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“Right, I’ll get going then.” Nate starts to walk away but stops and turns back. “You two seem good together.” And then he disappears into the dark, leaving Maggie and I alone.
“So…” Maggie slips her arms around my waist. “You love me, huh?”
Grateful for the dark that hides the heat in my cheeks, I shrug. “Pretty sure I heard that you love me, too.”
The light from the open front door reflects on Maggie’s upturned face. Those brown eyes are looking up at me with trust and a hint of mischief. Her body is flush against mine, reminding me of how perfectly her curves fit against me and how being with her feels like coming home. The words that have been dancing at the back of my mind all day flow out my mouth as easily as water.
“I love you, Magnolia Moore. You made my boring vanilla life exciting again. You are the sprinkles on top of my cupcake.” I dot kisses along her cheeks, smiling when I feel her answering smile.
“Thomas Michael ‘there are too many Mike’s’ Adams. I love you, too. You make me want to slow down and enjoy every minute of life.” She grabs my chin and holds me still so she can kiss me.
We stay like that for a moment, just being alive together in the night air. Lips meeting, tongues dancing, arms holding each other tight as the sounds of the vineyard echo around us. Each kiss full of promise that this time, we both finally found what we were looking for.
Epilogue
I follow Kel through the front door of his parent’s house, Olive trailing behind me. He’s carrying the pasta dish I cooked while he and Olive baked cupcakes last night. The smell of fresh-baked bread wafting up from the basket I’m carrying tickled my nose the whole drive here.
Kel got up early to bake rolls while I ran payroll for myself. It turns out that Kel’s mom, Rebecca, used to run payroll for her boss before she retired, and she graciously agreed to teach me. After she helped me sort out the mess Frank's guy made in Washington.
Since then, Sydney and Rebecca regularly invite me to join their shopping and coffee dates, each time reassuring me that they already consider me part of the family. And the ring on my left hand makes it official. Not that they know about it yet. I’ve been looking forward to surprising them with the news ever since Kel proposed two nights ago.
We know it’s fast, but we also know that it’s right. And we have another reason as well.
“Maggie!” I spin, almost bumping into Olive at the sound of my sister’s voice.
“Daisy? What are you doing here?” Dave, Marcus, and Ava are trailing behind her. Why is my family here, instead of home in Seattle? Then Ophelia’s car pulls up behind Daisy’s, my mom waving enthusiastically from the passenger seat.
“Kel?” I look over my shoulder to see my fiance grinning and Olive dancing from foot to foot.
“Surprise, babe.”
“What? What do you mean, surprise?”
Jackie appears at Kel’s shoulder and takes the dish from him, handing it off to Rebecca before taking my basket. Is everyone here? What is going on?
Olive is the one who breaks first. “Look, Maggie!” She bounces as she points to the sign hanging from the bannister.
Happy Birthday, Maggie!
“But it’s May. My birthday isn’t until August?” My family is crowding up the steps, pushing me through the doorway.
“That’s what makes it such a good surprise,” Marcus calls from somewhere on the front porch. “Happy birthday, Aunt Maggie!”
Laughing, I let Olive pull me into the house, the rest of my family following me in.
There are hugs and questions and too much noise to hear an answer as everyone gets inside and settled. Jackie and Rebecca outdid themselves with food and drinks. I load up a plate with the healthiest looking things I can find—mostly carrots and crackers. Kel sends me a questioning glance from across the table where he’s piling his plate with nachos, but I shake my head. I feel fine, I just don’t want to eat all of the cheese dip and other processed foods.
“Maggie, what’s that on your hand?” Jackie startles me, taking my plate with one hand and flipping my left hand over. “Rebecca? Becky, did you see this? When? What? How did I miss this?”
Kel comes around the table and wraps an arm around my waist. “Surprise?”
“You mean we knew first?” My mom comes up behind me laughing as she joins ranks with Rebecca and Jackie. I squirm when Jackie and Rebecca look hurt.
“In my defense, I didn’t know she was going to be here today, and I didn’t want her to find out after you guys.”
Kel ducks his head when Rebecca turns a glaring eye on him. “How could you do this to me? I’m your mother, too.”
“I couldn’t stop her without ruining the surprise.” Kel drops a kiss to the top of my head and escapes.
