He pushed away from the table and got to his knees.
Haylee’s heart leaped sideways in her chest. Silence fell around the table, broken only by the ticking cuckoo clock above the mantel. She covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hold back still more tears. She knew he’d do the responsible thing but she hadn’t expected this.
“Haylee Hansen,” he said. “Will you marry me?”
“You don’t have to do this, Aiden,” she whispered. “I already said I’d move in with you.”
“Haylee Hansen.” His tone was long-suffering but good-natured. “Will you marry me?”
She hazarded a look around the table. Olivia and Gayle had tears in their eyes. Daphne had a death grip on poor Ezra’s hand.
Sage rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, Ma. Put the man out of his misery.”
A laugh burst through Haylee’s lips. She gulped. “Okay.” She threw her arms around Aiden’s neck. “Okay, I’ll marry you. But I’m kind of a mess. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.”
A cheer went up around the table and numerous high-fives were exchanged.
Aiden brought his lips close to her ear while the laughter and congratulations rang around them. “I’m the mess, not you, Haylee,” he said softly. “There’s nothing tidy or easy about love. All we can do is be brave enough to share our whole messy selves and hope someone can see through to love us anyway. I want to do that with you. I love you with all my big, messy heart. Got that? You’re stuck with me.”
She pressed her lips to his. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
He grinned. “I’m counting on it. Now, there’s a roomful of people waiting for us to use the mistletoe. Ready to give the audience what they want?”
About the Author
USA TODAY bestselling author Roxanne Snopek writes contemporary romance both sexy and sweet, in small towns, big cities, and secluded islands, with families and communities that will warm your heart. Her fictional heroes (like her own real-life hero) are swoon-worthy, uber-responsible, secretly vulnerable, and occasionally dough-headed, but animals love them, which makes everything okay. Roxanne writes from British Columbia, Canada, where she is surrounded by flowers, wildlife, and two adoring dogs. She does yoga to stay sane. It works, mostly.
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