Page 6 of The Story of Us
They were holding hands, and something about Jason’s dapper coat and tie, coupled with the way he was reaching into his jacket pocket with his free hand, made Jamie think something special was about to go down.
“Uh-huh. He met Lisa in the travel section last year,” Lucy whispered. “And I think he’s going to propose!”
She pulled Jamie closer to her side and they crouched further out of view.
“I think you’re right.” Jamie held her breath as Jason rose from his chair and then bent down on one knee.
Should they be watching this? Maybe not. But Jamie couldn’t resist a True Love proposal. Lucy knew her so well. This was indeed the one thing that was sure to lift her spirits. Her eyes filled with unshed, happy tears—
Until someone spoke directly into her ear, completely spoiling the ambiance. “What are we looking at?”
Jamie and Lucy both flinched.
Busted.
Jamie glanced over her shoulder, heart pounding a mile a minute. Rick Turner—friend, local chef and fellow busybody—was crouched right behind them, grinning.
“Rick!” Jamie whisper-screamed at him.
He laughed. “What?”
“Shhhh!” Lucy give his shoulder a playful swat, which was completely useless since Rick had been a defensive lineman in college and still somehow maintained his football player physique, despite his penchant for rich Italian cuisine.
“There’s a proposal,” Jamie explained under her breath, turning her attention back to the courtyard so she wouldn’t miss the good part.
Just in time! Jason opened a red velvet ring box to reveal a glittering diamond solitaire, and Lisa gasped, pressing her hands to her heart. The look on Jason’s face was so tender, so full of hope and promise, that for a second, Jamie was tempted to re-think her recent decision to stop dating.
But not quite. She was perfectly content with just Eliot and her books, thank you very much. If that made her sound like a spinster from a Jane Austen novel, then so be it.
Lisa, on the other hand, seemed ready to sprint down the aisle. She beamed at Jason and broke down in tears as she gave him her answer. “Yes.”
“Awwww,” the eavesdroppers all said in unison.
Seriously, though. They should probably make themselves scarce so Jason and Lisa could celebrate in private. Jamie tugged on Lucy’s sleeve and they tiptoed back through the French doors into the bookstore, with Rick following on their heels.
Jamie wasn’t sure why Rick had stopped by, but she had a definite feeling it didn’t have anything to do with re-stocking the baked goods in True Love’s café.
“How many proposals does that make?” Lucy said as they passed the wall near the back of the store that was thoroughly covered with pink roses. It was the shop’s most Instagrammed spot.
“Four since I bought this place.” Warmth filled Jamie’s chest. Moments like this reminded her just how special True Love was, not just to her, but to the entire community of Waterford.
“This shop really is a lucky charm for love.” Rick cast a quick glance at Lucy and then looked away before she noticed. Poor guy.
“Ooh, I’m going to use that.” Jamie pointed at him. Not a bad catchphrase, although the fact that Rick had been harboring a secret crush on Lucy for nearly a year without making any visible progress didn’t exactly bode well for the whole good luck charm theory. It would help if he would simply tell Lucy how he felt.
Obviously.
“Which brings me to…” Rick pulled a red card from behind his back and held it up for them to see.
Jamie read the white cursive letters swirling just below a rendering of a heart-shaped dinner plate. “‘Recipe for Love?’ It’s…a cooking class? For Valentine’s Day?”
Lucy plucked the card from Rick’s hand and studied it. “Not all of us are on a romantic time out.”
“Hiatus,” Jamie corrected.
Hiatusjust had a better ring to it thantime out, like it was a voluntary thing and not some kind of punishment. Which it totally wasn’t. Her dating hiatus was working out quite well. She should’ve tried it years ago after her breakup with Sawyer O’Dell.
Lucy rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed either way. “My boss, the incurable romantic who owns a romantic bookstore while actively avoiding romance. Do you see the irony here?”
