by Nina Lindsey
Rory loved their morning jogs—the steady, rhythmic movement of Grant beside her, the sound of their breath mixing with the ocean’s murmurs; the cold, salty wind. They ran along Pelican Beach toward the deserted boardwalk. After climbing the steps, they finished their jog near the Ferris wheel.
“Good one.” Grant patted her rear as they slowed to catch their breath.
“We deserve pie after that.” Rory bent to press her hands against her knees, her chest heaving. “Speaking of which, I still haven’t had your famous apple pie.”
“I’ll make you one this afternoon. Apple pie for the apple of my eye.”
“Says the owner of Button the Kitten.” Rory grinned and straightened. “I think she’s getting used to me. She didn’t hiss when I walked past her yesterday.”
“I’ll have another talk with her.” He lifted his arms for a stretch, and Rory unabashedly admired the way his biceps flexed and his shirt pulled over his muscular chest. The ocean wind pushed his thick hair away from his forehead, bringing into sharp relief his warm green eyes and the strong, masculine lines of his face.
Every time she looked at him, her heart gave a happy little jump at the reminder that he was no longer over there, but right here. That they were here together.
“Come on.” He nodded toward wooden railing bordering the pier. “Let’s walk.”
As they continued walking to the end of the pier, anxiety tightened her belly. She and Grant professed their love every chance they got and multiple times a day in many different ways. Sometimes it was a quick, parting kiss and a “love you,” and other times it was a deep, profound confession as they looked into each other’s eyes and found themselves reflected there.
More often, it was in little gestures and flippant remarks—his brief kiss on her forehead, her spontaneous purchase of a cookbook she thought he’d like, the way he brought her black coffee with two spoons of sugar every single morning, her reminder to “think of me when you play the fish” as Grant left for the Mousehole.
No, Rory was never in any doubt about Grant’s intense love for her, and she woke every day with the unbreakable knowledge that she wanted to be with him always.
He wasn’t just The One. He was all the numbers put together. He was infinity.
So, why was she nervous? It wasn’t as if he’d break up with her if the timing wasn’t right. They’d talk it out and come up with a plan, and—
Rory shook her head to banish the worrisome thoughts. She’d been brave enough to shake up the entire tech industry. Surely she could do this without her knees trembling.
She and Grant paused by the railing. Seagulls soared across the gray sky. A cluster of sea lions lolled on a rock out in the bay.
Now. Do it now.
Taking a deep breath, Rory turned to face him. “Grant.”
He glanced at her, his eyes crinkling with a smile. He did that a lot—smiled when he looked at her. In that moment, Rory’s heart became a galaxy of stars.
“So, we…” She swallowed past another surge of anxiety. “Even though we’ve officially been together for a couple of months, we’ve really known each other for two years. I told you I’ve loved you for longer than I even know, and in some ways I wish we’d crossed the line sooner so we’d have had more time together, but I’m also so grateful that everything unfolded the way it did because it all led us to right here.”
Faint wariness rose to his eyes. Rory curled her hand around the old railing and forced herself to continue.
“I mean, I’d never really imagined myself being with one person for the rest of my life…not being a believer in fairy tales and all…but every minute with you is so perfect that now I can’t imagine being alone again.”
Oh my god, Rory, stop rambling and get on with it.
She dug into the pocket of her running pants and pulled out a little drawstring pouch. “I don’t have a timeline or a plan, and I’m happy to wait as long as needed, but I really wanted you to know how much I love you and that I want to be with you forever, so…”
With shaking hands, she opened the bag and took out a men’s ring—a simple, polished band the color of the foggy sky.
“Grant Taylor, I love you.” She put the ring in her palm and extended it toward him. “Will you marry me?”
He looked from the ring to her. Shock descended over his features.
That couldn’t be good. Rory’s heart began to sink.
“I…” His throat worked with a swallow. He looked at the ring again and shook his head. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know it may be too soon,” she added quickly, “and like I said, I don’t have a timeline or anything, so it’s not as if I want to go to Vegas tonight or—”
Grant laughed suddenly—a rich, booming laugh that echoed over the white-capped water and mingled with the cawing of the seagulls. Rory stared at him. Her heart hammered.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her to him so swiftly that their bodies collided in a rush of heat. He brought his mouth down on hers in a hard, fast kiss that sent a shockwave of warmth right to her toes.
Well, that didn’t feel like a “no.”
“I love you.” He lifted his head, his eyes filled with tenderness and heat. “I’ve loved you a lot longer than I know, too, but I’m positive that everything between us happened exactly the way it was supposed to. Including this.”
He stepped away from her and reached into the pocket of his track jacket. When he pulled out a small velvet box, Rory gasped in astonishment.
“Rory Prescott, on December fifteenth, the anniversary of the first time we met…” He opened the box to reveal an elegant, white-gold band set with a rich sapphire. “Will you marry me, too?”
Rory couldn’t speak. She pressed a hand to her chest and struggled to find the words. “You…you’re kidding.”
He grinned. “I’m most definitely not kidding. I’ve been planning this for a while now. I was going to ask you at the Mousehole, but I wanted it to be private. Just you and me. And since we’re always alone when we go running, this seemed like the perfect time.”
Tears flooded Rory’s eyes. She pressed her hands to her face. “That’s exactly what I wanted. On the anniversary of the day we met. I can’t believe you remember.”
“I’ve never forgotten. Well, I didn’t remember the exact date until you mentioned it, but after you told me, I knew that when I asked you to marry me, it would be on the same day.”
“I can’t believe this.” She lowered her hands, staring at the sapphire ring in disbelief.
“I can.” He took her left hand in his and slipped the ring on her finger. “Destiny helped me pick the stone. I wanted it because it’s the color of your eyes, but she said it’s also a symbol of power and kindness, and that it provides protection and great fortune. That was good enough for me.”
“I love it.” She spread her hand out and admired the ring through blurry vision. “I love you. Oh! Here’s mine. I mean, yours.”
With a laugh, she reached for his left hand and held up the silver ring. “I picked it out because it’s classic, solid, and eternal, and it’s made of this super-strong metal that I can’t remember the name of, but if you were a ring, this is the one you would be. I had a special engraving put on it, too.”
She turned the ring toward the sunlight to reveal the grill fork and spatula, crossed in the shape of an X, on the inside curve.
“I love it.” His eyes were suspiciously bright. “It’s perfect. Like you.”
Rory slipped the band on his finger. He took both of her hands in his and pressed them to his chest.
“So will you marry me?” He lifted his eyebrows hopefully.
“Yes.” Rory smiled and threw her arms around him, hugging him close. “Yes. Will you marry me?”
“A thousand times yes.” He tightened his arms around her. “And then a thousand more.”
Their lips met in another warm kiss that contained infinite promises to be kept, wishes to be granted, laughs t
o share, and a powerful, unbreakable love that had found its forever home.
Thank you for reading LOVE ME TENDER.
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Click here to continue your Bliss Cove journey in WORDS OF LOVE!
(Releases in February 2020)
About the Author
Nina Lindsey writes romances filled with heart, heat, and happy endings. She is delighted to introduce readers to Bliss Cove, California, a coastal town with an abundance of warm cookies, ocean breezes, and the ever-present possibility of love.
Nina loves all things spicy and sweet, with chili chocolates being at the top of the list. She is also a fan of glossy magazines, pop culture, Gilmore Girls, energy bites, Orangetheory, and the sound of silence.
She lives in Wisconsin with her meteorologist husband (yes, she asks him daily, "What's the weather forecast?”), their two children, an overly energetic dog, and a snail named Pipsqueak.
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www.ninalindsey.com
Escape to Bliss Cove…
LOVE WALKS IN
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LOVE ME TENDER
Rory Prescott and tavern owner Grant Taylor make a deal — she’ll be his date to his brother’s wedding if he’ll let her stay short-term in his cottage. But what happens when this fake relationship becomes passionately real?
WORDS OF LOVE
(Releases February 2020)
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