Page 134 of For the Plot
Elin and Brooks flew in, and Talulah, looking like a proud grandmother, is here, standing next to Claire. Opposite them, Ezra’s propped up against a table; he said he was bringing his new girlfriend, but there isn’t a face here I don’t recognize. Even Peg and Fran are here, tears welling in their eyes. Iris is behind the bar, fussing with a tray of pastries.
Joey makes her way around the room and is speechless when she sees the cake. Once everyone has hugged and smothered her with praises, she finds me at the bar.
She dives into my chest and giggles. “I can’t believe you did this.”
I grasp her chin and lift it. “You think anything’s been added to the secret menu while we were gone?”
She narrows her eyes, but without argument, she turns and asks, “Anything new?”
“Actually,” Iris says, her voice an octave too high. “We do have a new drink. We named it after a book written by a local author.” With a wink, she places a plastic to-go cup on the counter in front of us. “It’s called Plot Twist.”
Joey gasps and her eyes go wide when she gets a good look at the cup. Specifically, the item lying on top of the lid, held secure by a straw through the middle.
A green amethyst gemstone set in yellow gold.
She covers her mouth with one hand when she looks to me, then back to the ring, then back to me again.
“You remembered,” she whispers, her eyes welling with tears.
Of course I remembered. Green—the color of her dad’s eyes.
I gather her hands in mine and take a deep, cleansing breath. “Truth ordare?”
Her lips twitch as she surveys me. “Dare.”
“I dare you to marry me.”
Her eyes light up, and that lip twitch morphs into a full, knowing smile. “That’s quite the dare,” she sings, wrapping her arms around my neck.
With shaking hands, I pull her body tight against mine and bury my lips in her hair.
She cups my cheeks and locks her eyes to mine. “Are you sure?”
Squeezing her with all I have, I choke back tears. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
The End
