Page 69 of Hired By the Enemy
“Uh…it turns out I had a gift idea along the same lines,” he says.
My eyes widen. “Don’t tell me we’ve now got two puppies?”
“No. My gift is slightly smaller.” He runs his hands through his hair. “But it has the same idea of looking toward the future.”
He heads to the Christmas tree and rummages underneath.
My heart stops when I see the shape of the present in his hands as he comes back to me.
Because…because that looks like a ring box.
And the fact he’s currently dropping onto one knee in front of me confirms it.
I swallow the lump of emotion clogging my throat, burying my hand in Maxine’s soft fur to keep myself calm.
“I always like it when you drop to your knees,” I manage to say.
“I heard that,” my mother groans.
Shit. I was so focused on Liam in front of me I forgot we weren’t alone.
“This is why you shouldn’t propose in front of our parents,” I inform Liam.
He raises an eyebrow. “Are you seriously critiquing my proposal technique when I’m halfway through it?”
Oops. “Sorry. Keep going, by all means,” I say.
Liam holds out the ring box to me.
“Matthew O’Connor, for years, you were the person who made me the angriest. And for the last year, you’ve been the person who’s made me the happiest. Will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?”
Any smart-ass comment I’m brewing dies when I see the emotion glistening in his hazel eyes.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Yes, I will.”
I take the ring box from his hand and unwrap it to find two matching platinum rings.
I glance over to see my mother wiping tears away from her eyes.
“I thought I was the one who was supposed to cry,” I say.
“I’m just remembering the time I got called to school because you two had wrecked the art classroom with that paint war. For some reason, I never predicted we would be at this moment.”
“Did you notice how he only decided he liked me after I became a millionaire?” I ask as I slide my ring on.
“Well, there have to be some perks for enduring your company,” Liam says.
I’m laughing as I lean forward to kiss my fiancé for the first time.
That afternoon, I send a photo to all my friends showing me squashed up against Liam, holding out our hands with our matching engagement rings, with Maxine snuggled between us. I caption the photo:Best Christmas ever.
After I post it, I glance out the window to where Liam is out in the backyard, patiently throwing a ball to Maxine. She seems naturally gifted in the fetch-and-chew aspect but hasn’t quite grasped the concept of returning it yet.
My phone beeps with a reply from Andrew.
Massive congratulations! At some point, I may need to chat with you about what happens when you fall in love with your enemy from high school…
I blink at his message.
Andrew’s falling in love with his enemy from high school? I thought he was in London? He’s been quite secretive about exactly what he’s been up to the last few times we’ve chatted, only telling me he was working on a “project.” There has to be a story there.
I’m sure I’ll hear about it soon.
But right now, I’ve got to go join my fiancé and puppy.
