Matt’s mom came up to her, kissing her on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, dear. This is a wonderful party. I love the idea of combining a wine tasting with a chocolate tasting.”
Barbara looked radiant in a red sequined top and black flare pants. “Well, that was really a no brainer for us. Matt and I simply decided to combine our two loves and thought it’d make the evening doubly fun.”
Barbara’s eyes fluttered as she took a delicate bite of a dark chocolate salted caramel. “Oh, yes. Very fun,” she said, washing it down with a sip of port. “I’m so happy you convinced Justin to come down for the party, too.”
Kennedy’s gaze wandered over to the Christmas tree, where Justin and Mia looked to be engrossed in conversation. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. They shared a laugh, their eyes shining.
Hmm…
Kennedy would have never pictured Mia and Justin together, but now…
Well, lately her matchmaking had been a bit less ridged and more open-minded.
“Uh, yeah,” Kennedy said, her matchmaking ideas spinning, “I’m glad Justin came down, too. Although to be honest, it was less me and more Matt you have to thank. Justin’s really making it a point to take more time away from work and mix in more pleasure.”
Barbara nodded approvingly. “It’s been so nice seeing you down here more regularly. I’m glad you’ve been taking more time away from work, too.”
She flushed, thinking of all the time she’d spent on the island this past year—particularly at Matt’s condo.
“Speaking of work,” Kennedy said, glancing around the room, “where’s Matt? I would have thought he’d be hawking one of his newest red blends by now.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Barbara slapped her palm on her forehead. “All this wine must have gone to my head. He told me to tell you he’s waiting on the balcony deck for you.”
“Outside? Now? It must be twenty degrees out.”
Barbara shrugged. “There’s something there. He said it was for your eyes only.”
“Well, I better go before he freezes,” she said with a laugh then went in search of her coat.
Matt was bundled up in his navy pea coat and gray scarf as he stood against the railing, gazing out into the vineyard. Her pulse quickened at the sight of him. Would she ever not be plagued by a rush of emotions whenever she saw him? It had been well over a year and she had yet to answer yes.
She closed the sliding door behind her, and he turned around. “Thank God,” he groaned. “I feel like I’ve been standing outside for days. Come here and warm me up.”
She chuckled and melted into his arms. “Your mom just told me you were out here. What did you want to show me?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about us.” He pulled back to look at her.
“Us? What about us? Everything has been going great, hasn’t it?”
He touched her face. “Call me a greedy man, but I think it can be better.”
“How so?”
“By this.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a diamond engagement ring. “I love you, Kennedy Pepperdine.”
“Oh, Matt,” she whispered, her eyes filling up. She’d never seen a more beautiful ring in her entire life, but before she could even begin to tell him that, he took hold of her shoulders and gently positioned her in front of him so she could see out into the vineyard.
“Okay, Jim, hit it!” he yelled down.
Before she could blink, the vineyard lit up with colored lights, making it look like a theme park from Disney World. “Oh my gosh, is this all for me?” she said in awe.
“Look down there,” he pointed.
There on the flat land were white lights strung out in words. It read: Will You Ma Me? She blinked at them.
He wrapped his arms around her middle and began nuzzling her neck. “What do you say, Kennedy?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure?” He looked down for himself then his lips puckered with annoyance. “Oh, hell. It’s supposed to say Will You Marry Me? Those stupid cheap lights Caitlyn bought. I knew they wouldn’t last. I wanted this night to be perfect for us.”
She laughed, cradling his grouchy face in her hands. “I love your proposal exactly the way it is. It’s so right, because it is so us. And that’s what makes it perfect to me. And by the way, the answer is most definitely yes. I love you, too,” she said against his lips. “I love you so very much.”
“Thank God,” he groaned, and then pressed his lips against hers.
Kennedy couldn’t help but feel a soaring rightness that went on as they kissed and kissed and drank each other in. She loved him and he loved her. Some days were great and some days weren’t, but she wouldn’t trade any of them for anything else in the world.
“I think I’ve loved you ever since we got stuck in that elevator, and you pulled out that brown paper bag of yours,” he murmured, leaning his forehead against hers.
“Matt Ellis, I didn’t know you were such a romantic,” she teased. “You used to be so cynical about love.”
He grinned. “A certain redheaded matchmaker changed my mind.”
“Let’s go in and tell your mom and the others about our engagement.”
“Not yet,” he said, taking her hand. “I want you to myself for just a little while longer.”
“Matt, have you lost your mind?” Chuckling, she blew out her breath in the chilled night air for effect. “It’s freezing out here.”
He pulled her back to him, gathering her into his arms. “I’ll just have to work a little harder to warm you up then,” he said, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
And suddenly she didn’t feel the least bit cold.
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Acknowledgments
I had a complete blast writing this book, but, as with all of my books, it takes a village. Well, probably more like a metropolis.
Thank yous and hugs to my super supportive critique group—The Passionate Critters. The name so fits. Special thanks and praise go to Nina Croft and Cynthia Blackburn who became speed readers when I was approaching deadline. You ladies are amazing! Words can’t express how much I appreciate the extra time you gave to me.
Thank you to my favorite editor, Stacy Abrams. You gave me such wonderful suggestions and the very best ideas for new scenes for this book. I am forever grateful, because I completely love how it all turned out.
Thank you also to my Entangled Bliss team: Alycia Tornetta, Debbie Suzuki, and Crystal Havens. I appreciate your professionalism and help. I always know my books are in good hands.
Huge thanks and extra kisses to my husband, who kept two teenagers out of the house, entertained, and fed while I worked on edits this summer. Thanks for being so understanding—and not complaining one bit! That’s why there are pieces of you in all my heroes.
Lastly, thank you to all my readers. You make writing all the more special.
About the Author
Jennifer Shirk is the award-winning author of sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Montlake Romance and Entangled Publishing. Her novel SUNNY DAYS FOR SAM won the 2013 Golden Quill Published Authors Contest for Best Traditional Romance. Recently, WEDDING DATE FOR HIRE became a finalist in the 2016 NJRW Golden Leaf Contest for best short contemporary romance.
She resides in a beach resort in NJ, so when she’s not writing or working on her tan, she’s taking care of her most treasured possessions: her husband, daughter, guinea pig (Rocco), and dog (Sox).
Check out her website for News and Links: www.jennifershirk.com
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