Not Pretending Anymore, Ward, Penelope [books that read to you TXT] 📗

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?”

I was too overcome with emotion to enunciate yes, although technically I’d already said it out in the hallway.

He placed the ring on my finger and stood, pulling me in for a hug. I’d nearly forgotten I was still holding the pillow from my father until Dad’s voice rang out: “Love you, my sweet Molly.”

Yup, Dad was here, too. I didn’t think this day could get any better, but every moment kept showing me it could.

“Yes, Mr. Corrigan. I heard you. Don’t worry.” Declan smiled as he looked down at me. “I’ll take good care of her.”

FREE FOR OUR READERS!

Dear Readers,

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading Not Pretending Anymore. We’d love to stay in touch and invite you to join our mailing list and receive back a NEW, FREE short story.

For a Good Time Call

Ever see For a good time call scribbled on the bathroom wall of a bar? Sure you have. Ever wonder what would happen if you had a few too many drinks and actually called the number? Well, now you don’t have to wonder anymore, because I’ll tell you… It blows up in your face when you suddenly realize who Mr. Good Time is.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to all of the amazing bloggers who helped spread the news about Not Pretending Anymore to readers. We are so grateful for all of your support.

To Julie – Thank you for your friendship and always being up for our little adventures!

To Luna –Thank you for your friendship, encouragement and support. Your strength and determination inspires us always.

To our super agent, Kimberly Brower – Thank you for always believing in us and working so hard on our behalf!

To Jessica – It’s always a pleasure working with you as our editor. Thank you for making sure Molly and Declan were ready for the world.

To Elaine – An amazing editor, proofer, formatter, and friend. We so appreciate you!

To Julia – Thank you for being our final set of eyes.

To Kylie and Jo at Give Me Books Promotions – Our releases would simply be impossible without your hard work and dedication to helping us promote them.

To Sommer – Thank you for bringing Declan to life on the cover. Your work is perfection.

To Brooke – Thank you for organizing this release and for taking some of the load off of our endless to-do lists each day.

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,

Penelope and Vi

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