A Christmas Arrangement
Page 14
It seemed odd that Alex’s parents weren’t here, not to mention everyone else. Where had K.C. and Daphne gone? His mother had thought I was attempting suicide, but then disappeared once Alex showed up? I’d thought everyone was just giving me and Alex a little private time while we talked in the back room. I didn’t expect them all to leave. And Alex never did tell me why he was here instead of work. Not that I was complaining—if he hadn’t been, I’d be the poster child for Newton’s Laws of physics.
I turned to go and ask him what was going on, but there he was, just behind me, kneeling on one knee. He flipped open a ring box and flashed me his million dollar smile.
“Quincy McKay, will you marry me?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“No.”
I wasn’t sure who’d said that. But I paused and ran it back through my head and realized it had been me. My heart pounded, my throat was swollen, and it felt like I was plugged in to an adrenaline IV.
Alex blinked slowly and looked up at me from his knee. “Come again?”
“I mean—we can’t—get married. I’m still married to someone else, and your mother hates me and I’m wearing this elf costume and I—” My breaths were shallow and rapid now. Hyperventilation was setting in.
Alex stood up and apparently this was the cue. The front door to the shop flew open, the Hallelujah Chorus, was being sung—badly—and suddenly the room was full of family and friends. My knees felt like liquid and it seemed so hot in the shop all of a sudden.
“Quincy,” Alex grabbed my shoulders to keep me upright. “I love you. And so do my parents, but that doesn’t even matter. What matters is what you think—about me.”
“I love you so much it makes me cry just to say it out loud.” I wiped at my dripping eyes. “I just don’t want you to resent choosing me. I don’t want to be the thing that makes your family disappointed in you, because you’re perfect and wonderful and they know it. And I want it to stay that way for you.”
He closed the ring box, put it in his pocket and smiled at me. The carolers caught on and stopped singing—much to everyone’s relief. Alex cradled my face in his hands. “You are perfect for me. And I love you. I’ve loved you from the first time you bossed me around while I stood right over there by the door. And we don’t have to get married right away. We can wait until you’re divorced.”
“What was that?” I heard my mother ask.
“Shush, Annette,” my father said. “I’ll tell you later.”
“And my parents—”
“We love you, Quincy,” Eleanor said. “And it makes us so happy for you and our Leaky.”
“Leaky?” K.C. stage whispered. Alex’s face bloomed red as a rose.
“So now what do you say?”
“The problem is, you’re in the wrong spot, junior,” K.C. said. She put a hand on each of our shoulders and scooched us about a foot toward the front window. She looked up at the ceiling then nodded. “Now,” she said, looking at Alex, “do it again.”
He looked up at the ceiling and grinned. Then, he looked at me, his brown eyes sparkling and got down on one knee. He pulled out the ring box.
I looked up too and realized we were under the mistletoe K.C. had hung in the shop.
“Quinella McKay,” I pulled a face and his smile widened, “will you marry me sometime in the future?”
I wiped the tears from my cheeks once again. “Yes, I will, Alex Cooper.”
It was the best arrangement I’d ever made.
I hope you enjoyed A Christmas Arrangement!
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Also by Annie Adams
The Flower Shop Mystery Series:
The Final Arrangement available now on Amazon.com
Deadly Arrangements available now on Amazon.com
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Thank you all!
Annie
DEDICATION
To Grandma Lola and Grandpa Hill,
Thank you for teaching me, loving me and inspiring me.
I’ll miss you forever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Annie Adams lives in Northern Utah at the foot of the Wasatch with her husband, two dogs and two cats. She loves to hear from readers. Connect online:
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Table of Contents
Terminology Page
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I hope you enjoyed A Christmas Arrangement!
Also by Annie Adams
DEDICATION
ABOUT THE AUTHOR