Page 179 of The Holiday Fakers
My brain stops normal function to throw a party to which my vocal cords have not been invited.
“Shit, I almost forgot,” he mutters, his hands shaking as he reaches into an inside pocket of his costume and pulls out a ring, holding it out to me.
“Is that …?” I croak.
“It’s a copy, but made of gold and platinum, and set with real diamonds and rubies.”
I stare at the ring of the Queen of Draventhorne, based on a picture I’d drawn for the production when I arrived on set in January.
“It’s your design, so I hoped you’d love it,” Brody continues. “And in this universe, you’remyqueen. You’re my other half, my partner in life, and my one true love.”
My mouth is still in shock, refusing to articulate my thoughts, so I take the ring from him and slip it onto the fourth finger of my left hand.
The gems catch the light of the setting sun, making the ring sparkle and glow on my trembling finger like it’s alive.
“Is that a ‘yes,’ then?” Brody asks.
I nod faster than a bobblehead on a bumpy road and drag him to his feet.
He gives me a relieved smile. “Are you sure?”
“Y-yes!” I finally manage. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”
Then I throw my arms around his neck and hold him so tight I can’t breathe.
A distant wolf-whistle breaks us apart, and I turn to see a few crew members down in the valley clapping and cheering.
“Did they know?”
He smiles. “I don’t think so, but the whole ‘going down on one knee at sunset on top of a rock in a national park’ might have given the game away.”
I laugh, happiness making me lighter than air. “I can’t wait to marry you. I’ve been doodling ‘Piper King’ in my sketchbooks since I was a teenager, so I’m finally going to make it official.”
“Fall wedding in Hideaway, then?”
“Yes! Mom’s gonna freak out. I need to call her.”
“At one a.m.?”
I pull a face. “She won’t mind being woken up with that news, but then she won’t be able to get back to sleep, so we’d better wait.”
“And in the meantime, I’m gonna take you to bed and show you just how much I love you. And you’re only allowed to wear one thing: that ring.”
I sigh. “Sounds perfect.”
He rubs the end of his nose against mine. “Just like you.”
Then he kisses me, and I lose myself in him and this perfect moment. Brody’s my first love, my greatest love, and the man I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving.
Ready for more holiday fun in Hideaway Harbor? Next up …
The Holiday Whoopie by Sara L. Hudson
Jack Lourd didn’t plan to stay in Hideaway Harbor—or fall for Audrey Nouel, the woman in cranberry Crocs who bakes like a dream and glares like a sport.
But between mistletoe mishaps and pastry-fueled chaos, he starts to wonder if he’s ready to make whoopie…pies.
The Holiday Whoopieis a grump vs. grump holiday romcom featuring a jaded Hollywood lawyer and a small-town baker with zero patience and a menu full of suggestive desserts.
