“You have another present,” he said between my kisses.
“Later.” I pushed him onto a chair and straddled his lap.
“It involves Neely Kate.”
I lifted my head in surprise. “What?”
He laughed. “I knew that would get your attention.”
“What is it?”
“It’s in my pocket. Reach in and get it.”
“That sounds naughty.”
“I hadn’t planned to give it to you this way, but your attempts to molest me caught me off guard.”
I shifted and reached into his pocket, pulling out an envelope. “What is it?”
“This one is actually wrapped. You’re supposed to unwrap it.”
“It isn’t wrapped,” I teased. “It’s in an envelope.”
He grinned, obviously excited. “Open it.”
I gave him a kiss, grinning against his lips. “You’re so bossy.”
“Sometimes you like it that way,” he said in a low voice that sent flutters through me.
Shaking my head, I opened the envelope. After I pulled out a paper and scanned the print, I looked up at him in shock. “Tickets to see Wicked in New Orleans?”
“I thought you and Neely Kate could use a few days away from Fenton County drama. You can drive down to New Orleans, see the play, eat beignets, Christmas shop, and just relax and have some girl time. I’ve booked you a room at a nice hotel. With room service even.”
“Mason, I’ve never left Arkansas.”
“I know, sweetheart.” He gave me a soft smile and cupped my cheek. “Don’t you think it’s about time? You’re ready.”
“But without you?”
“You can do anything and everything you want. With or without me.”
Fear rooted in my chest. “Are you going to leave me?”
His eyes flew open in surprise. “No! How can you think that? I have to go to Little Rock for a few days, and I didn’t want you sitting here alone. So I checked with Ronnie to see if he was okay with Neely Kate going, and he thought it was a great idea too, especially since Neely Kate’s not working right now. He’s giving her the surprise today too.” My phone started to ring with Neely Kate’s ringtone, and he laughed. “We decided to give it to you girls at the same time, which is why I was so insistent you open it now.”
I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” he asked.
“It can wait.”
His arms tightened around my back. And as he kissed me, I wondered what Mason was going to do in Little Rock. But I’d figure that out later.
I had some shenanigans to attend to first.
THE END
Read on for a sneak preview of THE SUBSTITUTE, available for preorder!
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Available January 21!
When Megan, Blair, and Libby were in the fourth grade, they swore they would get married by their thirtieth birthday and include the other two in their weddings. Now, coincidentally, twenty years later, two of the women are engaged and have weddings within months of each other in their hometown of Blue Springs, Missouri. What they all forgot was the fortune teller at a local festival who warned all three their weddings would be a disaster.
Chapter One
It was only ten-thirty and it was already a craptastic day.
Megan Vandemeer stared at the airplane on the tarmac. What the hell was she doing? The Alaska Airlines flight was taking off in twenty minutes and she was actually going to be on it.
Her phone rang and she dug it out of her purse, cringing when she saw her best friend Blair’s name on the caller ID. Megan sighed as she answered.
“How did she take it?” Blair asked.
“Well…” Megan glanced up at the digital sign at the gate. Five minutes to boarding.
“Wait.” Blair’s voice was short. “Tell me that you told her.”
“I told her.”
Her friend paused. “You’re lying. That’s your lying voice.”
Megan shook her head. “I have a lying voice?”
“It goes up half an octave and gets tight at the end.”
“Should it worry me that you know me that well?”
“We’ve been friends since kindergarten. I’d hope I know you that well.” Blair groaned. “You might be trying to change the subject, but your mother’s going to notice when you don’t show up at your own wedding.”
The overhead PA system blurted a fuzzy message about a changed gate and Megan covered the microphone on her phone.
“Megan, you have to tell her!” Blair said in frustration.
“I will.” The digital sign now said four minutes to boarding.
“When?”
“Later this afternoon.”
“Why not just call her now?” The overhead PA sounded again and Blair gasped. “Are you at the airport?”
“Blair...”
“You never cancelled your flight, did you?”
Megan brushed her hair out of her face and leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Honestly, Blair. I forgot.”
“Lie.”