Chapter 52

Ally

“You need to get some rest, Ally.” Kelly stood behind me, massaging my neck. “You’ve had a rough night.”

I’d come home to a darkened bakery and decided I needed to talk. Kelly was there for me as always, ready with a pot of coffee and a cheeky quip. She’d listened with rapt attention, gasping at the right moments. It kind of made me feel like a grand storyteller.

“I suppose I should head home. I don’t know. I don’t feel great. I expected to at least hear from Gabe after the call. I thought he’d come to the hospital or phone to check in.” I brought out my cell for the fifth time since I’d gotten into Kelly and Pat’s darkened café. Blank. Nothing. Nada.

How could he not care what happened with Faith or the baby? His brother. I’d gotten involved in his life and making things right and all I’d gotten in return was stony silence. Something was definitely up.

“Maybe he’s out there looking for you right now,” Kelly said, giving my knotted muscles a final squeeze, then stepping to my side instead.

“I don’t care.” That was a lie. I was too exhausted to worry about it tonight, however. I did need my damn sleep because I felt like I’d been run over by a truck. “I’d better get home.” I rose from the stool, massaging the base of my neck. “I’ll see you around, Kels.”

“No way, I’m walking you over there. It’s late,” she said, then tucked her hand under my elbow and guided me to the door. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened.”

The snow had stopped falling, but we trudged out into the banks of powdery white, warming our gloved hands on our coat sleeves.

“Tomorrow is a new day,” Kelly remarked.

“Did you get that off a Hallmark card or a milk carton?” Damn, Faith’s bitchiness had rubbed off. “What time is it anyway?”

“Five minutes until midnight.” She grinned and escorted me across the empty street. Fireworks sputtered overhead. What the hell? Must be some crazy Aquatennial festivities.

I’m definitely tired if I’m this cranky, I thought, then patted Kelly on the arm. We stopped in front of the doors to the bakery and I scraped my keys out of my pocket and inserted them into the lock.

I opened up and walked in, with Kelly hot on my heels. “You going to tuck me in?” I asked jokingly.

She was acting weird, all shifty-eyed and glancing around at the dark corners.

“Let’s go through to the kitchen.”

“The kitchen,” I repeated and my eyes widened. “Shit! The Strawberry Seductresses! I left them in the oven.”

“Oh, don’t you worry. I came over earlier and let myself in. Turned the oven off just in time. They look delicious, by the way,” Kelly said, taking her spare keys out. I’d given them to her after the fire, for reasons just like this one.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“The kitchen,” she prompted, pointing with her keys. Why was she so keen to get me back in there? Had she iced the cupcakes herself as a surprise?

I narrowed my eyes at her and she feigned innocence, pouting and shrugging her shoulders.

All right, I’d play along with whatever she’d planned.

We walked through the silent bakery and to the kitchen. I sighed and rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms, then flicked on the overheads.

Gabe stood in the middle of the kitchen in a flawless black suit. The kitchen counters were covered in candles and cupcakes, perfectly iced Vanilla Vixens, Red Velvet Raptures and Strawberry Seductresses.

“Wha—?” I looked at flawless Gabe Moreno, then back at my best friend. “How?”

Kelly beamed from ear-to-ear. “I just wanted to see the look on your face. Call me later, when you’re done.” She slapped me on the butt, gave me a kiss on the cheek and hurried out of the bakery. The door slammed behind her and she locked us in.

“How did you get here?”

“Kelly let me in. Sorry I didn’t show at the hospital, or call to check in. I was busy.” He gestured to the cupcakes. On closer inspection, I could tell the frosting had been done by an amateur, albeit one who really cared about what he was doing.

“I can’t believe this,” I whispered, clasping my hands in front of my abdomen.

Gabe stepped towards me and I moved to meet him. We collided in the center of the kitchen, hearts and souls bare. He stroked my cheeks, cupped my face in both hands and drew me in for an earth-shattering kiss.

My lips warmed to the brush of his mouth and tongue.

Gabe broke away. “I was serious when I said I want to spend the rest of my time with you. The rest of my life. Allegra, you’re the woman of my dreams.”

“I—”

He pressed a finger to my lips.

“You’re ambitious and caring. I know how much it must have hurt you to help Faith after everything she put us through, but you did it anyway. You didn’t give up on us, even though I fucked up several times.” He shook his head, then choked out a wry laugh. “You don’t quit, Allegra. You’re a beautiful soul.”

“So are you,” I replied, slinging my arms around his neck.

Gabe reached up and detached himself from my embrace. “It took me a while to find this, but I knew you’d appreciate it. Shit, I hope you don’t think it's lame.” He turned away from me and walked back to the counter. He picked up one lonely chocolate cupcake, a Dark Decadence and walked back to me.

A cupcake? My nerves had turned my insides into batter.

Gabe lowered himself to one knee and my heart practically leaped out of my chest.

He raised the cupcake and presented it to me. I blinked and looked at it properly for the first time.

An engagement ring poked from the dark chocolate frosting.

“You’re the only woman for me.” Gabe drew in a shuddering breath. “Will you marry me?”

A nervous giggle escaped my lips. I grabbed the cupcake from his hand and examined it closely. “Yes, I’ll marry you on one condition.”

“Name it.” Gabe rose from his knee and took my left hand.

“You let me teach you how to ice a cupcake properly.”

Gabe threw back his head and belly laughed. “You’ve got a deal.” He took the cupcake from me and removed the ring. He scooped off the excess frosting, then placed the sticky ring on my finger. “As long as I can teach you a bunch more uses for icing that don’t involve cake.”

“I love you,” I whispered, admiring the modest diamond twinkling under the lights.

“And I love you,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling my neck. “Forever.”

He kissed me again, increasing the pressure, pressing me against his solid body. The cupcake dropped from his hand and splattered to the tiles. I ran my hands through his hair, then down his back, feeling the muscles beneath his suit.

A meow broke the moment. We stopped kissing and looked down, my head resting against his chest, his hands on my waist, holding me to him.

Codsworth meowed again and swept between our legs, purring. My cat turned and hissed at the toxic chocolate splattered in every direction.

“Shall we?” Gabe asked, jerking his chin towards the stairs in the corner.

I needed only one word. “Yes.”

Together, we walked up to my apartment, safe in the knowledge that this night was the first night of the rest of our lives.

And the engagement… well, that was the icing on the cupcake.

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Wasted Vows by Colleen Charles ©2017 All Rights Reserved

Wasted Heat by Colleen Charles ©2016 All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Colleen Charles loves reading and writing stories that entertain and sweep the reader away from their everyday life.