Page 80 of Be My Reason

“The peanut?” He raises his eyebrows at me and I nod.

Thirty minutes later we are packing up to head back.Nate types out a text on his phone. “Work stuff,” he tells me when I look at him sideways.

We hold hands and talk about the peanut the entire way back home and I feel like this is the most natural thing in the world.By the time we pull up behind the bakery, my face hurts from the grin I’ve had plastered on it for the last twenty minutes.

We enter through the bakery door and I turn togo upstairs when Nate says, “Come with me, I want to show you something.” He has a huge smile on his face like a kid on Christmas morning.

I follow him to the front of the shop. When he pulls me through the swinging door, we hear, “Congratulations!” collectively from what looks to be everyone who matters to me in the whole world.

I look at the happy faces of my parents, my best friend, her husband, Ryan and the rest of my staff. Nate’s dad and sister are here.Even Michael’s sister, Janie, is here. She has tears rolling down her smiling face as she nods her head at me like she finally understands what happened at Michael’s grave. Every single person that I could dream about sharing this moment with is right in this room.

I turn to Nate. “The text?”

He nods at me. “God, Brooklyn, I was so scared you would say no. I’ve been planning this for weeks.With lots of help, of course.” He gestures to Ryan and Emma.

Ryan walks up and to mysurprise, Nate shakes his hand and gives him one of those man hugs. “Thanks for all your help, buddy,” Nate says to him.

Igive Ryan a hug. “You don’t have to do this,” I say, referring to the new contract. “I won’t sign it, you know.”

“You will sign it, Lyn.” He smiles. “I have a strict policy never to be in business with family.”

We greet everyone in turn. I learn that Nate asked my dad for my hand in marriage. He also has Emma doing the interior design for the new bakery. The shop staff putthis party together all without my knowledge.

Emma walks over and hugs me, tears streaming down both our faces. “You said yes! I’m so happy for you.”

“Well, how could I say no to the guy who tattooed a cupcake on his body for me?” I say, earning laughs from everyone around me.

“Speaking of cupcakes, what’s with only havingred velvet?” Emma points over to a display table adorned with a beautiful setting of dozens of red velvet cupcakes.

Nate walks us over to the table and picks one up. “For luck,” he says.“I have one before every game.” I think back to that night in high school when he told me about his pre-game routine with the red velvet cupcakes. He holds me tight and kisses my cheek. “And this will be, by far, the biggest game of my life.”

Nate takes me to the side, pulling me down onto his lap at a table in the corner. “You know, the game has changed now.” He rubs a thumb over my belly. “I don’t think I can live one day without you . . . without peanut.” He takes a breath and runs his hand through his hair. “What do you say, Brooklyn. Will you two move to Raleigh with me?”

He bites his lip andentwines our fingers as he awaits my response.

I look at my larger-than-life man. He is not perfect. He may always have issues with trust. He may always have issues with his mother. But I can’t imagine not having him in my life. I look around at the party and see how much everyone loves him. How they’ve all gone out of their way to help him win me back. They know we belong together. I know we belong together.The road may not always be easy. But then again, it’s the bumps in the road that make us stronger. I rub a finger over my bracelet and remember another man I was engaged to. Then I look down at the ring that sits on my left ring finger.

I look into thealluring blue eyes of my new fiancé and realize that he is my home. I can’t live without him, I can’t breathe without him. Of course I’m going to say yes. Any other answer was never an option.

“Yes.” I smile and raise an eyebrow at my strong, incredible man. “But there will be ground rules.”

The End