Northwest Romantic Comedies: Boxed Set Books 1-6

by Lia London

  “Wait. Amaya Jefferson … from Team Northwest?”

  Amaya laughed. “Not for very long. I got voted off early.” She fluttered her fingers and then tugged on Frank’s arms. “Come on, honey. Let’s show them how this is done. Barth’s getting all cocky over there.” She pulled him into the commotion, and the two began dancing.

  Zaira watched with fascination until her eyes blurred. Antonio wasn’t here. He hadn’t come to get her. This wasn’t a huge gala event. Why had he invited her?

  When she was sure no one was watching her, she turned and crept back up the stairs. At the top, she winced. Where had the nice woman put her coat?

  “Excuse me?” she called out. What was the lady’s name again? “Mrs. Ripley?” No, that wasn’t it. “Mrs. Halsey? I’m going to need my coat.” She crossed the living room and into a gourmet chef style kitchen laden with a beautiful buffet.

  A soft gasp caught her attention, and she peered past the hanging cabinets into the dining room. There, poised beside an ornately decorated layered cake, stood Antonio in a black suit looking like a million bucks.

  “You came,” he breathed, rushing to her and clasping her hands. “How did you get here?”

  “Didn’t you know I was on my way? Some guy named Frank came and found me when I got lost.”

  “What? Why didn’t you call? I thought you weren’t going to come.”

  “My phone died. I used a land line.”

  Antonio’s face flipped through several emotions. “At the Pentacle Theater?”

  “Yes.”

  The smile that lit his face sent a rush of happy shivers through Zaira. “Then you can thank Amaya and Frank that you made it here. I didn’t answer because I thought it was a telemarketer or something.” Scratching his head, he gaped at her in wonder. “They didn’t tell me you called.” He licked his lips. “But you’re here, and that’s what matters.”

  “I’m here.” Zaira gazed up at him, admiring the way the twinkling lights threaded around the food on the tables for ambience cast shadows and highlights. Her heart pounded at the intensity of his gaze, and she tried to swallow, but her mouth had become a desert. “Were you in here sneaking some of the cake?”

  He released a silent laugh. “You … have no idea.” His hand found the small of her back, and he guided her to the display surrounding the cake. “This cake is for you.”

  “What?” Zaira’s mouth popped open. “But it’s so huge. It looks like a wedding cake.”

  “Zaira,” he whispered. “Beautiful Zaira, I’m so glad you came. I…” He took both her hands in his and seemed to search her eyes.

  “Antonio, I’m sorry I was so horrible to you when you were nothing but kind to me.”

  “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t do enough.”

  Zaira’s voice quivered and she tightened her grip. “Can we please start over? I’ll go slow if you need me to go slow, but Antonio, I love you. I really think we could be something special. I’m not at a stage in my life where I can afford to date around. If I set my sights on someone, it’s because he—because you are the person I want to make a life with. Someday. When you’re ready. If you’re ready…” Her voice trailed off, drowned out by her heartbeat.

  He only smiled in response and lifted a silver cake server. “Mabel’s going to kill me.”

  “Then don’t!” Zaira held out her hands, wondering why he’d changed the subject so abruptly when she’d just bared her soul to him. She blustered. “Don’t ruin it. Wait until they say it’s okay to have some.”

  Antonio shook his head, his eyes locking on hers. “One piece.” Studying the tiny heart-shaped segment that formed the top layer, he drew a deep breath and removed the pearly decoration.

  “A, don’t! You’ll ruin it. It’s too pretty.”

  “Trust me.” With a deliberate move, he sliced the heart in half and scooped one side over as if to peek inside.

  “Antonio, you’re messing up all the frosting.”

  “No, I’m not. Look closer,” he said, stepping out of her way and pointing to the thick line of creamy frosting in the center of the pink pieces.

  Zaira leaned closer. “What …?”

  Antonio stabbed a finger into the cake, digging out a foreign object. He placed the item between his lips, sucking the frosting off.

  “Ew!” Zaira wrinkled her nose and gently slapped his chest. “That’s gross. Antonio, what are—” She froze, her eyes now fixed on the glittering diamond ring he held between his thumb and forefinger.

  “Like I said, it’s your cake.” Antonio kept his gaze on her as he wiped the ring clean with a napkin and dropped to one knee. “And the ring is yours, too, if you’ll take me with it. Me and the boys. And our little home across the street.”

  Zaira gasped. “Are you… Is this…”

  “I know this is all improvised,” said Frank’s voice behind her. “But the preferred answer is YES!”

  Zaira covered her mouth as she turned full circle to see the entire party—even the boys—watching with rapt attention. Antonio was proposing marriage to her in front of all his celebrity friends? In front of his brothers? This wasn’t a joke! He hadn’t been retreating from her, he’d been hiding this amazing secret!

  Antonio cleared his throat. “Sofia confirmed your ring size, if you want to test it out.” He slipped it on her finger.

  “I think she’s going into shock,” whispered Carlos, loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Please say yes,” called Emilio. “We want you and Gabi in our family!”

  Dropping to her knees, Zaira threw her arms around Antonio’s neck and kissed him with every measure of joy she had. He responded with passion, and they lost their balance, still wrapped in each other’s arms. The move rocked the table leg, and a second later, the top part of the cake splatted onto their shoulders. Laughing, she and Antonio let themselves all the way to the ground beneath the table and continued the kiss.

  “I’m taking that as a yes,” said Carlos, and the room broke into cheers, whoops and applause.

  “Sorry I always make such a mess in the kitchen,” he said, brushing his lips down her neck.

  Zaira giggled. “This isn’t a mess. This is love.”

  “Yes, it is.” He reached up and rapped his knuckles on the bottom of the table. “You all can find something to do, right? We’re a little busy down here. Try the cake. The frosting is fantastic.”

  Zaira stifled a laugh into his shoulder, then tipped his face towards her with her fingertip. Wiping a dollop of frosting off his cheek with her thumb, she grinned. “You missed a spot.”

  “Where?”

  “Let me get if for you.” She pulled him into a deep kiss, and they didn’t emerge until the rest of the guests had cut their cake and moved on.

  Epilogue

  Antonio peered through the gate down at the marina dock and waved at Parker. Turning to his brothers, he hissed, “She saw us. Okay, boys. Best behavior.”

  “I can’t believe we’re going to be on a yacht!” Emilio jumped up and down. “Is it the same one you filmed some scenes on?”

  “No, this one belongs to a friend of Jill, I think.”

  “Man, I’m so glad you know Jill,” said Carlos. “She gets us into everything!”

  “Yes, she’s very nice,” agreed Antonio, wrapping his arm around Zaira. “You want me to carry Gabi while we board?”

  Zaira nodded, smiling, and lifted Gabriela onto his shoulders. Gabi clutched his forehead, delighted by the new vantage point, and Antonio thrilled at the confidence she seemed to have in him.

  Parker arrived at the gate and let them in. “Sorry. I still don’t carry enough clout to know the codes. I have to do it manually.”

  “Don’t even worry about it!” exclaimed Zaira. “This is so incredibly nice of you to arrange.”

  “Jill did most of the work, though I may have cashed in a few favors.” Parker tucked an arm around Zaira. “Come along, Miss Vasquez. This is going to be fun.”

 
; The party moved slowly down the stairs and along the planked thoroughfare, passing yachts and large sailboats bobbing on the Columbia River. Brisk spring sunshine sent washes of warmth over their skin in between blasts of chilly breezes.

  Antonio and Zaira spotted their destination at the same time and laughed. A sparkly-font banner stretched across the front of the first deck asking Who Wants to Be a Newlywed?

  “Oh my gosh, this is hilarious!” Zaira squeezed Antonio’s elbow and reached up to pat Gabriela’s back. “As long as there are no cameras filming us, I’m totally loving this theme.”

  Parker held up a hand. “I make no guarantees. Cell phones, you know. But this’ll be fun. Come on. Hold the railing. It’s a bit slippery.” She led the way up a grated plank to board a gleaming white yacht with blue and gold accents.

  Antonio held back, grinning with joy to see how excited Zaira and his brothers were to see such opulence. For him, the luxury was having a full family. In two more weeks, he and Zaira would be married.

  Zaira turned back with a broad smile. “Aren’t you glad I said we should do a couple’s shower instead of just a bridal?”

  “Heck yeah!” interjected Carlos, running his hands along the smooth outer walls of the cabin. “Do we get to take this for a ride?”

  “No such luck, buddy. Step inside.” Parker’s voice, tinged with directorial authority, got the boys moving in the right direction.

  Inside the plush cabin, Antonio wanted to cheer and jump for joy. His five fellow competitors and his director each had found love, and so had he. As far as he was concerned, Zaira outshone them all, and he watched with pride as she circled the room, greeting and thanking everyone.

  “Okay, Northwesters, we’re almost ready to begin.” Jill clapped her hands, her baby belly now fully visible beneath a stylish flowery tunic top. “But first!” She rubbed her palms together and gave Emilio a knowing wink. “I understand there is a vital family tradition we must not leave out.”

  Antonio and Zaira exchanged confused glances, and he lowered Gabriela to the ground.

  Jill signaled for Emilio to check behind the long counter bar that led to the kitchen area, and he hurried to obey with a deep-bellied chortle.

  With her hand on her hip in the sultriest pose possible for a woman so very pregnant, Jill explained with a dramatic flair. “Zaira’s family will be having another bridal shower next week, but I have learned from a reliable source that there is something all of the women in her family do at the beginning of their little fiestas of this sort.” She winked at Zaira.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Zaira tossed her head back and laughed as Emilio lifted a 12-pack of Charmin toilet paper.

  Jill continued. “I’m sure her satin dress is beautiful, but we need to make her a special one for now.”

  Chuckling, Zaira wrapped her arms around Antonio’s waist. “Oh no. I already have to do that next time. We can skip that bit for now.”

  “No, we can’t!” cried Carlos, helping Emilio tear open the package. “Everybody wrap her up in TP for her Ultra Soft, Super Absorbent bride’s gown thing.”

  The room rippled with amused understanding, and everyone burst into motion.

  Zaira gripped Antonio tighter. “Here we go again.”

  “It is your turn, you know,” he winked. “I did it last time.”

  “Are you in on this? Did you tell Jill?”

  Antonio raised his right hand as if swearing in court. “I promise, I had nothing to do with it. Maybe Carlos?”

  At that moment, Barth launched a roll over them, perfectly catching the stream over Antonio’s extended fingers. “Wrap ’em up together!” he called. “They’re family now. Little ones, too!”

  “What?” squealed Carlos.

  Zaira’s mouth fell open with laughter, and Antonio swept Gabriela up into his arms between them. Frank and Barth picked up Emilio and Carlos respectively, and brought them kicking and laughing to the center of the room. In a flurry of two-ply mayhem, the guests descended upon the engaged family.

  When the rolls ran out, some picked up the tubes and called through them, amplifying their playful banter.

  “They look like an igloo!”

  “Frosty, the snow family.”

  “He’s marrying a marshmallow!”

  “Let’s have s’mores!”

  “Hey, no fair! Antonio’s the last one to get married, and he’s already got a whole family!”

  Antonio heard this and beamed down at Zaira. “I am the lucky one, aren’t I?”

  “We can argue about that later.” Zaira tucked herself even closer, careful not to tear her TP attire. “I think it’s probably me.”

  Parker’s voice boomed over the others. “Cell phones ready? Let’s blow up the internet.”

  Zaira squealed in surprise, but Antonio swiftly silenced her with a kiss. If he was in the public eye again, he wanted the whole world to know he loved Zaira, Carlos, Emilio, and little Gabriela. His heart swelled with happiness, full and whole.

  Pulling them into a papery group hug, he smiled at the flashing cell phones and shouted, “Reality is way better than anything that ever happened to me on TV! I hope everyone can find someone to love like I love my family!” Brushing his lips behind Zaira’s ear, he added, “I love you from A to Z.”

  She hummed a sexy note. “We need a longer alphabet to say how much I love you back.”

  Antonio chuckled. “I hear Chinese has something like five thousand characters.”

  Zaira tugged him into another kiss. “That’s a good start.”

  Northwest Locations Mentioned in Love from A to Z

  This book is not quite as replete with Northwest exotic locations, but almost every place mentioned was real (though used fictitiously). Click the links for each place to get extra cool information.

  Lincoln City ~ For over a decade of my life, Lincoln City was the go-to beach, only a 45-minute drive from where I lived. It’s a cozy town with great food, antique shops, and saltwater taffy stores. Unlike white sand bikini beaches, the Oregon coastline is rugged and requires wetsuits for all but the craziest of water sport enthusiasts. Beautiful rocky monoliths dot the surf, and the tide pools are great for exploring. It also hosts some of the best kite flying you could imagine. Although La Casa senior center for the Spanish-speaking community is fictional, the city does sport many recreation centers and facilities for the multicultural residents. Lincoln City is also home to the world’s shortest river, the D River. (Folks in Montana dispute this, claiming it’s their own Roe River. The Guinness Book of World Records went back and forth on the debate for a while before removing the category completely.)

  Mo’s Restaurant ~ If you go to the Oregon coast, you must eat at Mo’s. Period. Super famous clam chowder. Senator Robert Kennedy, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Henry Fonda were all big fans. No lie!

  Pentacle Theater ~ For the Salem area, this is the home of some of the best community theater around. They have a long tradition of putting on great live shows in their homey venue at the top of a wooded hill. Some of my good friends performed there over the years, and I’ve always loved the setting.

  West Salem ~ I spent my teen years in South Salem, and West Salem was always considered the “posh” part of town. From the air, it looks rather like a great mound of broccoli. It features winding roads through the hills and many homes from the early 20th century that are just plain gorgeous.

  Willamette River ~ I only mentioned this one in passing, but here’s a cool trivia fact: the Willamette (pronounced will-AM-et) is the 2nd largest north-running river in the world. Number one is the Nile in Egypt, so hey, we’ll take it! Go, Oregon!

  A word about my limited fashion sense…

  I realize that, in the world of romance novels, descriptions of what people are wearing are a big deal. Often, I’ve wondered if I failed my audience by plopping my characters into jeans and hoodie sweatshirts so much of the time. But here’s the thing. I’ve lived in Oregon for most of my life, and that’
s what we wear … eight months out of the year! To verify my assumption, I went to our local malls and watched people walking around at different times of the year. Mind you, these are people who just came out of clothing stores. And guess what? Literally over half of the people were wearing hoodies—either the zip-up kind or the pull-over pouch-in-the-front kind. At least in the Portland Metro area, that’s the norm. The second most common attire? Some kind of plaid shirt. Yep. In the summer, we wear sandals with socks, not because we’re all over 50, but just … yeah. That’s Oregon. We’re probably hiding our webbed feet. We also crack out our shorts as soon as the temps top about 60 degrees. Balmy!

  So that would be why most of my characters are not terribly chic, but they are comfortable!

  More Romance from Lia London

  If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review so that others will know it’s worth reading. Also, your feedback helps me know what’s working and what isn’t—and if I should write more!

  I have another stand-alone romance called Her Imaginary Husband (which has some autobiographical elements for comic relief).

  Proposal Series Novellas

  These stand-alone novellas are tied by the theme of popping the big question: Will you marry me? The series releases Summer 2019. Grab all four for the perfect beach or poolside read (or when you’re cozying up to a fire).

  1) A Second-Chance Proposal

  2) A Simple Proposal

  3) A Rival’s Proposal

  4) A Complicated Proposal

  Boxed set coming in the fall!

  I also dabble in several other genres including young adult fantasy/science fiction, humorous fairy tale short stories, a Monty Python meets Agatha Christie type mystery novella, and several inspirational Christian devotional books. You can learn more about any and all of that at LiaLondonBooks.com or visit my Amazon page.