“We’re getting closer. It’s almost time to shop for your Maid of Honor’s dress.” She takes a bite of her chocolate chip muffin. “Should be tons of fun.” She winks, handing me the coffee she so thoughtfully ordered for me.

“Yes, well, as long as it shows good cleavage and knocks Matt’s socks off, that’s all that matters.” I peel a corner of her muffin off and toss it in my mouth. “Hmmm…that’s good.”

“Speaking of Matt, how is he?” she asks, leaning back in her chair and tapping a finger against her lightly-glossed lips.

“He’s great.” I sigh. “Except, I miss him terribly. But, he’ll be here on Friday so I’m just counting down the hours. And,” I say with a wide smile, “it looks like he’ll be moving here at the end of the year. He’s going to open up an office in New York City.”

“Yeah, I heard something about that from Brad. So since he’ll be here this weekend, maybe we can all go out on Saturday night or something?” she asks with a strange grin on her face and a speckle of mischief in her brown eyes.

“Is that a joke? Because Matt and I won’t be leaving my room all weekend.” I take a sip of coffee and eye her speculatively over the rim of it. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” she asks, attempting to look serious but failing miserably.

“What are you up to?” I narrow my gaze, my mind buzzing with possibilities.

“I’m not up to anything.” She chews on her muffin, but she’s hiding behind her cup. “I just thought it would be fun if we could all hang out.”

“Hmph, how long have we known each other? You’re up to something. I can see the gears churning, the plot thickening inside your brain.”

She laughs, spitting out a piece of muffin across the table. “You’re delusional.”

I’m about to come back with a sarcastic retort when something catches my attention, my ears perking up and my mouth lifting in a smile.

“What is it?” Gabby asks, tilting her head, a question in her eyes.

“It’s silly. I thought I heard something that reminded me of Matt. Never mind,” I say, brushing it off…until I hear it again. “What is that?”

“What’s what?” she asks. “I don’t hear anything.”

I look over my shoulder and see a crowd gathering on the sidewalk. “What’s going on out there?”

“I don’t know. Let’s go find out,” she suggests, setting her coffee down and following me outside.

As I get closer to the door, the music gets louder and my heart beats a little bit faster because I recognize the song. It’s the beginning of “This Love” by Tyrone Wells. The same song that Matt and I first danced to at the hotel. My stomach is hit with the oddest sensation as if a million butterflies are tickling my belly, telling me something in a whisper. I push the door open and my hand flies to my mouth but not before a gasp manages to escape. Peyton and Caleb are hovering together on the sidewalk and Matt is standing on the roof of Brad’s car. I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my entire life. The song is blaring from the speakers, and Matt’s smiling down on me like I’m the only person he sees.

Tears blur my eyes as they lock with his, my knees threatening to collapse underneath me at the sheer sight of him. I don’t know what the hell he’s doing on top of Brad’s car, but I don’t really care. He’s here and that’s all that matters.

His smile is larger than life and draws so much of my attention that I almost don’t notice he has something in his hands. He’s holding a stack of large, white note cards with bold, black letters on them. As the tears stream down my face, he holds up the first card.


Once upon a time there was a boy named Matt


Then the next card…


Who met a girl named Fran


And the next…


She was beautiful

And FEISTY

And she had a heart of gold

She barreled into his life

And into his heart

With her spirit

And her smartass mouth

The boy thought he had everything in order

In his perfect little life

Except he didn’t realize how far from perfect it really was

Until this amazing girl came crashing in

And now he’s happy

Because she’s by his side

So hey there, little spark

I hope you like fairytales with happy endings…


Matt jumps down from the car and when his eyes land on mine, I realize that everything in my life has led to this, to him, and this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

He drops down on one knee just in time for the song to fade out, my heart hammering against my chest, my eyes wide open to this moment. Tears are continuing to slide down my cheeks through my smile, and my throat is thick with so much emotion that I can barely breathe. A sheen of sweat builds on his forehead, glistening as the sun hits it.

“You’re sweating,” I say with a shaky voice, heavy with tears.

“I’m nervous,” he tells me, the sweat trickling down his skin, and I lift a finger to wipe it away. “I’ve never done this before.”

“I certainly hope not,” I tease, arching a brow and grinning, and his lips soften into a relaxed smile.

He takes my hand and places a kiss to the inside of my palm before pressing it to his cheek. “I didn’t rehearse some big speech because I wanted this to be spontaneous. I didn’t know much about that word before I met you. Before you, everything in my life was controlled, planned, well-thought out…boring. But then you appeared and you turned everything upside down. You flipped me on my ass, Fran. You showed me there was another way to live. You showed me how to love and God, I love you so much, Fran. You’re all I think about. You’re all I want. You’re all I breathe….”

He blows out a breath, his voice cracking. “I want to build sandcastles with you. I want to hold your hand when you’re scared and I want you to draw strength from my smile when yours is faltering. I want to make you laugh and I want to be the one to make you cry joyful tears when I’ve done something that stirs your heart, the way you’ve stirred mine. You’re the last person I want to see when night falls and you’re the first one I want to see when my eyes open to a new day. I want to be the one you entrust your heart, you mind, and your body to every day for the rest of our lives.

Ride off into the sunset with me, Fran….

Marry me.”

Tears are streaming down my cheeks as I push wisps of hair away from his face and see the same happiness in his eyes that I feel, seeing the man that I love, the man that I choose. “Y-yes…I-I want to marry you, Matt…more than anything.”

His smile blinds me into silence as he reaches into his pocket and slides a shockingly beautiful princess-cut diamond ring on my finger, the sparkles dancing in the sunlight. With my mouth still hanging open, he lifts me off my feet and swings me around before gently placing me back on the ground.

He draws me in, taking my face between the warmth of his hands. “You see the effect you have on me. I’ve become a rebel. I ink my skin and stand on top of cars now.”

I press my lips to the corner of his mouth. “You’re a crazy delinquent.”

“No, just crazy for you, sunshine,” he says, his bright blue eyes smiling down on me. He lowers a hand, digging in his pocket again, and just as I start to wonder what he’s doing, he pulls out the heart charm. With a shy smile that melts my insides, he holds it out in front of me. “I think this belongs to you.” He drapes my hair over my shoulder with gentle hands and then reaches around to unclasp my necklace with the other half, the one I wear every day. Taking the charm, he threads it onto the chain, slides it next to mine, and places it around my neck. He cups my face, his thumbs doing a slow caress of my cheeks. “Now my heart is where it belongs—and I’m where I belong—with you.”

Tears cloud my eyes again and he wipes them away. “You sure do say the sweetest things, Matt Dixon.”

His answering smile is so dazzling that it takes my breath away. “So…isn’t this the part of the fairytale where I get to kiss you?”

“God, I hope so.”


MATT


“You don’t actually think you’re getting the last word in, do you?” I tease, and she grins, her lips eagerly brushing mine.

“Shut up and kiss me, Dixon.”

Then my lips find hers, the roar of the crowd fades, it’s just her and I….

And I’ve finally come home.

Acknowledgements

To Richard, Isabella, and Richie, the three loves of my life, for being incredibly patient, supportive, and understanding while I sat endlessly at my computer writing this story. I love the three of you more than anything in the world and could not do this without you.

To my soul sister Nikki; for your friendship, your wisdom, your honesty, your telepathic abilities, and for always knowing just the right thing to say. You are a treasure and I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, for your suggestions, your enthusiasm, and your support. I love you to the moon and back.

To Cheryl, for your inspiration, your friendship, your encouragement, your suggestions that were absolutely invaluable, your support, your excitement about my novel, and for writing one of my favorite books of all time. Thank you for making time for me always, even when I know you had a million other things to do!