Colbie’s heart felt full to bursting as she shot Elle a smile of thanks. “You all liked it? Really?”
Everyone nodded emphatically, and she did mean everyone. Her brothers and mom had flown into San Francisco the day before to celebrate New Year’s Eve and to get a feel for Colbie’s new home.
All of Colbie’s new friends were there too. The girls and even the guys. Finn, Sean, Keane, Archer, Joe, Caleb . . .
The entire gang.
All of them there for her. She felt her throat get tight.
Spence met her gaze and as usual read her without effort. He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. It was sweet, even if she could feel his chest shaking with his low laugh. “Cute,” he said in her ear. “You’re cute. And amazing. I love you so much.”
She looked into his eyes. He’d flown her family out here, for her. He’d rented the theater out for the movie, for her.
His work world was going a million miles an hour this week but that hadn’t stopped him from being here for her. In fact, he was flying to Europe for several weeks tomorrow to deliver the drone prototypes and he’d convinced her to go with him.
Seemed their lives could indeed be entwined, and the knowledge made her grin ridiculously.
Spence smiled down into her face and kissed her.
She’d thought her heart couldn’t get any more full than it was, but she’d been wrong. Her poor organ swelled, straining against her ribs as she cupped Spence’s jaw. “I love you back, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah, to the moon and all that,” Kylie said, thrusting her face in between theirs again. “Blah blah. What I want to know is . . . can we see it again?” She turned to Spence. “You can get them to do that, right?”
Spence never took his gaze off Colbie, brows raised, silently asking if she wanted him to.
She grinned. “Yes, but we’ll need more hot dogs and pizza and popcorn.”
“And wine,” Elle said.
Spence stood up, presumably to make that all happen, but instead of walking away, he went to a knee at Colbie’s side.
“Holy shit,” Joe said. “Didn’t see that coming.”
Elle smacked him upside the head. “Shh!”
Colbie’s heart had stopped and she stared at Spence. “Did you drop something?” she whispered.
He smiled. “No.”
Willa clapped her hands in delight. “Oh my God, is someone getting this on their camera?” She shoved Keane. “Quick, get your phone out!”
“Oh,” Colbie’s mom breathed on a quiet sob. “I never thought this would happen! She’s not good at letting anyone want her.”
“Shh, Mom,” Kurt murmured and squeezed her hand.
Colbie couldn’t concentrate on any of it as Spence pulled something from his pocket.
A small black box.
“Oh my God. Are you sure?” she managed. “It hasn’t been all that long and I have a whole bunch of faults that you haven’t really gotten to see in full Technicolor yet, so I would advise you give me some more time—”
“I’ve seen everything I need to,” Spence said, voice calm and sure. “You are the light in my world. You make me a better man. You—”
“Yes!” she said emphatically and both laughed and cried when he just blinked.
“I had a whole speech planned,” he said slowly. “I was going to tell you—”
“Yes!” she cried again and leapt at him.
He barely caught her, laughing as he rose with her in his arms.
“Honey, you should maybe listen to what he wants to say,” Elle suggested. “Cuz he’s got some faults of his own and—” She broke off when Spence gave her a long look.
Archer pulled Elle against him, his hand coming up to cover her mouth. “Got her,” he told Spence. “But make it quick before she bites me.”
Spence’s gaze was still on Colbie. “You didn’t look at the ring.”
“Still yes.”
He grinned. “You’re that sure of the question? What if I was just going to ask you to—”
“Let me save you some time,” she said. “Yes to everything and anything.”
“Well that’s a little dangerous,” Pru murmured. “Giving him free rein to anything . . .”
But Colbie wasn’t listening. She’d gotten her mouth on Spence and was happily losing herself in the man who understood her, loved her, and wanted forever with her.
Which just might be the right amount of time . . .
Want more Jill Shalvis?
Be sure to check out the rest of the
sparkling romances in her New York Times
bestselling Heartbreaker Bay series!
SWEET LITTLE LIES
THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE
ONE SNOWY NIGHT (e-novella)
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
Available now from
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Jill Shalvis’s very first women’s fiction novel LOST AND FOUND SISTERS
is on sale now!
And here’s a sneak peek at Joe and Kylie’s story ABOUT THAT KISS
Coming in early 2018!
Kylie watched him walk into her shop like he owned it. It was irritating as hell, so she pretended not to notice him.
As if anyone’s attention wouldn’t be caught and held by the six-foot, leanly muscled, scowling guy standing in front of her, hands shoved in his pockets, body language clearly set to pissed off.
“Kylie.”
That was it, that was all he said, just her name, gritted out through his teeth like she’d put a bad taste in his mouth. She sighed, stopped pretending to be engrossed by her phone, and met his gaze.
She was supposed to smile and ask how she could help him. That’s what they all did when they were working the front of the shop showing potential clients their custom-made goods when they really just wanted to be in the back, working on their projects. Her specialty was furniture made with reclaimed wood, which meant she wore a thick apron to protect her front and was covered in sawdust.
And she did mean covered in sawdust. It was in her hair, stuck to her exposed arms, and if she’d been wearing makeup, it’d have been stuck to her face as well. In short, she was not looking how she wanted to be looking when facing this man again. “What do you want, Joe?”
He ran a hand through his hair so that the short, dark silky strands stood straight up. “I need a birthday present for Molly.”
Molly was his sister, and the siblings were close. Kylie loved Molly.
She did not love Joe. “Fine,” she said. “What do you want for her?”
“Some fancy mirror you made. She said it’s hanging behind the counter.” His sharp blue eyes searched the wall behind her. “That one,” he said, pointing to an intricately wood lined mirror. “She wants that one. She fell in love with it, apparently.” His eyes narrowed in on the price tag and he raised a brow. “Seriously?”
Kylie crossed her arms. Only this man could make her so defensive. “Our prices are firm.”
“Fine. I’ll take it.” He reached into one of the many pockets on his cargo pants and pulled out a credit card. “Wrap it up.”
“You can’t have it,” she said.
He studied her for a surprised beat, like he’d never been told no before in his life. “I get it,” he said. “It’s because I didn’t call.”
She pushed his hand—and the credit card in it—away. “No, Joe. Not everything is about you.”