Janet Evanovich - The Grand Finale

Berry lazily watched Jake reach into his jeans pocket and extract something that flashed in the waning sunlight.

“My ring!” Berry exclaimed.

“I’ve had it sterilized and sized.” He slipped the ring on her finger. “This is just as binding as a marriage ceremony, Lingonberry Knudsen. I promise to love you forever and ever, good times, bad times, till death do us part.”

“Till death do us part,” she repeated. “Good times, bad times, love everlasting.”

“There’s just one more thing,” Jake said. “Now that you’ve pledged good times and bad times and love everlasting I have a confession to make.”

“Already?”

“I’ve been saving it for the right moment.”

“And the right moment would be what?”

“It would be after you pledged to stick with me through bad times.”

“Oh, boy.”

“My aunt Bitsy is coming to visit tomorrow,” Jake said. “She’s my grandmother’s sister, and she makes Mrs. Dugan look like loosey-goosey. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a nice lady. It’s just that her moral code is left over from Victorian England, and honestly she’s always scared the bejeezus out of me.”

“How long is she staying?”

“A week! An entire week. Seven days. A hundred and sixty-eight hours. She’ll inspect glasses for water spots. She’ll make me polish my shoes and eat all my vegetables. And there’ll be no hanky-panky. I was really hoping I could get you to marry me before she arrived, but at least you’ve pledged bad times.”

“It’s just a week,” Berry said.

“Trust me, it’ll be a long week.”

Berry didn’t think it sounded so bad. She was going to have another little old lady to chat with at the breakfast table. And Berry thought if she could hurry Jake along, they could be married before Aunt Bitsy arrived.