Three months later

“He needs to be dirtier, grittier. You can do better,” Jake chided Natalie as they both stood back and looked at Enzo.

“Sure thing, Jake.” She reached for the small pot of soil on her makeup counter and a small jar of Vaseline. “One dirtier landscaper coming up.”

Sofia watched her brother shift uncomfortably in the makeup chair and glare at the young woman who was preparing to paint him with dirt.

Whatever Natalie saw in that glare made her pause and blush, and quickly turn to Sofia. “Let me just touch up Sofia first before I get all messy.”

“Fine. Just get it done.” Jake stalked out of the tent, off to slay his next dragon. That man only had one speed, and it was NOW!

“Do you know what scene they’re filming for you today? Indoor? Outdoor?” Natalie asked Sofia.

“I think it’s indoor. Someone mentioned a problem in the kitchen.” Sofia settled into the chair next to her brother and grinned at his discomfort.

“Good. What you’ve got on should be close to enough. I’ll just darken your shadow a bit and boost your blush and lips.”

While Sofia sat still and let the talented artist work her wiles, she tried to see her brother out of the corner of her eye. Looking without looking, he was watching Natalie’s every move with an intensity that made him fairly vibrate with energy, despite sitting still. Sofia wondered what the young woman had done to put her mild-mannered brother on edge.

“There. Good to go.”

“Thanks, Natalie. You’re a genius.”

“All in a day’s work. Okay, Enzo, let’s get dirty…”

Sofia hustled to the kitchen to film the scene Jake had requested last minute. She had plans to proof and client meetings scheduled for later. As glad as she was that this TV show had taken off, she was starting to resent the drag on her time. Now that her time was her own to control, she’d gotten very protective.

Rounding the corner, she called out in her best Rocky voice. “Yo, Adrian!”

“Ha ha. Very funny.”

Trina was already tucked into the corner, camera rolling, so Sofia angled herself toward the camera before she spoke. “What did you need to show me?”

“We’ve got a problem with the sink.”

“Oh Lord, what now? Sofia leaned over the sink and peeked in, as if that would somehow reveal a solution. If they wanted her here to film this scene, it was going to be pricey and likely a major plot point for this episode. Damn it, she was going to have to return that gorgeous rug…

Adrian turned on the faucet and ice-cold water shot into her face, completely rinsing away her harried thoughts. She’d walked right into that one.

Since Jake didn’t have his sexual tension subplot now that she and Adrian were a happy couple, he’d decided that practical jokes were the next best way to add interest. The shrill scream of surprise that flew from her lips didn’t quite drown out the hysterical laughter from her boyfriend. The term still felt silly three months later for a man who meant so much more to her than a boy and a friend.

Regardless of how much she loved him though, he was going to pay.

“You think you’re real funny, huh, smart guy?”

“Smart enough to love you.” He ducked under her arm to escape as she lunged for the spray nozzle. The yelp he let loose as the cold water hit the back of his neck was immensely satisfying.

“Get back here, you coward! Can you be serious for a minute?”

“Sure, I can.” He came back, hands raised in the universal symbol for truce. He leaned in playfully and smacked a kiss on her lips. “I seriously love you.”

“I meant about the sink.” She was trying to bring him back to the point, but he was making it really hard to stay focused. Aware of the cameras and her blush, she stepped to the side, shaking her head. He just loved to get her flustered on camera.

“Right, the sink.” He knelt down and opened the lower cabinet doors.

“Good news, bad news?” Sofia brushed her dripping hair away from her forehead, praying that her makeup wasn’t also sliding down her face. When he stood with a brown paper bag, she frowned.

“Good, I hope.”

“What’s that?”

“Your candy drawer was empty.”

“How do you know my candy drawer is empty?”

“I went to grab a snack and there wasn’t even a stray M&M. You should never have to go without something you love, so I got you some candy to fill it.”

Sofia reached for the bag, but Adrian tucked it back against his chest.

“Not so fast. Let me show you what I got.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sofia saw Trina move to a closer spot and wondered what trick they wanted to catch on camera now. Her nerves were on high alert as Adrian dipped his hand into the bag and pulled out one candy bar.

“Don’t Snicker.” He put her full-sized favorite bar in her hand, and went back in for another. “Just Take 5 and listen to what I have to say.”

“What’s this all about?” Sofia asked. He was up to something, but he simply raised an eyebrow and two more candy bars out of his bag.

“Sometimes, I can be a real Butterfingers with your emotions, but I will always love you to the Milky Way and back.”

Sofia’s heart began to melt like the chocolate clenched in her now too-tight grip. This sweet man was proclaiming his love on camera. She smiled as a roll of caramels was added to the pile in her hands.

“I want to Rolo-ver every morning and see that smile.”

That sounded lovely and…long-term. Where was he going with this?

“You are one Hot Tamale, and I love your Mounds.” Adrian’s cheeky grin and wiggling eyebrows pulled a laugh from her, and she tried to move in for a kiss, but he stepped back and raised a hand to stop her.

“No Twix. I promise,” he said as he added the caramel cookie bar to the stack in her hands before sprinkling it with silver-foil-wrapped cones. “Only Kisses every day for the rest of our lives.”

Sofia’s eyes were now riveted to his face. This no longer felt like a silly gag for TV. This felt like the most important moment of her life. He reached into the bag one more time, and when she saw the black velvet box in his hand, her own hands went limp and the chocolate dropped unheeded to the floor.

Suddenly the wet hair and misty makeup didn’t matter, and tears streamed unchecked down her cheeks. She had put dreams of this moment aside for so long. Now that it was here, she was completely surprised. They had so much going on right now, what with Adrian taking on more responsibility at Valenti Brothers, Sofia mentoring Meena and getting SV Design off the ground, and filming the second half of the Million-Dollar Starter Home premiere season.

She’d been content in the moment for the first time in years, enjoying a challenging career and a man who loved her as is. This was a big leap. They had only been together a few months. And yet, as her mind was rapid-fire spinning through all of these thoughts, underneath was the quiet knowledge that, yes, this was the right time and the right place, with the right man. She waited for him to find the right words. As much as she wanted to leap in with an answer, she needed to hear them first.

“Sofia, I’ve known you for years, and I’ve wanted to be a part of your life since the day I met you. I know we had a shaky start, but I want to build a beautiful future with you and design a love that lasts decades. I thought my life was just fine before, but it is so much better with you by my side. Will you marry me?”

It sounded like the perfect project for the next eighty years or so. Sofia drew in a deep breath and let her heart do the thinking for once.

“Yes. Yes, I will.”

He took her now empty hands in his and slid a beautiful brilliant-cut diamond ring on her finger. Giggling and giddy, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight as he spun her in circles in the torn-up kitchen.

“I love you, Sofia.”

“I love you, too, Adrian.”

“I’ll admit, I expected more questions out of you,” he teased.

“Just one. Who told you it was a good idea to propose by spraying me in the face with water?” She grinned up at her fiancé, delighted when he barked out a laugh and his dimple came out to play.

“Cut! That was great, but the bit about her mounds was a little too steamy for HomeTV. Everybody hit makeup and wardrobe to dry off and we’ll go again,” Jake called out from his perch behind a bank of screens set up in the dining room.

Sofia covered her mic and whispered, “How long do you think he’ll wait for another take?”

Adrian lifted her, effortlessly and fully aware that it turned her knees to jelly every time. With his rock-solid arms supporting her, Sofia grinned and opened up her heart to a future together. She wrapped her legs around his waist and admired her ring over his shoulder as he carried her out of the house.

“Let’s go find out.”