Page 34 of Marry Me, Right Now

“Damn. I never would have thought of that,” he said, looking surprised. His hand instinctively honed in on the center of my back.

“Is there any high class way your people buck tradition?” I asked, trying to laugh lightly.

“Well, the donation thing isn’t bad. Were you serious about them needing to do construction on the hospital?”

“Absolutely.”

“Maybe I could explain it to my mother that way. Something about how we want to start our new life together by doing something nice for our city.”

I looked up at him, honestly a little surprised that he was willing to try. “It really would mean the world to me,” I said. I suddenly thought of something. “And in return, what if I phone your mother and ask if there are any wedding traditions that are important to her?”

“Really? You would do that?”

“Sure. I don’t have any particular ceremony in mind. If she wants to have a certain song, or a poem read, I’m sure it would be something tasteful.” I gave him a little wink. “Your mother is a bit intimidating, but if nothing else, she is extremely tasteful.”

He laughed, patting me gently on the back before retracting his hand. I was starting to become so comfortable with him touching me that it was familiar and warm.

“Okay. You handle any of her weird wedding requests, I will handle the non-gifts, and I think we are almost in good shape for this shindig, aren’t we?”

“Well, we’ve already gone over the wedding dance. That’s just going to be us shuffling around, right?”

“Yes, nothing fancy.”

“Good. I’m not the girliest girl, so walking in a fancy dress and heels will be quite enough for one day. Adding a dance into the mix would put me over the edge.”

Jacob’s head suddenly tilted to the side, and he grinned at me oddly. “Hey,” he said, standing and leading me to the big window that overlooked the city. “There’s something else important we need to do.”

I looked out across the glass and steel buildings of Toronto, where the CN Tower was lit up with bright pink lights.

I turned back to Jacob, but he was on one knee, holding up the ring. My mouth fell open. “You didn’t…” I gestured to the tower, then the huge pink diamond in front of me.

“No! Oh no. There’s a website that explains what color the tower is going to be lit up every day and why. Today is actually pink for some charity but I thought it was cute.”

I sighed, relieved. I knew that he was rich and well connected, but changing the color of the tower for his proposal was a bit much.

“Mia, will you marry me for a year and a bit, to save my uncle’s house, secure us both some money, and have some fun adventures along the way?”

His gorgeous eyes were so sweet, so earnest, that I found myself choking up. “Yes.”

He slipped the ring on my finger, and as soon as he stood back up, I hugged him. Having his arms around me was more powerful than I could imagine. I held him tightly for a moment, and when he pulled away to take a look at my face, I was grinding my lips together.

“Are you okay?” he asked. I nodded, holding my eyes wide. “Are you trying not to cry?” I nodded again, making a funny face, slightly disgusted with myself for being so silly.

He pulled me into his broad chest again. “It’s okay. That’s likely good. There are going to be all sorts of overwhelming and romantic and downright weird things to get through. Let everything be natural.” The way his hands were stroking my back was sending waves of desire through me that I had to mentally shove away. He smelled too luscious, and I

’d never been held so perfectly.

My chin tilted up. “You won’t laugh at me when I’m being a girl?”

He chuckled. “I’ll laugh at you all the time for all sorts of reasons, because you make me laugh. But tearing up at a proposal isn’t one of them.” I blinked hard, and he glided his thumb under my left eye where a tear was threatening to spill. “Just let me help you, okay? Whenever something is a bit much for you, please tell me.”

Our lips were so close it was almost painful not to lean in that extra few inches. He may have thought the same thing, as he suddenly shifted back a bit.

“Are you okay with crowds of loud people?” he suddenly asked.

I was surprised at the change of topic. “Sometimes. I can get a little overwhelmed.”

“We’re going to be the center of attention at the wedding. Any time you need a break, pull me aside. People will think we’re having a romantic moment, but really we can just go out to a quiet hallway and be still. Okay?”

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