I took a breath and giggled. “And Annalise bought a calendar for me from one of the booths.”
Joe started laughing. It started low and grew louder and louder. “You’re famous, calendar boy! Oh, gosh! This is too good to be true.” Everyone but Ben and Blake were laughing. Ben was scratching his head because he wasn’t in on the joke and Blake was looking at the ceiling and shaking his head.
When he looked back at me, he was struggling to keep his indignation on full display. “Seriously? You knew about that?”
“Indeed, I did, Mr. July. What I don’t know is why you did it. What normal guy does that?”
Joe started humming the Neil Sedaka calendar girl song. That made me erupt in laughter again.
“I did it for Camille. Her company puts it out every year and they had a slot to fill. She bullied me into it. You people just won’t give a guy a break, will you?” He tried to hold firm, but finally his façade fell away and he was laughing, too.
Ben had been able to put it all together. “Still got it, Sammie? I think I need to see it to determine if I can still be friends with a guy who puts his picture in a calendar.”
I went to a drawer in the kitchen desk and pulled it out. Handing it to Ben, I looked at Blake. “In all seriousness, you need to know that I’m so thankful I met you. You taught me how dangerous it is to make judgments about people before knowing them. I wrongly thought you were a self-absorbed jerk if you’d pose for a calendar picture. I also was certain we couldn’t share the same values. I was wrong about that, too.”
I reached a hand to him and he smiled as he took it. “Maybe now’s not the perfect time for this, but Sammie, I’ll take my chances on that.”
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow, not certain what he meant. I waited and gasped as he went down on one knee in front of me. I vaguely heard Annalise and Ashley suck in a breath.
“I know we haven’t been dating that long, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re the one for me, Samantha. The only one. I love you so much and I can’t picture my future without you in it. Will you marry me? Please? Champ won’t be able to take it if you say no.” Blake was holding my gaze steady and strong. I couldn’t look away and I was sure he couldn’t either.
“Yes. Yes!”
I started laughing and crying at the same time. He stood up and took me in his arms and kissed me boldly and with complete purpose. Our friends were clapping and then crowding around us. A moment that could have been private and traditionally romantic was public and perfect.
I was so thankful that first impressions are sometimes misguided and second chances are precious gifts from God. I was also thankful that this handsome calendar boy was all mine.
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First Impressions (Hero Hearts: Firefighter) Page 10