The Christmas Pact(32)
But here’s my dilemma: I might have some REALLY big news to share soon. And I wondered if you thought it might upset Riley too much if I went ahead and shared only that news with everyone, particularly if the news pertained to her?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Braggart
My mother’s question was followed by the typical response.
Dear Mrs. Braggart,
Did you say your daughter’s name is Riley? I think I know exactly who you are.
In fact, your obnoxious letters were what first prompted Riley to write to us.
If you ask me, those letters saved her.
If she hadn’t written to me about them, she would have never gotten out of her funk. I encouraged her to go out and live a little. But most of all, if she hadn’t sent me that email, she might never have sparred over email with that Kennedy dude. Their heated interactions were the foreplay that ultimately brought them together.
So, one might say you started it all, Mrs. Braggart. You should be proud. If it weren’t for that annoying Christmas letter, Kennedy wouldn’t be getting down on his knee… right this second.
I stopped reading.
Getting down on his knee?
It took me a few seconds to realize what was actually happening.
Except when I looked over at Kennedy, instead of a ring box, he was holding my Lovey doll. My mother must have given it to him. But when?
He proceeded to twist the head off, reached inside her hollow body, and took out the most beautiful round diamond ring. The morning light shined on the stone as he held it between his thumb and finger.
Then, he then got down on one knee at the foot of the bed.
“Riley Kennedy, from the moment our paths—and emails—crossed, I knew it was somehow magic. You were always the one I was meant to be with. This year with you has been the best of my life. And I know every year with you will be better than the last. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
My hands were shaking. I didn’t even have to think about it as I said, “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you! I love you so much, Kennedy Riley. Yes! Yes! Yes!”
After he slipped the ring on my finger, I covered his face with kisses and he collapsed onto me as we filled the air with the soft sounds of our private celebration.
Sometime later, he pressed yet another soft kiss to my lips and murmured, “You didn’t finish the letter.”
I reached for the paper that had fallen out of my hands and read the remainder of Soraya’s response:
Oh, and Riley? You should say yes, even if he can be a horse’s ass. (Flip around for Exhibit A.)
On the back was a photo that Kennedy must have sent her. It was a selfie of him and the white horse he’d had to abandon. He looked flustered and exhausted while the horse flashed its huge set of teeth and appeared to be smiling victoriously.
I pretended to be speaking to her. “That’s no horse’s ass, Soraya. That’s my fiancé you’re talking about. The soon-to-be Mister Kennedy Kennedy.”
His eyes widened. “Not sure if you’re joking, sweetheart, but for the record, I will totally take your last name if you don’t want to be Riley Riley.”
“I’m just kidding.” I laughed. “I want to take your name. We’ll figure it out.”
He pressed a firm kiss on my lips and took my face in his hands, pressing his forehead to mine as he declared, “I don’t care if you go by Riley Kennedy, Riley Riley, or Riley Kennedy-Riley, as long as I can call you mine forever.”
We are eternally grateful to all of the bloggers who enthusiastically spread the news about our books and persist even as it becomes harder and harder to be seen on social media. This has been a challenging year for all of us: bloggers, readers, and writers alike. Thank you more than ever for all of your continued hard work and for helping to introduce us to readers who may otherwise never have heard of us.
To Julie – We are so lucky to have your friendship, daily support, and encouragement. Thank you for always being one message away.
To Luna – Our right-hand woman. We appreciate your friendship and help so much and are so proud of all you’ve accomplished this year.
To our agent, Kimberly Brower – We are so lucky to call you a friend as well as an agent. We’re so grateful that you are always with us every step of the way in this literary adventure.
To Rose Hilliard and the entire Audible team – This story would never have come to be without you. Thank you for releasing it first as an Audible Original, allowing it to be heard by thousands of new listeners.
To Elaine – An amazing editor, proofer, formatter, and friend. We so appreciate you!
To Eda – Thank you for being our extra set of eyes on this project and all of the feedback you provided to make this story perfect.
To Monika Roe – Your talent as an illustrator is boundless. Thank you for bringing our characters on the cover.
Last but not least, to our readers – We keep writing because of your hunger for our stories. We love surprising you and hope you enjoyed this book as much as we did writing it. Thank you as always for your enthusiasm, love, and loyalty. We cherish you!
Much love,
Vi and Penelope