Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (25 page)

Rob and Elizabeth looked at each other. Their Tutti-Frutti rein was officially over but, somehow, despite weeks of anticipation and waiting for this moment to arrive, he got the distinct sense that she was feeling the same reluctance to end it as he was.

The tiny bit of hope that lived inside him, the part that remembered the ecstasy of their lovemaking and the thrill of her saying she loved him, began to grow bigger. Maybe it all just came down to believing it could be done. Maybe when a choice was made in favor of intimacy, most barriers bowed down to a superior power. Maybe he just had to really
look
…and to really
listen
to what she was saying.

He decided to take a chance and see if his theory proved true. “I’ll head back to Chicago in the morning,” he told Elizabeth and watched for clues.

She shuttered her eyes and tightened her lips before nodding slowly. “I-I understand,” she said.

But she didn’t.

There was a tremor in her voice that had nothing to do with stuttering, and a tiny, almost imperceptible catch in her breath. There was a rigidity in her posture that suggested she was working extra-hard to keep her shoulders from drooping.

Rob felt a couple of obstacles shattering in front of his eyes. She knew him well enough by now to know what she was getting into with him. He was loud. He was talkative. He was into sports. He wasn’t as smart as she was by a long shot.

Yet, every nerve fiber told him she didn’t want him to leave. And, hey, he was catching up in the brilliance department. When given a chance and a little time to think, he could make good choices. He was going to try his damnedest to make an excellent one now.

He pulled her into the backroom, away from the prying eyes of their uncles. “Are you doing anything this Friday night?” he asked and, again, scanned her face and her body for any signs that might give away what was really going on in that whirling mind of hers.

Her forehead wrinkled. “I…can’t think of anything. Why?”

Total confusion on her part. Cool, ultra-reserved voice. Not exactly good, but not bad either. He’d have to make his intentions clearer.

“I’m going to go to Chicago tomorrow, but I’m going to come back up on Friday night.” He held her soft hands in his and looked deep into her gorgeous green eyes. “I’d like to take you out on a date.”

The eyes got significantly wider, and her luscious lips parted in surprise. But those same lips turned up at the corners, just the slightest bit, in an indication of pleasure at the news. And her fingers tightened in his palms. And when she said, “Oh, okay,” her tone warmed up about forty degrees.

He grinned and kissed her hands first and then her forehead. “I’ll see you then, sweetheart.”

* * * * *

ELIZABETH REVIEWED ROB’S parting line about, oh, seventeen thousand five hundred and eighty-three times between that moment and Friday.

Why did he want to leave immediately to Chicago? Why did he want to come back after only a few days? How long did he intend to stay here? What was he hoping to
do
on Friday night—and did his plans also include Saturday morning? Was this a guilt visit or more of an attempt to prove to her that he valued her friendship? And, most perplexing of all, what did he
mean
when he called her “sweetheart”? A term of genuine affection…or a sweet nothing?

Try as she might, she didn’t know any of the answers for sure. But she intended to find out within the first fifteen minutes of his arrival.

He only made her wait five.

They were at her apartment, sitting a respectable distance apart on the sofa, when he turned to her.

“Elizabeth, I have a few questions for you.”

She didn’t trust herself to speak so she just nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “Here goes.” He fiddled with his wristwatch and gulped some air. He looked even more nervous than she felt, which made her anxiety rise to match it.

“J-Just say it, Rob. Please.” If it was going to be something unpleasant—like that this was his last visit to Wilmington Bay for a while—she just wanted to get it over with.

“Remember that day when we were in third grade together and you loaned me your very best pencil and we talked and talked all through the art project?” He looked up at her with bright, expectant eyes.

She smiled slightly. “You talked and talked. I listened. But, yeah, I remember.”

“Good, because I thought you were the most wonderful creature to walk the planet that day.” He took her hands in his and they were shaking. Not her hands, but
his
. “I still think that.”

Okay, this was going differently than she’d expected. Better, but way, way differently.

“Um, thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome.” He paused. “All right. Let me try this again. Remember how I said that I couldn’t imagine having a whole houseful of kids? That I thought this was a really strange female thing and that Tony’s ability to procreate little Gabinarris was way beyond me?”

She remembered.

“Well, I’ve kind of changed my mind.”

Her heart did a weird little tap dance. She squinted at him. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Not a
lot
of them, mind you, but I could handle one or maybe even two…I think. Especially if they’re half as sweet as their mother.”

He didn’t give her even five seconds to process this before he said, “And you know how I was really glad to leave Wilmington Bay and live in the big city far away from my dear mama who was trying so desperately to marry me off?”

She remembered that, too.

“Well, to be honest, that part is still kind of up for grabs. So, I wanted to know…” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper he quickly unfolded. “Are you afraid of flying?” he read from the list.

She shook her head. She’d done it a few times and, while not exactly her favorite pastime, she wasn’t too scared.

“Good. Are you in any way opposed to leaving Wilmington Bay for a week or two every few months? Perhaps an occasional spontaneous weekend away every now and again?”

“No, but why—”

“Super. Moving on then. Could you be happy being the mother of, say, only two children instead of four?”

A happy premonition she couldn’t name began to spread inside her like chocolate frosting on a hot peanut-butter bar, but she kept a straight face. “Well, that all depends on who the father is, Rob. Now why are you—”

“I’m getting there. Are you uncomfortable having these children with a man who’s not as smart as you are?”

“Rob!”

“Well?”

Now her hands were trembling, too. “I would only share my body with a man I considered both very clever and extremely kindhearted. Period.”

He looked pleased with her answer. “Okay, then. Last question. Will you marry me, Elizabeth?”

“No,” she said without hesitation and watched his expression fall. “Not Elizabeth. It’s Lizzy to you.” She smiled her sweetest smile at him. “Try it again.”

He recovered after a few deep breaths and shot her a dangerous look. “So,
Lizzy
, will you marry me?”

“Oh, yes, Roberto,” she said, again without hesitation. “I’m yours forever.”

“Damn right,” he muttered, pulling her into his arms and pressing his mouth hard against hers. “And don’t you forget it.”

“With you,” she whispered, “I never forget anything.”

He hugged her tight. “Elizabeth, I love you, and only you. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, and you’ve had a piece of my heart ever since you were a shy five-year-old. I don’t ever want to be without you.”

She looked into those warm eyes of his and saw sincerity there—an incredible, almost inconceivable truth. And she knew if a thousand women as pretty and tenacious as Tara Welles threw themselves at him it wouldn’t matter. As long as he loved
her
, she didn’t have a thing to fear. Rob’s loyalty to those he loved beat like a drum in his chest.

She kissed him back even harder. When they came up for air, she finally got to ask, “Now, what’s all this about flying?”

“Oh, I’m planning to turn over management of the Chicago branch of The Playbook to the capable hands of Miguel who, along with his new assistant—this Greek-American guy named Nick—” he paused to raise a cocky brow, “are taking the patrons by storm with a bunch of sticky new desserts and some spinach appetizer thing.”

She grinned. Nick’s brother Jason would be so proud.

“And I decided to start a second restaurant out in northern California, in a hot spot I’d heard from a reliable source was just incredible.”

“Mendocino?” she said, almost gasping out the four syllables.

“Yep. That’s the place,” he said, making a show of feigning indifference. She wanted to kiss and strangle him at the same time. “It’ll need to be checked up on, though,” he added. “We may need to fly out there a few weekends a month to make sure it’s running smoothly—especially in the beginning.” Then he gave her a serious look. “So, do you think you’re up for it?”

“I do,” she told him. And she was.

* * * * *

ACROSS TOWN, SIEGFRIED Finklehooper and Pauly Carrera were reviewing their books at the shop.

“They did a great job,” Pauly said, noting the increase in profits over the past two months.

Siegfried read over his shoulder. “Well, we knew they would.”

The two men looked at each other and laughed. “Those two kids have been meant for each other for twenty years,” Pauly said, patting his belly and grinning at his longtime friend and business partner. “That European idea was inspired, Siegfried. I thought so. Anita thought so. Even Alessandra thought so. She couldn’t believe we’d found a way to hook Roberto.”

“Ah, well, your sister has a bright son. I know my
Liebling
will be very happy with him. He’s already brought about wonderful changes in her.”

“Think they’ll be pleased with their engagement gift?” Pauly said, still grinning.

“How could they not adore it?” Siegfried said, handing the other man a card that read:
Congratulations, Rob and Elizabeth! Tutti-Frutti is yours with love… Your Uncles.

OTHER TITLES BY MARILYN

Double Dipping

Holiday Man

The Sweet Temptations Collection

Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect match

The Road to You

All I Ever Wanted

According to Jane

Friday Mornings at Nine

A Summer in Europe

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

http://www.marilynbrant.com

Marilyn Brant is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary women's fiction, romantic comedy, and mystery. She was named the Author of the Year in 2013 by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. She loves all things Jane Austen, has a passion for Sherlock Holmes, is a travel addict and a music junkie, and lives on chocolate and gelato.

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FINDING THE RIGHT GIRL

(A Nice
GUY
to Love Novel)

By

Violet Duke

© 2013 Violet Duke. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, this book and any portion thereof may not be reproduced, scanned, transferred, or distributed in any print or electronic form without the express written permission of the author. Participation in any aspect of piracy of copyrighted materials, inclusive of the obtainment of this book through non-retail or other unauthorized means, is in actionable violation of the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, media, brands, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and registered trademark owners of all branded names referenced without TM, SM, or (R) symbols due to formatting constraints, and is not claiming ownership of or collaboration with said trademark brands. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is purely coincidental.

Copyedits by Mickey Reed Editing and Danielle Romero Editing Services

BOOK DESCRIPTION

From the author who brought you the acclaimed New York Times & USA Today bestselling Nice Girl to Love trilogy, comes a Nice GUY to Love spin-off…

Brian Sullivan has been in love twice in his lifetime. He lost his first love to early-onset Huntington’s, and he lost the other more recently…to his brother. And somehow, his heart has managed to heal itself after both. Amazingly, without therapy. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t gotten more wary along the way, however. In fact, he’s been thinking lately that maybe his brother’s now retired nothing-but-flings rule isn’t such a bad idea. Unfortunately, being the nice guy poster boy and all, Brian isn’t exactly versed in the fine art of flings. So he looks to the outrageously ‘unique,’ provokingly
button-pushing
Tessa Daniels for a crash course.

There’s absolutely no way he’s falling in love with this one…right?

Tessa has no idea what she was thinking telling Brian that she was some sort of fling expert. She’s never been flung before and she sure as heck doesn’t know where or how to begin flinging a guy like Brian. It was a temporary lapse in sanity, really—no doubt because of the can’t-help-but-fall-for-him brain fuzz that hits her whenever he’s around. Not only does the man have her being more herself than she’s ever been in her life, but he’s the only person she knows who seems to have as many demons and skeletons in the closet as she does. What’s more, he’s got her thinking of the one thing she stopped letting herself even hope for years ago.

A happily ever after.