“Hurry up and say yes,” Juanita said, her cell phone aimed their direction. “My phone’s almost out of memory.”
A smile broke out on Rylie’s face—a big one—and she couldn’t make it go away.
“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
“I hope Carlie never sees this video.” Matthew rubbed the back of his head, a deep furrow on his brow. “I’ll never be able to come up with anything to top that.”
“Propose using some of her song lyrics,” Rylie said. “Carlie will love it.”
“Good idea.” His finger tapped on his phone.
“Excuse me. I’d like to have your full attention.” Jarrett’s hand turned her face toward his. When had he gotten up from the floor? His hungry look stirred delicious tingles in her belly.
His lips touched hers, and warmth dripped like honey in her veins.
“I love you, Jarrett,” she said as his mouth slid along the line of her jaw, tingles spreading in all directions.
He ripped those amazing lips away, leaving her breathless.
“I love you, too,” he said. “Do you believe me, now?”
She pursed her lips. “Hmmmm… maybe…”
“Maybe? That wasn’t enough?”
“Well… at one point, you mentioned some chocolate…”
Crinkles formed at the corners of his eyes. “So, if I give you chocolate, you’ll believe me?”
“And maybe take me to a dance?”
He laughed.Going to a dancehad been their old euphemism for staying home with a video and popcorn.
“Dancing sounds good.” His lips curved into a sultry smile, his eyelids closing halfway. “I’m going to like doing thetangowith you.”
As she gasped at his innuendo, he flung her back in the classic tango dip, her head inches from the floor, his arm under her back, his lips touching the arch of her neck. She giggled, helpless to move.
From her upside down vantage point, the door opened and a pair of men’s pants appeared. Her eyes followed them up to a white lab coat, topped by an all-too-familiar face.
“I think,” Dr. Campbell said, drumming his fingers on his arm, “It may be time to get you that private room.”
Epilogue
Four Years Later
Rylie tried her best to smile, but it was hard, with a distracted seven-year-old by her left knee, a screaming almost-twelve-month-old on her lap, and a grumpy husband standing behind her.
“Let me move this strand of hair, Rylie,” Manny said. “We don’t want to hide that beautiful face! The camera loves you!”
“Whose idea was this?” Jarrett growled between his teeth.
Flash. “That’s perfect!”
“Yours,” Rylie said, trying to talk without moving her lips. “You’re the one who said, ‘Let’s have a combination birthday/anniversary/baby shower and take a big group picture.’”
Flash.
“Yes, but I didn’t say anything about family pictures. And I sure wouldn’t have picked this photographer!”