My heart trips over itself.
The film first shows a dove, sitting pretty in her nest in a big oak tree in a park. I catch Ammy’s face here, and I’m pretty sure I see the first “o” of her mouth. A bit of Vivaldi’s Summer plays in the background, light and airy, then a little slower as the viewer travels down the tree trunk, where we see another bird: this time a big, black raven in an old bird house that’s tacked onto the tree’s lowest branch. The raven tilts his head up, watching the bright, beautiful dove from down below her. Then he flies away and comes back with a worm.
Amelia’s eyes are huge. She looks around. She looks almost afraid. My heart pounds.
After that, the dove and raven fly together in the clouds. But then the tree loses its leaves and my pretty dove is left alone. A tear rolls down Amelia’s cheek. The little dove bows her head; the angle changes, and flowers start to burst forth from the ground. The raven comes back. The dove ignores him for a moment.
Shit, Ammy is crying.
My eyes fly between Ammy and the screen as the two birds huddle under a branch while rain falls all around them. Then they lean against each other. After that, they settle in the dove’s nest together. The shot pans, and in the sky above their tree, the clouds form the words I’ve seen so many times before, so I don’t look this time: Will You Marry Me, Amelia?
I can only watch her sob for just a second. Then I’m on my feet, moving past the three people between us, getting on my knee in front of her as everyone around us gasps and whispers…and the stadium begins to roar, because now it’s us onscreen.
I watch the footage that night from our bed in Lucy’s family’s private jet. Am is sleeping on my arm, and I’m drinking orange soda. We’re on our way to Cozumel for a quick weekend away. Some time to celebrate. On the flatscreen mounted on the jet’s small bedroom wall, I watch her face light up as I open the little black box. Then she clings to me and sobs, so much it takes a while for me to get the diamond on her finger.
Then she’s looking at it, laughing and hugging me and crying on camera. I see her mouth: “You had this planned!”
I see myself grinning like a fucking fool. A fucking happy fool. A fool who just got lucky like that ragged ass raven.
In the last few seconds, we’re both on our feet. I’m twirling her around. When I close my eyes, I am still twirling her around.
It’s like a dream, this life. It’s like a Disney movie. And it’s ours.
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Next up is Covet, the third Sinful Secrets Romance. Add it to your Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25867615
Did you know Crown Jewels, book one in this series of stand-alones, is free for a few days? Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt! Available on Amazon now!
Crown Jewels exclusive excerpt
“Lucy… Lucy, Lucy…” His voice beside my ear is soft and gentle. Deep and low.
His arm around my waist is heavy and secure. He wraps his other arm around my shoulders, locking me against him.
“It’s okay…”
I feel his chin against my shoulder, feel his forehead brush against my hair as his arms gently squeeze.
For one long second, everything inside me bucks against him and the waves of horror rise. Then it feels so good that I can’t fight him. My muscles slacken and I relax against him, letting myself give in to the careful, whispered words and strong strokes of his hands along my arm and hip.
“Lucy Rhodes…I can’t believe you’re here. It’s gonna be okay. Whatever’s wrong…”
I shut my eyes. “Why do you like me?”
“What?” His tone is surprised, but his body doesn’t stiffen.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, Lucy?”
“You wrote me a letter one time,” I say hoarsely.
“Yes.”
Why did you do it? My throat is so tight, I can’t get the words out.
“Why do you like red, Lucille? The color red.”
“Because it’s festive,” I rasp. My voice is unsteady. How embarrassing.
“So is yellow.”
I shake my head. No, “yellow is bright.”
“Festive,” he says.
“Cheery. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?”
“Yes.” I laugh—because it’s so ridiculous, this conversation. The location of it, and the circumstances. “Did you get off your horse and onto mine?” I ask him, even though it’s clear he did.
“Learned it in the circus.”
“What?” I laugh.
“It’s true. I had a crush on a trapeze artist when I was younger. Spent a day with the circus.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, yes.”
I lean my head back, feel his cheek against my cheek. Then his lips against my cheek. The kiss is gentle. Undemanding. And yet, it makes me shiver.
I put my hand over his, over the one that’s cupping my hip. “Yellow is way different than red,” I murmur.
“I know.”
“You do?”
“Of course. That’s the point that I was making, Lucy. You like red because you like it. And you don’t like yellow. Not the same way.” His voice is husky, sending shivers over my arms. “I like you because I like you. I like that you eat your cereal dry and wear those little ribbons in your hair. I like that you ride well and your skin smells sweet like flowers. I like that you eat too much candy corn at Halloween.”
“You know that because of the show.”
“And?” His fingers brush over my hip.
“That’s cheating.”
I can feel him shrug behind me. “I don’t think that you’re the ‘feisty’ one. I don’t see you as one of the Rhodes girls from the TV show. I understand what’s fiction.”
“Yeah…”
“Don’t be worried. Not here, while you’re with me. I’ll take care of you. I’ll give you what you need if you can tell me what that is.”
Stinging tears well in my eyes. “What if I can’t?” I whisper.
“I’ll figure it out.”
Crown Jewels is free on Amazon for the next few days. Click here to keep reading!