Not Pretending Anymore(93)

“Of course you can. It’s yours!”

I hugged her. “Thank you, Kayla. I have no idea what’s coming next on this scavenger hunt, but I am certain nothing can beat this.”

“Declan loves you so much. You got yourself a good man there.”

“Tell Siobhan I’ll call her to take her out next week.”

“She’ll love that.”

I picked up the envelope before heading back downstairs.

As Kayla stood at the door and waved goodbye, I thought about how differently I viewed her now. I was grateful my father had gotten to spend his last days with someone who made him feel fulfilled.

In the privacy of my car, I opened the envelope to find out where I was headed next.



Because I know you need your favorite candy when you’re emotional—and not just a small amount. A lot.



A lot. The bulk candy store!

I looked up the address and made my way there.

A bell dinged when I opened the door to Poppy’s Candyland. A woman at the counter smiled at me.

“Hi…I’m Molly,” I said. “I believe you might have an envelope for me?”

“Sure do.” She handed me a plastic bag. “But first, feel free to peruse our candy selection.” She winked and pointed to the left corner of the room. “The M&Ms are that way.”

Heading over, I noticed there were two M&M compartments, one filled with primary rainbow colors, and one that contained all pink with a sign that read Molly’s .

I broke out in laughter. How the heck? The amount of effort Declan had put into this scavenger hunt was unbelievable.

Filling my bag with my favorite pink M&Ms, I took it over to the counter so she could weigh it.

“No need to pay.” She shook her head. “Your friend gave us more than enough to cover the cost of that bag.” She handed me the envelope. “And here you go.”

“Thank you so much.” I smiled.

Back out on the sidewalk, I ripped open the envelope.



Because I miss you, it’s time to go back to the place where it all started. See you soon.



As much fun as this had been, I was eager to get back to the apartment and kiss that crazy man for coming up with this idea.

Wearing a permasmile, I drove back in the direction of our apartment building.

Once back home, carrying my bag of M&Ms and my father’s pillow, I reached the top of the stairs. A familiar sight brought a feeling of nostalgia—the same Tupperware container Declan had left at my door exactly two years ago. If it hadn’t been for those cupcakes—those delicious cupcake tops I’d devoured—I might never have given in and called Declan to offer him the room.

I bent down to open the container. Six cupcakes with white frosting sat inside. And written atop them were six different words.

Will

You

Marry

Me?

Do

It!

Covering my mouth with my hand, I froze and stood up. When I turned around, Declan was behind me holding…a laundry basket. He’d apparently gone downstairs to fetch the clothes I’d abandoned upon discovering the first envelope.

His eyes widened, and he put the basket down. “Shit! How fast did you drive? You got here sooner than I thought. The clerk at the candy store texted me when you left. I was supposed to be standing behind the door on bended knee when you came inside. But I figured I’d fetch the clothes you left downstairs first.” He exhaled. “Shit. The ring is on the kitchen counter. So much for a flawless proposal. Damn it, I—”

I practically leapt forward and cut him off with a long kiss. “This was perfect. Everything was perfect.”

“Except my timing.”

“We’ve always sucked at timing. But then we finally got it right. And by the way, you doing the laundry is almost as sexy as a choreographed proposal on bended knee.” I shook my head. “I never dreamed this day was going to turn into a proposal. Oh my God, Declan.”

As he squeezed me, I could feel his heart pounding.

“Can we at least pretend I got it right? Give me two minutes to put this laundry basket away.” He lifted it off the ground. “I’ll tell you when, and then you can come in. Okay?”

I laughed. “Okay, crazy man. Just tell me when.”

He turned around. “You’re gonna say yes, right?”

I wiped my eyes. “Yes.”

“Okay, then I’ll proceed.”

He closed the door behind him. After about three minutes, I could hear him from behind the door. “You can come in now!”

When I opened, Declan wasn’t on his knee, nor was there a ring in sight.

“This whole day has been about surprises,” he said. “What’s one more?” His eyes gleamed.

The next thing I knew, a dozen different voices shouted, “Surprise!” People emerged from every corner of the apartment. There were pink balloons and people rushing toward me. My mother. Kayla. Siobhan. Emma. And oh my God! Declan’s parents. And two of his sisters!

It took me a few minutes to finish hugging everyone and wiping my tears. Then I went in search of Declan and couldn’t find him anywhere. Until I looked down and found him on his knees.

He looked up at me. “If you think today showed how much I love you, think again. There is nothing I could do to demonstrate the depth of how I feel. Molly Corrigan, I wish I could say from the moment we met I’ve been in love with you. But that wasn’t the case. You were my friend before you were ever my lover. I grew to like and respect you long before I fell deeply in love with you. But once that happened, there was no going back. Moving to Chicago was the second easiest decision I ever had to make. The easiest was deciding to propose to you today, the second anniversary of the luckiest day of my life.” He opened the box, displaying a gorgeous, round, sparkling solitaire. “Will you marry me?”