Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
My heart dropped as I froze in place. I looked down at the paper and saw the words ‘Will you marry me?’ written across it. When I looked back up, Kai was holding a ring box.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“Yeah, I would get down on one knee, but the bar counter is kind of in my way, so….”
“Are you serious?!” I exclaimed again as tears filled my eyes.
“He’s serious!” everyone shouted from behind me.
I quickly turned around to see a crowd of people standing there. They weren’t just any people, but they were my people. And Kai’s people. Our people.
My parents and brother were there, along with Mano and Kai’s parents. All of the employees and Ayumu, who were all great friends, were standing there waiting with looks of excitement.
I turned back to face Kai and exploded with glee as I leaped across the counter and wrapped my arms around him. “Yes! Yes!”
Everyone cheered around us as Kai slid the ring onto my finger. I kept kissing his face like a wild woman, filled with so much love I wasn’t sure what to do with it all.
“I’m guessing the New Year’s Eve party is an engagement celebration,” I said as Kai hugged me.
“That it is indeed.”
As I studied the new piece of jewelry sitting on my ring finger, I stood in awe. My heart was doing cartwheels. It was finally mine and Kai’s turn to get our happily ever after, and I couldn’t have chosen a better partner to take on the world with.
At that moment, I understood why everything happened the way it did.
I understood every bad date and every wrong man I encountered throughout the years.
I understood the mishaps along my path.
I understood the disappointment.
If it weren’t for all the bad things that happened in my past, I doubted I would’ve truly appreciated the good I’d found.
If I had to go on another million terrible first dates to end up with Kai, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d take on every single heartbreak if it led me to him.
Kai Kane… My favorite Christmas gift.
Mrs. Kane.
Oh, yes.
I liked the sound of that.
Kai
Three Years Later
Christmas Eve
“You have to cover him better, or he’s going to slip past every single time, Kai,” Mano scolded me. He turned to our father on my left side and also gave him a stern speech. “And Dad, if you let Holly’s mom intercept the ball one more time, I will put you on the bench.”
“I thought this was just for fun,” Mom mentioned, rubbing her hands together as a few snowflakes fell overhead.
Mano’s nostrils began to flare. “We now have three footballs on our mantels in Mano’s from the holiday football game wins, and I refuse to let us lose this year. We are going to bring that baby home no matter what. So, get your act together, you guys! You’re acting like a bunch of chimpanzees out there. We’re playing football!”
Mano was so serious. He took the holiday football game to heart. Ever since my family began joining Holly’s in Birch Lake, we’d been playing football on Christmas Eve. It was a great way to make memories. Though, I didn’t think Mano would take being the quarterback of our lackluster team to heart. He was acting insane. He took the game way too seriously since he got into a division 1 college on a football scholarship.
“I’m going to take a water break. My feet hurt,” Mom said, walking off the field.
“What?! Mom!” Mano groaned, tossing his hands up in defeat.
Holly’s grandfather blew his whistle. “Break time!” he ordered.
Mano grumbled and dragged his feet off the field. “When we regroup, I want to see a real team out here,” he ordered.
I snickered as I walked off toward the bleachers where Holly was sitting. Each year, the size of our games grew a little more and more. A few friends of Holly’s family from the small town began playing with us each year. We were up to teams with ten people on each side. The games were getting more fun, that was for sure.
“Did you see me catch that pass?” I asked Holly as I collapsed on the bench beside her.
“I saw you fumble a few of them, too,” she mentioned nudging me in the arm.
“You weren’t supposed to be watching that part. I told you to look away when it seems like I’m about to mess up.”
“I’ll do better next time. But to be honest, this year’s game sucks.” She began to pout as she crossed her arms. “I want to play, too! This isn’t fair.”
“Yeah, well, no pregnant women on the field. Sorry. The rules are the rules.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m hardly pregnant.”
“You’re eight-and-a-half months. I doubt you’d even be able to run down the field.”
“At least I don’t have butterfingers,” she said, mocking my fumbles.