For Seven Nights Only - Sarah Ballance Page 0,62

they’re going to notice? The apartment is the size of a shoebox. You can’t really miss something like that.”

“Well, he may have a sex swing, but he won’t have a line at the door,” Estelle countered, “and that counts for something.”

“That counts for a lot,” Ethan said. He smiled at Kelsie, and Sawyer had the sudden urge to give him a hug. Or punch him in the shoulder. But he’d probably need him to help move. After a bit of debate over his apartment or hers, they’d settled for door number three, a two-bedroom apartment a couple of streets over. It boasted twice as much space without doubling the rent, which made it well worth the wait for renovations to be complete.

“Well,” Crosby said. “Now that Sawyer has figured out monogamy, I’d say either the world has gone off its axis or that serves as proof there’s someone out there for everyone.”

“Yeah, not so fast there,” Estelle said. “My brother sleeps on Star Wars sheets.”

“You banged Crosby on those sheets,” Sawyer added helpfully. “Maybe they’re lucky.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “I see being in a relationship doesn’t make you any less of a pig.”

“I have heard he was an animal,” Estelle said. “Kelsie told me about this one time—”

Kelsie kicked up an eyebrow. “On the fire escape?” she asked pointedly.

Estelle and Crosby exchanged looks while Grady rolled his eyes. Sawyer made a mental note to ask about the fire escape thing. Or maybe not. In fact, he was almost certain he didn’t want to know.

“Grady’s the real freak,” Crosby said. “He’s got a tree in his apartment.”

“You put it there,” Grady told him. “And if you don’t get it out of there soon, it’s not going to fit back though the door.”

“I’m sorry,” Estelle said. “You have a tree and Star Wars sheets, and the tree needs to go?”

Everyone laughed. Everyone but Grady. “All right, guys. That’s enough abuse for me for one night. I need to work in the morning.”

Crosby and Estelle slid out of the booth. “You really have a date, don’t you?”

“If I did, do you think I’d be sitting here taking the aforementioned abuse?”

“But you aren’t,” Estelle said. “You’re leaving.”

“I’m going home,” Grady said. “To my sheets. Alone.”

“Are you at least going to check your dating profile?” Estelle asked. Someone kicked on the jukebox, so she ended up yelling, much to Grady’s apparent chagrin.

“Actually I’m going to delete it,” he told her. “You know, so you’ll quit asking me if I’ve met anyone.”

With that, the group scattered, Estelle following her brother while Sawyer’s brothers hit a vacant pool table.

“Did you see Estelle’s ring?” Sawyer asked Kelsie when they were alone.

“Are you kidding? She’s now one of my best friends. I saw it via text message two minutes after he proposed.”

“I was kind of thinking about getting you one of those,” he said. Then he held his breath. Despite the whole moving-in-together thing that pretty well cemented where they were in their relationship, he was terrified she’d be horrified at the thought.

She grinned. “I was kind of thinking I might like wearing one.”

“And I’d kind of like it if that was all you wore.”

Her smile grew. “I think we’d be kicked out of here.”

“I actually think that sounds like a plan.” He slid out of the booth, then helped her bundle into her jacket before shrugging into his. He patted the pocket. Felt the box.

Outside, a light snow fell gently from the sky to swirl wildly in the wake of traffic, but he didn’t feel the cold. He felt…on the verge of something big.

Up ahead, the Brooklyn Bridge loomed. The lights of Manhattan rose on the opposite bank, the reflections wobbly across water peppered with falling snow. He felt Kelsie hesitate when they reached the walkway to cross the bridge, but their fingers were linked so he didn’t look back, and she didn’t say a word.

Halfway across the nearly deserted walkway, he stopped. He avoided looking at the river this time—not because it terrified him, but because he chose instead to look into the eyes of the woman he loved.

“I never did give you that seventh date,” he said.

She stared at him, puzzled, while snowflakes dusted her lashes. “You went to the wedding.”

“I missed the vows and crashed the reception,” he reminded her. “Work with me here, woman.”

“Okay, since you insist, yes, you owe me a seventh date.”

“To a wedding.” He dropped to one knee and swayed only a little when he caught sight of the water stretching