by Leigh, Ember
Her shoulders shake with a restrained sob, or laugh, or both. “You brought the cakes. Of course it’s yes.”
I surge forward, shooting up off my stool to come around the table and wrap her in my arms. She melts into my embrace, all laughter and sighs, and I bring my lips to the shell of her ear. Right where I know it turns her to goo.
“I love you, Kinsley Cabana.” I move my lips down to her lobe, nipping gently. “These past six weeks away from you have been hell. Please, let’s never do this again.”
She buries her face in my neck, nodding and crying, and all I can do is hold her. There’s so much emotion pouring out of her, and I’m the man to receive it. I want to be the guy who is always here to receive it, for as long as we can imagine.
“Luckily,” she says, “this is one situation where I don’t need the app to tell me the right choice.” A few more tears spill down her cheeks as she presses her forehead to mine. “I love you too, Connor. Let’s do this.”
Our lips connect in their familiar way. Brutal. Tender. Heated.
We’re at the beginning of our own epic love story.
And there’s nobody else I would have at my side to write it.
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
KINSLEY
We’re back in Bayshore for a number of reasons. First and foremost, because we want to be. It’s our one-year anniversary, and we felt like we should come back to the place where it all began. Not the after-work bar in San Diego, which is where our fake romance idea was conceived, but Bayshore, where our fake romance was enacted.
Except now, it’s far from fake. It’s the most real thing we’ve ever felt, touched, tasted, or dealt with.
We chose to celebrate that first day in Bayshore as our anniversary date, even though it was still a pretense at that point. We talked a lot about which date the anniversary should get—I’m talking hours and days and weeks rehashing this—and this is the formal conclusion.
Additionally, we’ve got a little interview scheduled with the Bayshore Herald while we’re in town. They, along with everyone and their brother, has heard about our app that has, for all intents and purposes, exploded. It went viral three separate times, and I’m not even sure how that happened.
Point is, everyone knows about it, and now the Herald wants to feature us as the hometown heroes.
Which puts our parents in a beautiful position: dismayed by our continued relationship, yet so proud they could burst. But nobody dares say anything to us, because we’ve been together for a year, with no sign of quitting anytime soon.
“Is it here?” Connor pumps the brakes of the rental car as we crisscross the downtown streets, searching for the Bayshore Herald headquarters. I point out the petunia-lined front entrance.
“Right here. Wasn’t this the old shoe store growing up?”
Connor grins as he eases into a parking spot. “I thought it looked familiar! We got kicked out of here once for fighting about whose shoe size was biggest.”
I snort. Typical Daly brothers. “Didn’t Dom win because he was the oldest and biggest?”
A mischievous grin crosses Connor’s face. “That’s what Dom was banking on. But it turns out I have the biggest foot in the Daly clan.”
“And we know what that means.” We shut our car doors, and I skip up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Biggest dick,” he confirms, and then we share a long, sweet kiss.
“Ready for this victory interview?” I squeeze his ass before we hold hands and head for the front door. The past year has been a whirlwind, that’s for sure. But every new twist and turn in our adventure only brings us deeper into love and commitment.
We didn’t launch Wizard Initiatives with only one app on the docket. Once Connor found out about my side work in the HR world, we developed an app that catered specifically to HR professionals. In November, our Risk Wizard rolled out. And in February, the Hitman HR Wizard hit the market. Right around the time that we heard through the grapevine that Tamara had been formally dismissed from her position at E-bid after a slew of complaints were lodged against her in the wake of our departures from the company.
What a sweet, sweet cake topper to this amazing pastry of life.
Better yet, both apps are performing much stronger than we could have imagined or even planned for.
Which means that our business of two has now become a business of ten, and more expansion is on the horizon.
Connor brings the back of my hand, clasped in his, to his lips. “How does it feel to be one half of a power couple?”
I giggle as we push into the sunny lobby of the Bayshore Herald. “Are you preparing me for the interview?”
Our laughter fades as we step up to the receptionist and announce our business. She leads us into the bowels of the newspaper, where they’ve set up a featureless room for our interview. The journalist, a woman named June who graduated a few years ahead of us, is waiting for us with a big smile and a cameraman.
“So glad you could make it!” June guides us into the appropriate chairs while the cameraman tests his balances and whatnot. Once we’re ready to chat and she’s given an overview of what we’ll be covering, the red light blinks, and we’re filming.
The interview starts out normally enough. June introduces us, gives a basic overview of our Bayshore street cred (which classes we graduated in, which neighborhoods we grew up in), and then launches into our current professional work on the West Coast.
Except Connor gets nervous. Like, way nervous. He’s rubbing his palms against his knees and keeps giving this fake little laugh that I’ve never heard before. I try not to stare at him while this strange, flustered version of him creeps out amid the questions. It almost makes me laugh, because over the past year, this is the least nerve-wracking thing we’ve done. We even appeared on a huge LA-based network. Hell, we’ve been in touch with Oprah’s people already. Oprah! The Bayshore Herald is smalltime compared to the places we’ve been.
Connor gets his act together a little better, and we sail through conversation about our company’s origin and what the future holds for our demographic. After a brief technical description of the Risk Wizard, June starts to wind down the interview. We went over the half hour mark but only a little bit, but I’m sure they can edit out plenty of nervous laughs in the beginning to fit the time slot.
“So,” June says, turning to both of us with a big grin. “Have you used the app on yourselves? What do you think is the next big step in your lives?”
I’m ready to respond with something cheeky—grab a house before the property values skyrocket much higher—but Connor clears his throat, leaning forward to speak.
“I’ve been certain of the next big step in my life for a long time,” he says, rummaging in his pocket for something. Something spikes in the air—not quite nervousness, but a sort of energy shift that make me sit a little taller and listen a little closer. I have no idea what he thinks his next step in life is, other than continuing to be my amazing boyfriend and business partner.
“Ironically, I didn’t need technology to help me figure it out. My next step involves making this woman my wife,” Connor says earnestly to June before turning to me. His words don’t click for a moment. At first, I think he’s talking about June, but that doesn’t make sense. He wouldn’t marry June. He doesn’t even know her.
June coos and touches her chest, and that’s when I realize that the red light on the camera is still blinking dully and Connor has brought out a small ring box with two rings sitting inside.
“Kinsley,” he begins, sinking to one knee in front of me, and that’s when his meaning crashes into me like a freight train. My jaw clatters to the ground, and I grip the armrest of my chair. Now it makes sense. His weird laughter and the way he’s been darting around the apartment in San Diego like a thief sometimes. I’ve caught him tucking something into the bedside drawer a few times, and I always assumed it was a secret journal or something.
But no.
It’s these wedding rings.
Because he wants to marry me.
“I’ve known you’re the one for me since the beginning, when we were lost and pretending and struggling to find our happiness. But we realized that our happiness is created together. And I want us to be happy and sunny and together forever.”
Tears are spilling out of my eyes even though I’m still not able to process this fully. Of course I’ll marry this man. He’s the only one I would ever consider forever with.
“These are my grandparents’ rings. They chose not to be buried with them, because they wanted them to continue on in the Daly legacy of love.”
That little tidbit really gets the tears flowing. Grammy Ethel’s ring, of all things. Holy crap, I wasn’t expecting this to happen. On camera, no less.
“I want us to create our own ever after, Sunny-kins. Will you marry me?”
I’m covering my mouth, looking at the gold band and sparkling diamond of the ring he’s freed from the box. But I can barely see through the veil of tears. I’m blubbering as I try to speak, but finally I manage to force out, “Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
Connor’s hands shake as he pushes the ring onto my left hand. And then his arms are around me, pulling me into a warm, solid hug that as familiar as it is provocative.
Because that’s how it is with Connor. He’s my comfort zone laced with challenge. My soft landing edged with a push. He is everything sexy and warm and tender that I can no longer live without.
June is fanning her face when I pull away from Connor a few moments later. She smiles at us with teary eyes. “Congratulations, you two.”
“Did you plan this with her?” I ask Connor.
He nods, and that’s when I notice he’s crying a little, too. He doesn’t let go of me. I suspect he won’t for the rest of our lives. “Yeah. I made sure she was okay with me proposing during the interview. How else could I get this filmed for posterity without you realizing?”
Another flood of emotion overwhelms me, and I bury my face in his chest. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Roughly six months.”
I laugh, tipping my head back so my chin rests on his chest. “I love you, you know that?”
“I suspected.” He grins, then dips down for another kiss. When we break apart, he brushes his thumb along my jawline. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Kins. You’re my sunbeam. And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how fucking awesome you are.”
“Oh God.” I squeeze my arms around his waist. “I think we broke the affection-o-Meter again.”
“That means we surpassed 3500 megahertz.”
“What broke?” June asks as she files away the folders she brought for the interview. The camera has stopped filming, so now Connor and I are officially lost in our own world. Murmuring sweet nothings and repeating inside jokes into eternity, which is what the rest of our lives will look like.
“Oh, nothing.” Connor grins down at me. In a whisper, he adds, “We should probably go.”
And the subtext is clear: time to go celebrate. Back to his parents’ house, which is where we’re staying again. Except this time, we’re staying with my mom and dad, too, for half the time. Easing both families into the idea that this is a permanent thing, made even more serious by the on-screen proposal.
They aren’t there 100 percent yet, but they’ll get there.
I know they will.
Because if Connor and I could get here, then resolving our parents’ drama will just take extra love.
And with Connor at my side, we’ve got plenty of that to spare.
Now I know the truth. Living truthfully, living creatively, living in love…they’re all synonyms for do the scary thing.
And opening up to Connor was the scariest thing of all.
I’ll keep doing it.
Because that’s the only way to burrow even deeper into love. And I want to see just how far this adventure in love will take us.
THE END
Ready for MORE Daly Brothers? Don’t worry, there are still three brothers left. Next up? Make Me Yours, Dom’s story, releasing early 2020! Join my reader’s group to learn the latest about the next books in the series.
Author’s Note
The choppy waters of Lake Erie in the summertime are a special sort of haven, shrieking sea gulls and all. This series is set in a fictionalized mixture of my hometown and a neighboring town in northern Ohio. Writing this series has become a love song to my homeland.
Even though I grew up mostly critical of my little slice of the world (like most moody, dissatisfied teens—HA!), I now recognize it for what it is: a gorgeous spot in the Midwestern landscape, one that is capable of producing all the love and emotion and depth that a romance author could hope for.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this visit to Bayshore…and I hope you’ll continue this journey with the brothers of the Daly family!
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Read The Bayshore Series
The Daly brothers never imagined that losing their hearts might be the first step in mending their broken family.
Set in the fictitious Midwestern beach town of Bayshore, Ohio, follow these sometimes arrogant but always sexy brothers as they find big love in their small town.
Series available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited beginning summer 2019.
Make Me Lose
The first Bayshore novel
Grayson Daly and I aren’t just rivals. We’re enemies.
Born minutes apart on the same day in the same hospital, our parents thought this meant we were somehow destined to be together. We knew were we just destined to beat each other.
Competition boiled over until junior year, when the cold war turned into an unexpected peace offering. Maybe my hormones allowed me to notice his broad shoulders, stormy gray-blue eyes, and soccer star’s chiseled frame. But after I fell for him…he stomped all over my heart.
Ten years later, I’m at the top of the realty game in Bayshore and Grayson is just a distant memory. Until he shows up from NYC, his ego bigger than a skyscraper, and asks me to sell the house he recently inherited.
It’s easy to say no. Even though I want to climb him like the jungle gyms we used to dangle from in strong arm battles.
But I forgot that Gray doesn’t take no for an answer. And that he isn’t content unless he’s defeating me.
He butts into my evenings on the boat. Ropes me into water skiing battles. Even shows up at the bar and creates a scene when I’m scouting a date to the upcoming Bicentennial Ball.
It’s almost like he’s gunning to win me.
But if he wins, that means I lose.
And I’m not ready to cede victory just yet.
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and in KINDLE UNLIMITED
READ THE BREAKING SERIES
Breaking The Rules
Book #1 in The Breaking Series
Travis Holt never expected the one person who could throw him off his game to roll back into town. As the successful owner of Holt Body Fitness, he was sure he would win his upcoming MMA fight…until his best friend’s little sister showed up.
For Travis, there's only ever been one rule: stay away
from his best friend's sister. But Amara Valenzuela has transformed from meek and sweet to a woman that Travis can’t keep his eyes—or hands—off of. Before long, however, Travis learns that being with Amara isn’t just breaking the rules. She’s a dangerous distraction.
In a room full of hot, hard, sweaty bodies, these two have more than fitness on their minds. Will the undefeated MMA fighter be strong enough to resist the charms of his best friend's sexy and sweet little sister…or will trying to win her heart be the showdown of his life?
AVAILABLE NOW AT AMAZON and in KINDLE UNLIMITED
Changing The Game
Book #2 of The Breaking Series
A half-cocked hellion and a woman looking for safety both have secrets that could ruin their second chance.
Even though the only woman Lexington Olivo ever loved walked away five years ago, fate has brought her back. Now he’s on the road to redemption, determined to prove he can be a better man than he was before…but is the darkness of his past really gone?
After a tumultuous relationship with Lex ended five years ago, Lila knows her safest bet is to keep her distance. But Lex is clean, sober, successful now…and as sexy as he ever was. So when he wants a second chance, her heat and body crave the intensity he ignites within her, and she can’t refuse.
But this time, Lila’s the one with a secret. One that’s been five years in the making and will change the game for both of them. And while Lex is busy proving himself, the past comes pounding on his door. The gang he used to fight for wants him back. This time, they won’t take no for an answer.