by Lindsey Hart
And pickles.
“Dinner sounds great. Tonight? How about I cook?”
“No!” Cassie slaps a hand over her mouth to try and contain her laughter. “No! Please. We’ll order in. Or we’ll go out. Please, don’t attempt to cook again. I worry about your safety.”
I take the pickle off my windshield and hold it up in the air. “Take this as a promise. Of a fresh start. One more chance. And maybe a few after that. You know. For minor mishaps, as you said.”
I round the car, and Cassie hurtles into my arms. I don’t care that we’re standing in the middle of the office parking lot. Everyone will know soon enough. I’m not giving up. I’m not giving in. I’m not going to let our fears get the best of us. I know our real best is still out there, and I want that. I know she does too. It would be nice if we could have that together.
I kiss her there, pickle still in hand. And she kisses me right back.
EPILOGUE
Cassie
“John? Where are you? I’m home!”
I set my purse and tote—with my tablet and the files I brought home to work on this weekend—down on the table. A lot has changed in three years. A lot. It turns out, John and I make a pretty good team. I stopped doing so much accounting and started concentrating on the actual people part of the business. What Lucas used to do.
I dropped by one of our newest stores after work to see how everything was going, so John got home before me. His car is in the garage, but the house is way too quiet.
“John?”
Did he go for a walk somewhere? He would have texted me if he wasn’t here. It’s weird. I hope this isn’t like the surprise party he gave me six months ago for my thirty-fourth birthday. Everyone was there. My mom, Bill, Aiden, and Rin and their two-year-old daughter, Emma. Lucas and Aria were the biggest surprises. They decided to settle in Columbia permanently, and it was incredibly special that they came all the way for my silly birthday party.
John’s family was there, as well. My birthday wasn’t as fabulous or as hectic or as adventurous as the month-long trip to Europe we took, but it was pretty amazing to realize that so many people love me and care about my happiness. Of course, Aria upstaged the whole thing by letting it slip that she and Lucas were going to be parents, and my parents were pretty much useless after that. Both of them turned into giant bawl bags.
“John? Where the heck are you?” I walk over to the door to the basement stairs and call down. “Are you doing laundry? Did you fall into the washer? Hello? John?”
My voice echoes back at me. We bought a character house in a quaint little area. The house is nearly a hundred years old, a two-story beast that has basically been a money pit, but all the repairs we put into it, mostly ourselves, have been a labor of love.
“John?” I head up the stairs. They were in the worst shape of all, and when we had them rebuilt, we hired an amazing carpenter and then tiled the faces ourselves with bright, patterned tile. It matches our kitchen backsplash. I really like it. I haven’t worried once, in the entire time we’ve renovated, if it will market well or sell well.
This is our home. It’s not just a house.
“John? Seriously? Are you sleeping?”
There isn’t any answer. I walk down the hall to our bedroom. It’s dark upstairs. We’ve both been working hard, and I figure maybe John really did fall asleep. He probably could use some extra rest. I’m about to tiptoe back downstairs, but I check the bedroom first.
I switch on the light and let loose an actual snort out of shock.
Because there, on my pillow, is a pickle. A big, warty, greenish-yellow pickle. With a red bow. And a ring tied to the bow.
My cheeks are wet before I even reach the stupid pickle. I pick up the thing—how do they even come in this epic size—and untie the ring. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I love the vintage-looking ones, and this one looks handmade. It’s dainty and filled with tiny little stones and one slightly larger one. The gold band gives it away. It’s not smooth or flawless. I can tell someone actually made this. Like, not a big corporate company, but an individual artist.
“Do you like it?”
“Oh!” I whirl around and nearly drop the pickle. John is leaning against the doorway. I don’t know where he came from or how he got here without the floorboards creaking up a storm like they always do. “I do!”
“Whoa. I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Save that for the wedding.”
I let out a little squeal of happiness and launch myself into John’s arms. He catches me like he always does. Since that day in the parking lot, in front of his car, I haven’t doubted him once. He promised me over dinner that night that he would never hurt me. That he’d never use me. That he’d always tell me the truth, even if it sucked. It had sucked a few times. We’ve had our ups and downs just like every couple, but I’ve never, ever doubted that he loves me.
“Really? A pickle proposal?” I try to sound serious, but I just sound ridiculous. Bubbly. Excited. And so freaking happy.
“Oh, yes. Pickles will always have a special place in our lives and our hearts.”
“You should save that for the wedding. I think it would make a nice vow.”
“Would it? I think you’re right. I’ll write it down, just in case I forget.”
“I love you. I’m so excited to be your wife. This is seriously the best night of my entire life.”
John whistles right near my ear. “If that’s true, I haven’t been doing my job right. I promise to make it up to you. Starting right now.” He sweeps me up and sets me on the bed. I’m not sure what happened to the pickle. I’m not holding it anymore, but I do still have my ring, thank goodness. John took it and slipped it onto my finger. It’s just about a perfect fit.
“I’m not going to argue with you if you insist on topping this moment right here.” I wrap my arms around John’s neck and pull him down on top of me. He catches himself right before he crushes me.
“Good. I’m glad to hear it, the future Mrs. Thatcher. You always have something to say. Something to argue about. Not that I don’t like that about you. Because I do. I love you. All of you.”
“Something to say? Something to say?” I pretend to be miffed, but John cuts me off with a kiss, and then we’re gone.
Gone together, lost in each other, and very, very much in love.
The End
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey Hart specializes in sweet to extra hot and dirty romances and strongly believes in happily ever after. If you are looking for a page turner, then you are in for a wild and naughty ride with feisty heroines and alpha male heroes.
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ALPHALICIOUS BILLIONAIRES
The Box Set Volume 1
Books 1 - 4
Available in Kindle HERE
Cozy up with this Box Set full of delicious Cocky Alphas who will settle for nothing less than the girl they want… though they might have to struggle a little bit… Ok, scratch that… they will have to up their game BIG TIME if they want to seduce their sassy confident leading ladies.
Married by Mistake
What do you do when you wake up in bed next to an Adonis god with a wedding band on your finger and no recollections of the night before?
Well, you sure as hell do not agree to stay married to the Greek God and be his wife!
I mean what if he had a crooked dick or something. There was bound to be a catch, right?
Faking It
A stranger agreed to be my one-day boyfriend.
And
really, I was not prepared for him to charm the pants right off my parents…
Well, unfortunately for him, my pants are not going anywhere soon, thank you very much.
It’s a one day arrangement only and that’s it.
Nothing more!
Baby Mistake
We are sworn enemies but she's having my baby.
How you ask?
Well, I’m also wondering the same thing.
How the hell do people in that stupid fertility clinic mistake MY sp*rm and inject it into the wrong woman…
The same woman I fired just the day before for running her mouth off at me.
Seducing My Best Friend
Never get so drunk that you end up posting on social media that you want your best friend to marry you.
You might get kidnapped and flown away in a private jet to get hitched to said best friend.
The best friend who took your V-card in college and promised to marry you if you were still single in ten years...
The best friend who made you come so Unicorntastically that it ruined you for all other men…
The best friend you did not talk to in ten years and is now a big a$$ billionaire…
EACH BOOK IN THIS BOX SET IS A FULL-LENGTH STEAMY STANDALONE ROMANTIC COMEDY WITH AN HEA THAT WILL LEAVE YOU WANTING FOR MORE. CHECK IT OUT IF YOU LOVE HOT NAUGHTY BILLIONAIRE BAD BOYS.