being older, I come behind Jack in both looks and personality?”
“Stop it,” Kate said firmly. “Stop saying those things. I didn’t fall in love with Ian, or Matt, or Jack the moment I saw them. I fell in love with you.”
Kennedy’s breath caught, but then he remembered that she fell out of love with him just as easily.
“Why are you here?” he asked tiredly when she didn’t say anything more.
“I wanted the truth about why you paid my tuition.”
“You could have called.”
“Um, no way would you have picked up. You’re mad at me.”
He let out a deep breath. “No, I’m not. I just need time to get over you. You had years to get over me. I think I deserve at least a couple days.”
“Well, you’re not going to get it, because I didn’t.” She stepped closer, and his fingers gripped her wrist tighter.
“You didn’t what?”
“Get over you.” Her words were quiet but confident, and they packed a hell of a wallop. She met his eyes steadily, wilting slightly when he stayed silent. “You’re not saying anything.”
“Well, no, Kate,” he said gruffly. “I sort of laid it all out there, and you tossed it aside pretty easily. How do I know you’re not going to change your mind again tomorrow? Or the next time I say something clueless that hurts your feelings, because God knows it’ll happen? Or the next time things get tough?”
“Now see, I knew you were going to say that,” Kate said, tugging her hand free so that she could rummage around in her purse. Before he could register that she’d pulled out a dark-red velvet box, she was down on one knee.
Kennedy’s stomach dropped. “What the—Are you nuts?”
Undeterred, she opened the box. Not slick and practiced with a flick of her thumb but with two hands, clamshell-style. “Kennedy Edward Dawson. Will you marry me?”
“Get up.” He bent down, trying to lift her, but she wiggled away.
“You have to answer. It’s rude not to.”
Rude. She’d come to his house, told him she was in love with him, and proposed, all without giving him a chance to catch his breath, and he was rude? This time when he reached down, he caught her, hauling her up easily. But by the time he set her back on her feet, all of her bravado was gone.
“Please, Kennedy. You don’t have to marry me. Just give me another chance. Please.” Ring box still clutched in her hand, she reached up and tugged on his shirt, her hands a little shaky. “I love you. I don’t know how I possibly thought I was over you, when you’re all I’ve thought about, all I’ve ever wanted.”
He caught her chin and held her gaze. “I want you all in, Kate Henley. I can’t do this if you’re not.”
She smiled smugly and issued her challenge. “Then make me Kate Dawson.”
Kennedy’s heart soared at the thought. He pulled her closer. “I love you.”
She bit her bottom lip as though trying to hide a smile, then failed completely, because her face erupted in a full grin. “You love me?”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “A lot.”
He brushed his lips against hers, softly, not yet completely confident this wasn’t a dream. But then she kissed him back, and he poured his heart into the kiss and felt her give hers right back. And though he had every intention of finishing the kiss upstairs, there was one last item of business . . .
Kennedy tugged the box out of her hand and studied the traditional but expensive-looking ring, knowing from the name on the box that it was no cheap corner-store buy but a huge investment. He felt a lump in his throat, knowing how terrifying the gesture must have been for her.
To keep her from feeling embarrassed, he grinned at her. “I’m a traditional guy, Henley. You really think I’m going to let you rob me of a proposal?”
“Not really,” she said. “It was more of a grand gesture. Actually, you know, now that I think of it, why don’t I just take that back—”
Kennedy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began pulling her forward as he held the ring well out of her reach. “Very amusing. I think I’ll just hold on to this.”
She pulled to a stop outside the living room. “What happened to your chessboard?”
“Ah.” He glanced at the mess. “Female woes.”
“Apparently. Can I interest you in a game? Distract you from this silly girl who forgot her own heart for a while there?”
“Maybe later. I’ve got a long game that I’m playing right now that’s taking all of my concentration.”
She shrugged and kissed his shoulder, and the casual, sweet gesture of affection made his throat clench with emotion. God. It was official. He was as whipped as Ian and Matt.
And he’d never been happier.
Epilogue
Saturday, July 20
“Happy birthday!”
Kate paused in the doorway, grinning at the gathering of her friends and family.
Lara had walked in with Kate, and she linked their arms. “Not surprised, huh?”
“Not even a little,” Kate said. “Kennedy knows better than to totally rob me of planning my own birthday party.”
“You and your planning,” Sabrina said, linking her other arm. “But hey, it’s your birthday. Whatever floats your boat.”
“Well, it’s not totally without surprises,” Lara said slyly, nodding at an older woman approaching them.
“Mom!” Kate pulled her arms free of her friends and rushed over to hug her mother. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, your fella arranged for me to come into the city. Found someone to watch the puppy and everything. Brought me here in a fancy car, put me up in a fancy hotel. He even arranged for me to have my hair done. See?”
“It’s fabulous,” Kate said, kissing her mom’s cheek, relieved to see that she looked genuinely happy.
The shadow of losing Kate’s dad faded a little more every time she saw her, and Eileen reassured Kate with every visit that life really did go on—it was just a different stage of her life. Kate liked that and hoped that someday her mom might even find a new partner for this new stage.
“You know you didn’t have to come all this way, though, right? I know you hate the city, and this isn’t even a birthday ending in a zero.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” her mother said. “Oh! Look, prime rib . . .”
She dashed off toward a buffet table, just as Kennedy approached, a slight smile on his face.
Kate flung her arms around his neck, kissing him full on the mouth, unabashed they were in the middle of a crowded room. “Thank you,” she said against his lips.
“You already knew it was happening. You’re the worst surprise party recipient ever.”
“I didn’t know about Mom, though. Best surprise ever.”
“You sure about that?”
She laughed and pulled back. “Seriously? You think you can top my mom?”
Kate’s smile froze in confusion as she realized everyone was watching them expectantly.
She frowned. “What am I missing?” Then she saw it and laughed. “Oh my God, an ice sculpture!”
“They’re very in right now, didn’t you know?”
“I did. What the heck is that?” she said as she got closer. “It’s very . . . phallic.”
“Yeah . . . Didn’t really think that through. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Oh! It’s a king!” she said. “From a chessboard.”
“Nerds,” Ian said from behind a fake cough.
Matt chimed in. “You know, if either of you wants to play, I’ve actually beaten a grand master. I’d love to take either of you on—”
“Oh, Matthew. Please be quiet,” Lara said, tugging him away from Kate and Kennedy.
Oblivious to her friends, Kate stepped closer to the ice sculpture. “There’s something inside it. What . . . Oh. Oh my God.”
Her hand went to her mouth as she registered the solitaire diamond ring encased in the middle of the ice.
She whirled toward Kennedy, but he was already on his knee, smiling up at her with a cocky, confident smile. Which was probably fair, considering he was already wearing her ring. He hadn’t taken it off since the night she’d given it to him. The guys occasionally gave him crap for having a “guy’s engagement ring,” but he only ever smiled.
“Told you I’d get my proposal my way.” Without looking away, he tilted his head toward the ring in the ice. “Marry me?”
Her heart felt like it was bursting from her chest as she grinned down at the only man she’d ever loved. “Yes. All in.”
Kennedy smiled wider as he stood and wrapped her in a hug that lifted her off her feet. Their friends clapped and cheered around them, but as Kennedy lowered her back to the ground, his word was just for her. “Checkmate.”
She looked up at him. “Really? What did you win?”
Kennedy’s eyes were warm and adoring as they locked on hers. “Your heart.”