Page 16 of The Backup Plan

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Page 16 of The Backup Plan

“What’s this?” Olivia asked, stepping closer to evaluate the stack of books on the bed.

She’d been so busy baking cookies, it had given me time to set up. On our bed was a stack of books—all the ones we’d read together as part of the Spines for Soldiers program.

“Alone in Alaska,Insatiable.” Her smile widened as she named the titles until she got to the one on the bottom. She removed it from the stack. “What’s this one? I haven’t heard of it.”

“A love story,” I said. “I think you’ll really enjoy it. You have the only copy.”

“Awesome!” She grinned, flipping it over before finally opening it. She gasped when she saw our emails and pictures printed on the pages. It was all there, from our first meeting at The Last Bookshop to the vacation we’d taken to Sri Lanka last month. “Connor. This is us…”

She paged through it, smiling as she skimmed some of the emails. Until finally, she got to the back, a blank page. An unwritten story, a future with limitless potential.

I knelt to the floor before her. “Olivia—”

She held her hands to her mouth, green eyes wide and already misting with tears. I took one of her hands in mine, needing her touch to ground me. To center me, as always. She was my world, my universe, and I wanted nothing more than her happiness.

“You’ve always seen the good in me,” I said, struggling to get the words out. To get everything just right. I wanted this to be perfect for her. “You love me for who I am without trying to change me. And I hope you know how much I love you. If you’ll let me, I promise to protect you, love you, and cherish you for the rest of my life.”

“Yes,” she said.

I chuckled, relief and happiness blending into a potent cocktail. “You haven’t even seen the ring yet.”

She shook her head. “I don’t need to. It wouldn’t change my answer.”

I smiled, releasing her hand to pull a small velvet box out of my pocket so I could present the ring to her. I’d spent weeks searching for the perfect setting, and Alyssa had been more than willing to offer her opinion. From the way Olivia was looking at it, and me, we’d chosen well.

I smiled up at her, asking the question even though I already knew the answer. “Marry me, Goody.”

“Yes.” She smiled through her tears, and I found that a tear had snaked down my own cheek. “Yes, of course.”

I slid the ring onto her finger—a perfect fit. I stood and pulled her into my arms, crushing my lips to hers.

I still couldn’t believe she was going to be my wife. That I got to spend the rest of my life with such an incredible woman. I’d never imagined this for myself—marriage, a family. But now that I’d met Olivia, I couldn’t picture anything else.

Our love story was unconventional and unique. And I knew that no matter what the future held, she was my happily ever after.

* * *

Want to see Olivia’s dad, Harrison, get his hard-won happily ever after? Keep reading for a sneak peek of this single-dad, age gap, love after loss romance!

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UNPREDICTABLE SNEAK PEEK

“I can’t believe you scored an appointment with Juliana Wright,” Olivia said as we walked down the sidewalk toward the wedding planner’s office. “I mean, she’s liketheevent planner for celebrity weddings.”

I scoffed. “What? Am I not a celebrity?”

She knew I was teasing. But I was grateful Olivia had accepted my apology and peace offering—a meeting with the exclusive event planner. I still wasn’t sold on the idea of marriage, but my relationship with my daughter was more important than my personal reservations. Besides, her relationship with Connor was different from Camille’s and mine. And Talia was right—just because my marriage hadn’t worked out didn’t mean Olivia’s was doomed to fail.

“Dad.” Olivia rolled her eyes, but her lips curved upward. “You know what I mean.”