“Oh, it gets better,” Oliver says, turning around. “Gavin has decided to work with me on investing. Now, he’s nowhere as rich and powerful as I am . . .”
“Unless you keep playing poker with me,” Gavin mock-growls, and I have to laugh.
Oliver laughs before turning back to me. “Anyway, Gavin’s pooling some investment money with Steele and Associates, seeing as how I know how to turn rich into super-rich. Trust me, Princess, these two are going to be sitting pretty while I’m elbow deep in flour.”
“Sounds good to me—I’ll just have to wash you up more often.”
“I knew there was a reason you decided to keep the shower in the apartment upstairs.”
Turning back to Bri with a smirk, I tell her, “Now, about that ‘yes, we did, and yes, I loved it.’ Tell me all about it.” Just as I expected, she blushes and ducks her head. Yep, still got it.
The line outside the cafe is buzzing, and I’m moved. Sure, it took a little bit of shameless self-promotion. And yes, Gavin has agreed to lend his bit of star power to the whole affair, but to see fifty people lined up when this isn’t even the official grand opening?
“Whoa,” Oliver says, looking as handsome as ever in his white dress shirt, sexy black jeans, and his apron with Mindy’s Corner stenciled over his heart. “Hope we’ve got enough cinnamon rolls.”
“I’m sure if you don’t, I’ve got something that’ll keep them entertained,” a voice from behind me says, and I turn, nearly squealing in delight as I see Roxy come up from the basement. “Hey, Sis.”
“Roxy? What the hell are you doing here?” I ask, running over and giving her a big hug. “How’d you get there?”
“Ask Mr. Sexy Pants over there,” she says, grinning. “He invited me. Said he had something I just had to see.”
I turn to Oliver, who’s grinning. “Just in time too. Where’s Brianna and Gavin?”
“Just a moment!” a muffled Bri yells from downstairs. “Dammit, you know I can’t resist these rolls, especially since I’m pregnant again!”
I chuckle, a little jealous but knowing that Bri’s earned it. Since finding out she’s pregnant again just two weeks ago, we’ve both been giddy planning for her new baby. I’m hoping for a little girl. Bri and Gavin appear a moment later up the back stairs, Gavin wearing one of his old jerseys which I’ll admit he still fills out well, while Bri’s wearing a Mindy’s Corner apron. For one day only, they’re working together again under the same roof. “Yeah, well, don’t eat all the damn profits!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Roxy says guiltily. “I ate one, too. Damn, if I knew you were this good, I’d never have let you leave home.”
“That was Oliver, actually,” I concede, and Roxy looks at him in amazement.
“No shit?”
“No shit,” Oliver replies. “Ruins the texture of the dough.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Well, there’s one thing,” Oliver says, “but I can fix that right now.”
I turn and my heart stops as I see Oliver get down on his knee, reaching for my hand. “Mindy, I know it’s a little fast, and it’s a hell of a lot shorter than the year you were engaged to that loser Harold, but . . . I can’t imagine a better couple of months than I’ve had right by your side, and I want to keep it going. I’ve called you Princess ever since we first met, and it was a joke at first because you acted like you were a queen. It’s not a joke anymore. Princess . . . will you let me be your prince? Will you marry me?”
He reaches into his apron pocket and pulls out the same ring that he’d given me for our fake engagement, and I gawk. “Where did you get that?”
“I had a talk with your stepfather,” Gavin says with a chuckle. “He mailed it to me. Now answer the man!”
“Yes! Of course I’m saying yes!” I gush, tears coming to my eyes as Oliver slides it back on my finger. “Oh, Oliver . . .”
Oliver stands, and I jump into his arms just as the line of people outside, attracted by what they saw through the windows, erupts into cheers. Oliver holds me tight, kissing me hard after he sets me down with a grin. “So, Princess . . .”
Roxy wipes away the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I’m so jealous of you. I mean . . . not trying to move in on yours, but I need a man!”
“It’ll happen. Probably when you least expect it,” I tell Roxy, hugging her before exchanging hugs with Bri and Gavin. “You’re going to find a man just as awesome as these two men,” I say, gesturing at Oliver and Gavin.
“Nah, luck never runs in threes. I’m gonna be lucky if I don’t end up with a loser who stalks me and tries to count my pussy hairs.”
Brianna gawks at Roxy for a second before turning to look at me. “You’re right, she is worse than you. How am I ever supposed to let my Rafe near you two?”
“Ear plugs. Good ear plugs.”
“Mom, it’s me!” Oliver hollers as we get out of his Audi. After a five-hour “sneak preview opening,” I’m not sure if I’m ready for any more today, but I insisted on this after Oliver’s proposal. There’s no way in hell I’m meeting my soon-to-be mother-in-law at the wedding. I’m assuming I’m already going to have to meet his father that way.
“You know, she’s gonna be pissed about this,” I whisper under my breath.
“You’ll be okay,” he reassures me. “My mom is a sweetheart. Just ignore my brother and you’ll be okay.”
“You know, you didn’t have to do this,” I say as I see the front door open. “I mean, we could have taken her to dinner or something.”
“I got to meet your family right in their home. Now you get to meet mine,” Oliver says with a smirk. “Or is my princess afraid?”
“Oh, hell no,” I growl, punching him lightly in the shoulder as the screen opens and a woman who’s a little older than Mom comes out. She’s got Oliver’s hair, and while she’s not as energetic as Mom, the love in her eyes as she comes out and hugs Oliver is evident.
“Mom, you’re looking good. I’d like you to meet . . .”
The woman’s eyes go wide as she takes me in, smiling. “Is this the girl you left to go see all those weeks back?”
Oliver nods proudly, putting his arms around me. “Yes, Mom. Sorry, I know I’ve been caught up in getting the cafe open, but . . . well, Mom, this is Mindy Price. We’re getting married.”
“Oh, my God,” his mom says. “She’s beautiful. Come in, come in!”
We go inside, where I see a younger version of Oliver coming in from the back yard. “You must be Anthony.”
“Yeah,” Anthony says, looking a little shocked. “Holy shit. Oliver, you brought in a dime piece.”
“And your head is about to be a showpiece if you don’t show some respect,” Oliver growls, but before the boys can continue, their mother steps between them.
“Now, now, boys, none of that,” she says with a chuckle. “Anthony, you know better than that.”
I laugh, waving it off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve heard far worse.”
We visit for another two hours. After dinner, the brothers volunteer to wash up the dishes while I talk with their mother. She goes outside, where she lights up for a moment before staring at the cigarette in her hand and crushing it underfoot. “Nope, no more of those. I want to see grandbabies someday, and I won’t be doing that with cancer sticks all the time.”
“Thanks,” I concede. “So Oliver told you almost everything, huh?”
“Almost,” she says, chuckling. “Never has told me just why the hell you two took a dog for a walk for all those hours, but I’m sure you had your reasons.”
I blush in the deep purple twilight, nodding. “Yeah, well, your son . . . he’s good for me.”
“You’re good for him too,” she says, smiling. “When he came to town, he was so bitter at his father, and I can understand that. But he was going down the same path his father did, all business and no heart . . . until he met you. So thank you. And Mindy?”
“Yes?”
Oliver’s mom comes over and gives me a hug. “I’m going to love having you as a daughter-in-law.”
I hug her back, happy. “I’m going to love having another mother, it seems.”
Oliver