Page 29 of Enemy Crush
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. This is a very special occasion for me. You see, this place has always had a special place in my heart. It belonged to my mother and she put her blood, sweat, and tears into it. I was scared I was going to lose it, but then this lady right here stepped up to help. She took a failing bookstore and turned it into a thriving business. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her.”
My face flushes with embarrassment from having all eyes on me.
“I’m also thankful because without her keeping this place open, I never would’ve found the woman I’m desperately in love with, the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
When I turn to look at him, he’s gone. My eyes fall and find him on one knee. He’s holding up a ring box and smiling at me like I’m the center of the universe.
“Stella, I’ve loved you since I met you. I owe you my life and so much more. I know I’m nowhere near good enough for you, but I never want to let you go. I’m sorry I had to trick you like this, honey, but it was the only way. Would you please put me out of my misery and marry me already? I don’t want to live another day without knowing that you belong to me.”
Tears fill my eyes and they quickly roll down my cheeks. I look up and find Lola, snapping pictures of us and I laugh. She was in on the secret. The whole town was. There is no author table set up. There’s appetizers and champagne. Why didn’t I see this sooner?
“Stella, will you marry me?” he asks again, getting antsy and impatient.
No wonder he was so nervous. He’s never done this before.
I smile and nod my head. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” I finally respond.
The crowd erupts in a loud round of applause and Pax slides the ring onto my finger. He quickly stands up and pulls me against him where our lips meet. His strong hands cup my cheeks and hold my mouth to his while he kisses me breathless. I knew we’d get our happily ever after together. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Epilogue
ONE MONTH LATER…
PAXTON
Everything has been perfect. The store is running smoothly and turning a profit every day it’s open. Stella is still buried up in work, but every month another small business in town makes it to see another month, and then another, and then another. She’s become somewhat of a savior around town and it’s almost impossible to take her anywhere without someone wanting a piece of her.
We’ve been hammering out the details for the wedding. We’re planning on getting married in the town square next summer. All our friends and family will be there and then we’re going to have a small reception in the bookstore. It’s not going to be anything big or super formal. In fact, she’s been looking at secondhand clothing stores in town for a vintage dress. The whole town has been invited and I can’t go anywhere without someone asking about the event of the year as they refer to it.
I leave my office and Jackie is behind the register, reading a book. I pull my coat on and pause beside her. “So, are you seriously not going to tell me who’s doing the signing tonight?”
She looks up with a smile. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.” She shows me her palms.
I groan. “What’s the big deal?”
She shrugs. “I guess Stella thinks you’ll really like the surprise.”
“I hate surprises,” I remind her.
Again, she shrugs. “You’ll like this surprise.”
I roll my eyes and let out a heavy breath. “Fine. I’ll see you this evening then.” I head out and climb behind the wheel of the truck, driving home.
Stella has insisted on setting up for the party and I’ve been ordered not to show up until six on the dot. I go back to my house and resume packing. We put in an offer for a bigger house and it went through a week ago. Now the two of us are packing our lives to start fresh together. Our move in date is next week and I’ve been slacking on my end of the packing. Stella is practically done, only leaving out the items she uses daily. Originally, we didn’t plan on moving in together until after we get back from our honeymoon, but a two story, five-bedroom house became available and we had to jump on it.
I spend a few hours packing and then I go to get cleaned up for the event tonight. It’s nearing six when I’m finally heading over to the store and the parking lot is filled to the brim. It reminds me of the night I proposed and it brings a smile to my face just remembering it. It takes me almost ten minutes to find a parking spot and then I have to walk a block back to the store. I walk in and everyone is sipping on drinks and waiters are delivering finger foods.
The first thing I look for is the author table. I’m dying to see who’s behind it. It’s empty though, only with stacks of books that I can’t see the cover of. I start walking in the direction of the table and Lola catches me. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“I wanted to look at the book.”
She shakes her head. “No, that will ruin the secret,” she says, tugging me in the opposite direction. She leads me back to my office and pushes me through the door where Stella is.
“What’s going on?” I ask, amusement all over my face.
“What do you mean?”
“Lola wouldn’t let me look at the author’s books on the table. Who is it?”
