mine. I felt his warmth, his big arms surrounding me. “I still believe that unicorns poop rainbows.”

I pulled back fast. “What?”

“Magic. I believe that love is magic. Maybe we create it between us, but it’s definitely there. I think you and Wynn pick up on that energy.”

“You’re a hopeless romantic.”

“Probably always will be.”

“That’s okay. As long as you keep loving me.” And then I kissed him again, longer and less PG since our whole family wasn’t watching this time. To ring in the new year and our new life.

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