Epilogue
JOANIE - A FEW MONTHS LATER
I ’ve torn this house apart every day. No ring. No tiny box. No little velvet bag. I mean, not that I need a ring, but I’m trying to suss out when Colin might pop the question. He could wrap a twisty tie around my finger, and I’d be giddy. I’m really on the hunt for any sign that he’s going to propose soon. A sparkly banner. A collection of illegal fireworks in the garage. Anything.
It didn’t happen on Valentine’s Day—also known as a romance writer’s national holiday. It didn’t happen at Thanksgiving, the solstice, Christmas, or New Years.
And now we’re in March and it’s been raining for two weeks straight, which means he’s not going to propose at the beach—one of our favorite spots to hang out.
Gonzo won’t tolerate a collar, so he’s not going to tie the ring around her neck. He knows that I have mixed feelings about grand gestures. I gave him a whole TED Talk on why a huge public proposal can be problematic.
It’s not in his sock drawer, which is actually our sock drawer since I moved in. It’s not tucked into the pockets of any of his jackets hanging in the hall closet. Nowhere in the kitchen. I refuse to believe he hid it in Gonzo’s litter box.
If he’s been carrying it around with him, he’s managed to keep it from me. I should be writing while he’s out with Zane this evening, but I’m so fucking ready to make Colin Breton my husband that my brain can’t focus.
I told Meredith about my impatience, and she laughed at me. Threw back her head and laughed the loudest laugh that she’s probably ever allowed herself. Weirdly, Ivy did the same thing.
“Why don’t you ask him, if you’re so eager?” Meredith said over some martinis at Foggy’s a couple days ago.
It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. And he’d love it, I think.
I’m standing in the middle of the living room, about to look under the couch when I decide, fuck it, I am going to ask him. These last few months have been the happiest of my life. We managed to move in together without killing each other, his cat loves me, he loves me, and I have almost around-the-clock access to the best guy who can turn my crank like no other.
Here I am, alone in our house, smiling like a toddler who’s just been given a puppy. Gonzo watches me like she hopes my disconnect from reality won’t interfere with her next mealtime.
Yes, I’m going to ask Colin Breton to marry me.
No more hunting for a ring that might not exist, it’s time to formulate a plan. I grab one of my notebooks and turn to a blank page. It’s one of my last ones—I’m going to need to head to the stationery store soon to stock up.
I flop down on the couch, pull a pen from the collection stuck in my hair, and start brainstorming.
I get as far as no grand gestures and get stuck for a moment. Foggy’s? The beach? The Base? Bed? Shower?
I’m caught staring off into space when the front door opens. Gonzo lets out a happy little meow and trots over to greet her favorite human. It takes me a moment to close the notebook and tuck it in the couch cushions because my brain can’t do anything but take in the sight of the man I love. Big, solid, and oh so handsome. And mine as much as I’m his.
He gives me a little wink and a hey as he toes off his soaked Converse. He shakes out his hair, grabs the rubber-band he now keeps around his wrist, and ties it back.
It took me a while after the whole big revelation to realize that Colin had been hiding behind his hair, but now he pulls it back into a sexy little ponytail whenever he’s tired of it hanging in his face.
Without his hair covering them, his cheekbones are deadly. He should need a license to wield them. His face rivals any piece of art, and looking directly at him makes it hard to breathe. It’s monumentally unfair how mind meltingly handsome he is.
He reaches into his coat and pulls out a flat rectangular package wrapped in brown paper and twine. That gets me off the couch. I give him a quick kiss on the lips, running my fingers through his beard.
“Have fun with Zane?”
“Yeah, it’s good to hang out with him now that the project is done.”
“Whatcha got there?” I point at the package he still has in his hands. He blinks down at it like he forgot he was holding it. It’s book shaped, which piques my interest.
He shrugs out of his wet coat, moving the package from hand to hand. I follow its movement, growing more curious.
“Oh this? It looked like you were running low on notebooks, so I picked one up for you.” My bones go all melty.
“Thank you. That’s so sweet.” I reach for it, but he pulls it back. I furrow my eyebrows. What’s the big deal? But he’s got a look in his eyes. Part mischief, part intensity.
“Let me get settled in, and then you can open it. It’s got a really cool cover I think you’ll like.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m secretly thrilled. I collect cute notebooks like crows collect shiny objects. I’m not picky, either. They could have flowers, or stars, or Hello Kitty, or drag queens on the cover, and I would treasure them.
I plop back on the couch, thinking about my proposal notebook trapped under my butt. I’ll deal with that later. Right now I want to unwrap a new notebook and snuggle up with my man.
He goes to our bedroom and changes into his favorite pair of joggers and a thermal top. Relaxed and sexy Colin is one of my favorite versions of him, but right now I’m a little annoyed because he’s still hanging on to that wrapped package instead of handing it over.
He finally sits down next to me and hands it over. Gonzo settles on his shoulder, and I take a moment to scratch behind her ears. He rests his arm on the back of the couch, and I can feel his fingers drumming behind my head. He looks relaxed, but he’s not usually a fidgeter.
I shrug before tearing off the coarse brown paper. A surprised laugh escapes me when I see the cover. It’s a cartoon illustration of the two of us. The woman has my brown, curly hair and about twenty pens stuck in the messy bun at the back of her head. She’s sipping out of one coffee mug while holding another. With the mug tipped to her lips she’s looking up at an absolute giant of a man who has long black hair and a salt-and-pepper beard down to his navel. There’s a cat perched on his shoulder, and tiny pink hearts float around his head.
My giggle turns into a mini sob. The drawing is so perfectly precious. And us. I climb into Colin’s lap and kiss him. “Thank you. This is the best thing I’ve ever seen. Who did the illustration?”
“Mars. Turns out the guy has massive talent.” He nods at the notebook. “But that’s not the best part. Open it up.” Colin’s voice is tight and the hairs on the back of my neck stand-up.
I run my hand over the cover one last time then open it. On the first page, in Colin’s handwriting is one sentence.
“I might not have a way with words like you.” There’s an arrow below it, indicating that I should turn the page.
My breath hitches, and my vision blurs with every new page.
“Joanie, I love you more than I can put down on paper.”
“Every day we’re together I thank the stars you came into my life.”
“My past, present, and future. You’re part of it all.”
“So Gonzo and I have a very important question to ask you.”
A happy little hiccup escapes me. Colin reaches down and taps the notebook. I think I’m coming to the best bit.
I take a deep fortifying breath before turning the page, because I know my life is about to change.
A purple paper clip holds the pictures we took at the anniversary party to the page. The strip of photo paper is a little curled, a little worn, like it’s been well loved. I study it through a haze of tears. Did I know then that it was the beginning?
Looking at our faces, I can see how Colin’s stoicism had disappeared, replaced by a wide open look of yes, please . How I looked at him like he was the best gift I ever received.
Next to the strip of photos is a simple drawing of a diamond ring with the last message written under it.
“Will you marry me?”
I yell, “Yes” so loudly that I make Gonzo dart under the couch in a blur of fur.
“Yes, yes, yes.” I pepper Colin’s face with kisses until he wraps me tightly in his arms and looks down at me.
“I couldn’t hear you. Was that a yes?” His gaze roams over my face, from lips to nose to eyes. I reach up to trace the fine lines that stretch out from the deep blue pools of his eyes. Such a beautiful man.
Reader, the way I kissed my man, my fiancé, would make you blush. And it’s definitely going in my next book.
Will the friendship between a steely-spined programmer and her awkward coworker survive one tiny little case of fake-dating? Read Ivy and Mars’ office romance in the next Work For It story.
Joanie and Colin’s work break turns into much more in this steamy bonus scene .
Meet Stuart and Meredith in Hear Me Out .