Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“Stop it,” Kate said firmly. “Stop saying those things. I didn’t fall in love with Ian, or Matt, or Jack the moment I saw them. I fell in love with you.”
Kennedy’s breath caught, but then he remembered that she fell out of love with him just as easily.
“Why are you here?” he asked tiredly when she didn’t say anything more.
“I wanted the truth about why you paid my tuition.”
“You could have called.”
“Um, no way would you have picked up. You’re mad at me.”
He let out a deep breath. “No, I’m not. I just need time to get over you. You had years to get over me. I think I deserve at least a couple days.”
“Well, you’re not going to get it, because I didn’t.” She stepped closer, and his fingers gripped her wrist tighter.
“You didn’t what?”
“Get over you.” Her words were quiet but confident, and they packed a hell of a wallop. She met his eyes steadily, wilting slightly when he stayed silent. “You’re not saying anything.”
“Well, no, Kate,” he said gruffly. “I sort of laid it all out there, and you tossed it aside pretty easily. How do I know you’re not going to change your mind again tomorrow? Or the next time I say something clueless that hurts your feelings, because God knows it’ll happen? Or the next time things get tough?”
“Now see, I knew you were going to say that,” Kate said, tugging her hand free so that she could rummage around in her purse. Before he could register that she’d pulled out a dark-red velvet box, she was down on one knee.
Kennedy’s stomach dropped. “What the—Are you nuts?”
Undeterred, she opened the box. Not slick and practiced with a flick of her thumb but with two hands, clamshell-style. “Kennedy Edward Dawson. Will you marry me?”
“Get up.” He bent down, trying to lift her, but she wiggled away.
“You have to answer. It’s rude not to.”
Rude. She’d come to his house, told him she was in love with him, and proposed, all without giving him a chance to catch his breath, and he was rude? This time when he reached down, he caught her, hauling her up easily. But by the time he set her back on her feet, all of her bravado was gone.
“Please, Kennedy. You don’t have to marry me. Just give me another chance. Please.” Ring box still clutched in her hand, she reached up and tugged on his shirt, her hands a little shaky. “I love you. I don’t know how I possibly thought I was over you, when you’re all I’ve thought about, all I’ve ever wanted.”
He caught her chin and held her gaze. “I want you all in, Kate Henley. I can’t do this if you’re not.”
She smiled smugly and issued her challenge. “Then make me Kate Dawson.”
Kennedy’s heart soared at the thought. He pulled her closer. “I love you.”
She bit her bottom lip as though trying to hide a smile, then failed completely, because her face erupted in a full grin. “You love me?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “A lot.”
He brushed his lips against hers, softly, not yet completely confident this wasn’t a dream. But then she kissed him back, and he poured his heart into the kiss and felt her give hers right back. And though he had every intention of finishing the kiss upstairs, there was one last item of business . . .
Kennedy tugged the box out of her hand and studied the traditional but expensive-looking ring, knowing from the name on the box that it was no cheap corner-store buy but a huge investment. He felt a lump in his throat, knowing how terrifying the gesture must have been for her.
To keep her from feeling embarrassed, he grinned at her. “I’m a traditional guy, Henley. You really think I’m going to let you rob me of a proposal?”
“Not really,” she said. “It was more of a grand gesture. Actually, you know, now that I think of it, why don’t I just take that back—”
Kennedy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began pulling her forward as he held the ring well out of her reach. “Very amusing. I think I’ll just hold on to this.”
She pulled to a stop outside the living room. “What happened to your chessboard?”
“Ah.” He glanced at the mess. “Female woes.”
“Apparently. Can I interest you in a game? Distract you from this silly girl who forgot her own heart for a while there?”
“Maybe later. I’ve got a long game that I’m playing right now that’s taking all of my concentration.”
She shrugged and kissed his shoulder, and the casual, sweet gesture of affection made his throat clench with emotion. God. It was official. He was as whipped as Ian and Matt.
And he’d never been happier.
Epilogue
Saturday, July 20
“Happy birthday!”
Kate paused in the doorway, grinning at the gathering of her friends and family.