She smiled.
“Okay, for the record, I’m very busy, and clearly you and Doyle figured it out.”Declan looked at Austen.“Help me out here.”
“Oh no.I agree.It’s important to communicate, especially when you have feelings for someone.”She smiled.“Otherwise, they could, I don’t know, think they’re just the hired help.”
“I’m wondering if I got invited to the right party.”
“Hey, Dec.”Steinbeck stood at the door, Emberly leaning on his arm.
“What happened?”Harper said, her gaze on Emberly.“Are you okay?”
“Long story,” Emberly answered.
“It might involve saving the life of the president’s daughter,” Stein said, and they were clearly together, because the way he looked at the petite redhead...
Jack had looked at Harper that way, once upon a short time ago.
And it hit her then.Why...How did they get here?
Maybe it hit Jack too, because his gaze was on hers, hard.She couldn’t move.
Oh, Jack.This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.
Another woman came out behind them.Olive skin, dark hair, pretty.She carried a casserole and set it in the middle of the table.“This is quite the table.”
“I made it,” Stein said.
Jack broke her gaze and looked at him.“I made it.”
Stein held up his hand.“Okay, I helped.”
“I made it because Mom wanted our entire family to sit around it.”Jack turned to Harper.“All of us.”
She just stared at him.
He took a step toward her.“Is there anything...”He drew in a breath.Closed his eyes.
“C’mon, Jack,” Stein said softly.
Silence, and her heart thudded.
Jack opened his eyes.“Is there anything I can say to make you stay, Bee?”
Austen looked at her, then Jack, back at Harper.
Boo, behind him, was nodding.
The words simply formed, fell out.“You...could ask me to marry you.”
Oh no,had she really said that?Silence fell, thick around her.
Oh, she was an idiot.She turned.
“Are you kidding me?”
She rounded on him, her eyes wide.“No.I’m not kidding you.”Her mouth opened, then closed, her eyes filling.“I...”She wiped her cheeks.Oh great, in front of everyone too.“I know it sounds stupid, but...I thought?—”
He took a step toward her, so much in his eyes she couldn’t read—anger?worry?pain?“It’snotstupid.And when I asked if you were kidding me, I meant...of course.I was going to propose two weeks ago and then, I’m not sure what happened.”
