Gin Fling (Bootleg Springs, #5)(107)

“Jonah, I—” I lost my train of thought immediately.

Jonah Bodine, my boyfriend of a year and a half—scratch that, my boyfriend of exactly eighteen months—was on bended knee in front of my bike.

“Shelby Thompson.”

“Jonah Bodine,” I whispered back. My feet froze in the pedal cages.

“It’s been exactly eighteen months since you and I first decided to start this summer fling,” he began. “And as you instructed me, couples shouldn’t even start talking about the future until they’ve survived eighteen months.”

“I do recall imparting that information,” I said, bringing my fingers to my lips. My hand was shaking. My vision was blurring, and I had the distinct suspicion that it wasn’t sweat.

“It’s been eighteen months and one wild ride. You were there with me every step of the way through everything my family went through. You were by my side when things seemed like they were at their darkest. You stuck.”

I pressed my fingers against my lips harder as his words hit bullseye after bullseye dead center in my heart.

“You showed me what a partner is supposed to be. You let me in. Let me fix things on occasion. And Shelby, honey, I can’t wait for the next eighteen months with you. The next eighteen years. The next forever. I’m ready. Are you?”

I nodded, blinking back tears. And kept nodding.

“Good, ’cause I’ve got something real important to ask you.” He revealed a small black box, and I held my breath while he opened it.

It was a simple oval solitaire that glittered like a thousand stars on a delicate gold band.

“Dr. Shelby Thompson, would you do me the great honor of being my wife? Running herd on a bunch of loud Bodine kids. Riding through Canada and running through everywhere else. Growing old here so we can cause a ruckus at The Lookout. Would you do all that with me?”

I could barely get my feet off the pedals. I launched myself at him, mostly out of joy but also a little because my legs weren’t working yet.

He caught me. Jonah always caught me.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, his voice muffled by my sweaty hair.

I nodded and kept right on nodding. “It’s the biggest, loudest yes you’ve ever heard in your life.”

We laughed, fumbling in the dark studio for the box, the ring, the kiss.

It was salty and sweet and everything I’d ever dared dream of. And so was Jonah.

My parents were going to be thrilled. Hell, the entire town was probably going to throw a party.

“This isn’t going to interfere with Gibson’s wedding, is it?” I asked.

Jonah laughed. “My brother and I already discussed it. It’s all good.”

“It’s better than good,” I said, watching the diamond wink on my finger. The sparkle blurred before my eyes. “It’s perfect.”

“We’ve got about twenty minutes before my phone starts ringing off the hook with Scarlett demanding to know if it’s official yet and insisting we come over to celebrate. She’s making dino nuggets for you.”

I snort-laughed and covered my mouth. “Twenty minutes? We can get into a whole lot of trouble in twenty minutes.”

“I’ve got a bottle of champagne on ice in the locker room. What do you say we pop the cork and get cleaned up?”

The way those green eyes sparkled, brighter than the diamond I wore, I knew exactly what he meant.

“Jonah, you are going to be everything your father never had the chance to be. You know that, right?” He already was. The good man. The generous neighbor. Now, he’d be the dream husband. The wonderful father he never had.

He cupped my face in his big, warm hand. “That’s the plan, Dr. Bodine. And you’re everything I ever wanted.”