Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Nope,” he said.
“Hmmm.” I tapped a finger on my chin, confused when he exited the highway, looped around, and got on again going the opposite direction. “Did you miss your turn or something?”
“Did you know,” he said, “that tonight marks exactly one year since you blew that tire on Main Street?”
I gasped. “Does it really? One year to the day?”
“I checked the original invoice.”
“You still have the original invoice?” My voice was high-pitched with excitement.
“Of course I do.”
“I don’t even think I ever saw it because you wouldn’t let me pay for the repairs.”
“I didn’t want your money,” he said, pulling onto the highway shoulder. “I wanted something more.”
My heart was pounding hard as he shut off the engine. “Griffin, what is this?”
“Stay there.” He jumped out of the driver’s side and came around to me, pulling the door open and lifting me down, just like he had that first night. But this time, he kept his hands on my waist. “I didn’t know it then—in fact, I would have argued with anyone who tried to tell me—but I wanted you to change my life. We joke a lot about me rescuing you that night, but now I see it was the other way around.”
I smiled up at him. “But I was the one with nowhere to go.”
“You did have somewhere to go. But you followed your heart instead.”
“Sort of.” Giggling, I lifted my shoulders. “I followed a sign, remember?”
“I remember. And I hope you’ll follow it again.”
For a second, I was even more confused. Then I looked beyond his shoulder, and I saw it—the billboard.
My jaw dropped, and I sucked in my breath.
It had once advertised the best apple pie in the Midwest since 1957, with a cartoon drawing of the pie and the diner’s logo. Now it had only four words on it:
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
Griffin got down on one knee and took a small ring box from his pocket, and I covered my mouth with both hands. My eyes blurred with tears.
“That sign changed everything for me,” he said, his voice cracking. “I don’t know what my life would’ve been like if you hadn’t seen it.”
“Or if I paid more attention to potholes,” I squeaked, my throat tight.
“I will happily spend the rest of my days fixing all your blown tires if you’ll let me. And now, for once, it’s my turn to ask a question.” He opened the box, and a diamond winked at me in the light of the setting sun. “Blair Peacock Beaufort, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” I shouted, jumping up and down, my tiara coming loose on my head. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Grinning, he plucked the simple, classic solitaire from its satin cushion and slipped it on my finger. Then he rose to his feet and embraced me, lifting me right off my feet. I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight as happy tears dripped down my cheeks.
When he finally set me down, I looked at the sign again and shook my head. “I just can’t believe it! Was Mr. Frankel in on this?”
“Of course he was.”
“Who else knew?”
“Cheyenne, my mother, Althea Bond at the jewelry store, McIntyre, Cole and Mariah, Moretti and Beckett—”
“Oh my God, you told everybody!”
“I had a little trouble keeping it secret,” he admitted. “I was really excited.”
“I can’t believe they all kept it from me!”
Griffin shrugged. “Turns out, they can be trusted when it really counts.”
My heart spilled over with joy, and I rose up on my toes to kiss him. “This is the best day ever.”
He laughed. “You say that all the time.”
“Because you keep giving me all the best days!”
“This is only the beginning, Blair.” He kissed me, soft and sweet. “I promise you, the best is yet to come.”
THE END