SEPTEMBER
Epilogue
It was September thirteenth again, meaning Maya, Amy, Alice, and Julia were gathered for their birthday celebration. They sat around a table not far from the bar, the center of it was littered with margarita glasses and dessert plates.
Maya wasn’t nearly as tipsy as she’d gotten last year because this year she had to be awake and alert for her second celebration later that night. She knew Everett would have some surprise for her when she got home. He’d been acting incredibly sneaky lately.
He wasn’t the only one with a secret. Maya, Alice, and Julia were all well aware of why Carlos Diaz was peeking out at them from behind a booth across the room. Amy was seated so she couldn’t see him. And soon, she’d get the shock of her life.
Maya tried to keep her expression neutral as she watched Carlos stand and move toward them. But she lost all facial control when she saw the man on his heels.
Logic would dictate that Everett was there as Carlos’ wingman. But the look on his face told another story altogether. The nervousness there wasn’t because he and Maya were a secret. They weren’t. Not anymore. The Monday after her gallery show, Maya had walked into Tranquility Candles hand in hand with Everett and begun the process of telling everyone they knew, one by one, that they were together.
Something else was going on tonight, though. And clueless about what it was, Maya couldn’t do anything more than gape at Everett as the two men came to stop in front of the table.
Everyone else’s attention was focused on Carlos and Amy as the man lowered himself to one knee in front of his girlfriend and asked her to marry him. But up until the moment she hugged her friend in joy, Maya’s gaze remained glued to Everett.
After Amy had agreed to be Carlos’ wife, Carlos turned to look at his friend. “Your turn, Everett.”
Until they’d reunited, Maya wouldn’t have believed Everett had a shy bone in his body. But she seemed to bring that out in him. And it made her melt. She moved around Amy so she was standing in front of her adorable man.
Everett shoved his right hand into the pocket of his jeans and took her hand with his left. He removed a square box, not small enough to hold a ring, thankfully. He snapped it open to reveal a sapphire necklace.
Maya ran her hand over the necklace. “It’s beautiful.”
“You like it?”
She raised her head to gaze into those chocolate eyes. “I love it. Put it on me.”
Their friends around them seemed to be holding their breath as Maya turned and pulled her hair up. Everett looped the chain around her neck and clasped it. Then he placed a quick kiss on the back of her neck.
Maya released her hair and whirled back around, placing her hands on his waist. “Thank you.”
“There’s one problem, though.”
Maya frowned. “Problem?”
Everett fingered the necklace. “You can’t wear this to work.”
She looked down at it. “No, I suppose not.” It could get caught in the equipment and seriously injure her. That’s why jewelry wasn’t allowed on the factory floor.
Everett pulled her chin up with his fingers. “I have a solution. So you don’t ever have to take the necklace off.”
She cocked her head, confusion the dominant feature on her face, she was sure.
“I put you on my insurance. Partner coverage. And Melissa has some serious money coming to you. It’s enough to pay the electric bill for the next year, at least, and buy painting supplies.”
Maya’s head spun. “What…I don’t understand…What are you saying?”
“You’re fired, Maya.”
Slowly, her lips curled up. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, Baby. Consider yourself an ex-candle maker and current artist slash my amazing girlfriend.”
Maya wrapped her arms around Everett and kissed him. She was almost completely lost in the sensation of his lips on hers. But there was enough awareness left to hear Alice in the background.
“As soon as you’re done, we need to get going. All of us. We have something important to do.”
Maya swiveled in Everett’s arms, keeping herself pressed firmly to him. “What?” she asked her friend.
“I’m getting married tonight.”
THE END
Want to know more about Mica’s story? The sweet MM Romance “Mica’s Wish” will be available on my website
If you haven’t read book 1 in the WISH series, read Amy’s Wish today! There will be two more books in this series. Keep your eyes open for “Alice’s Wish” next.
Thank you for reading “Maya’s Wish.” If you liked it, please consider leaving a review. Authors depend on reviews to help others find our books.