Page 88 of The Beat Match

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Always when I ask you about a random gift that appears out of thin air. Where are we going, Wes?”

“Like I said, I have no clue.”

“Do you have a clue if we’re going to miss our flight? In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a woman of the world, and gallivanting women don’t like missing their flights when they’ve been counting down the days with stickers and colored markers in their scrapbooks.”

“I have not forgotten. Our flight is later than I told you. Enough with the questions.”

“Weston.”

“Anthea.”

She gave him the silent treatment for the rest of the ride.

When the car pulled up to a random curb in midtown Manhattan, she caved. “Why are we still in the city?”

He kissed her ear and murmured, “Don’t move.”

He stepped out of his side of the car and rounded to hers in several long strides. He yanked her door open and dropped to one knee.

She glanced around the street, then back at him. “What you doing?”

He gathered her small hands in his. “The day I met you was the most important day of my life. Knowing and loving Leo was a gift, but meeting you was destiny. I didn’t know it then, but you’re the glue and sparkles that hold me together. You’re every artwork I’ve ever admired, captured in a vibrancy I never fathomed. You’re the reason I’m living a full life, and why I have a silly pet rabbit. You’re my…” His throat clogged with emotion. She was everything. “You’re my heart, Squirrel.”

Her chin trembled, those expressive eyes glossing over. “What’s a heart-squirrel?” she asked through her tears.

He laughed. “You. You’re the crazy squirrel. And I love you so damn much.”

“I love you, too. More than anything. But you’ve already proposed, and I said yes.” She pulled out her left hand and waved her vintage square-cut diamond ring in his face. “We even have our marriage license. What’s with the bended knee and gorgeous profession of love?”

He’d gone on a hunch with this next move. A slightly reckless hunch. Annie was taking her own piano lessons, while teaching in her spare time and working on her DJing. She had gigs booked. She’d even started a scrapbooking club for kids at a community center, and she still waitressed a couple of nights a week. All hectic and time consuming, though fulfilling. He’d known she wouldn’t love carving time for wedding planning. Planning in general wasn’t her forte.

He, however, was a born organizer.

“That was just the preliminary proposal,” he said, his voice shakier than he’d like. “This is the official one.” He fanned his hand toward the building. “We’re having the ceremony today.”

* * *

“What do you mean today?” Annie’s voice screeched as her brain struggled to play catch-up. They’d talked about an eventual wedding, sometime next summer. Time for her to figure out the million and one things that would need doing. Now Wes was watching her with wary, shifty eyes. He was nervous, and she was flummoxed.

“The wedding’s already planned,” he said, casting a glance at the brownstone behind him. “And it’s happening now.”

“I’m sorry.” Her laugh had an erratic pitch to it. “I must have misheard you again. First the Felix reveal, now this.”

He stood from his bent knee and held out his hand, palm up, to help her from the car.

She stared at it, helpless. “My wedding isn’t happening here. Now. I’m wearing an old skirt and a tank top.” Printed with the words: Because I’m the DJ, That’s Why. “And I wanted our friends at our wedding. Nothing big and fancy, but a day we could share with them.”

Another moment of perfection to gather and cherish alongside the millions of others they created daily. She’d worked so hard to build friendships this year. Talk to women. Share her worries when getting together for food and drinks with people like Pegasus, whose real name was Gretchen. Grow a network she could count on, and who could count on her. She’d hate not to have them here today.

Wes stretched his hand closer to her and lowered his voice. “As much as I love our bickering with benefits, which would have been entertaining while planning a wedding, I didn’t want the planning to be a burden. You’re busy and hate scheduling and research, but I enjoy it. I also wanted to do this for you. Not just the signing of our marriage license. Really show you I’m ready for us. So let me love you the best way I know how. Let me whisk you off your feet and be your prince.”

God, this man. All those months of infatuation, yearning, pining, she’d never imagined he’d be this devoted, that a few words from him would knock her sideways. Her dream wedding morphed into this moment now. A random New York street. Pedestrians casting them odd glances. Weston Aldrich offering her the one thing he’d never offered anyone: his unprotected heart.

“Yeah, okay.” Her words sounded watery. She accepted his hand and stood. “I can’t believe we’re getting married today. Do we have time to call Vivian and Rosanna and—”

He pressed a finger to her lips. “Trust me, will you?”

She nodded, too blown away to speak. He signaled to someone in the brownstone behind them, and Vivian and Sarah scurried out. Annie squawked. They whisked her inside, and people were everywhere, catering people and makeup people and hair people.