“I’m seeing an excellent therapist for my busted knee,” Reverend Donalan chimed in. “But her name isn’t Joanna.”
“She’s not a physical therapist. She’s more like a…shrink. I went to see her for you. For us.”
Kitty blinked. Then she blinked again. “You’re seeing a therapist. For me?”
He nodded.
“But why?”
“Because I don’t want to mess this relationship up. Because I want to…” He shoved a hand through his hair. “Because I want to be able to express my feelings when I’m around you.”
“Oh my God…” She took a few steps toward him. “That’s…that’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me!”
“Are you kidding?” he said hoarsely. “Kit, don’t you know I’d do anything for you? For us? When I told you last night that I liked you, I…you completely misunderstood. I’ve never liked any of my exes. Love is a word that… I’ve never been one of those guys who feels comfortable talking about his emotions. I thought you knew how I felt about you but I realize now you need me to say it. So this is me saying it. For everyone to hear. I love you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. You’re it for me, Kitty. There’s never going to be anyone for me but you. I’ve tried so hard not to screw this up between us and maybe…maybe that’s exactly what I’ve done anyway.”
He realized then that while he’d been talking the two of them had been walking toward each other the whole time. He looked down at her, just inches away from him to see tears in her eyes. But instead of the sad tears he’d caught in her eye this morning, these were tears of happiness.
“Can you say something now?” he asked quietly.
“Do you realize that you’ve just told the whole world that you love me? And that you’re seeing a therapist?”
“Why can’t you see a therapist for me?” Ginny hissed at Greg, loud enough for everyone to hear. The Gregger just shook his head, looking both confused and slightly hung over.
Steve glanced around the riveted church. Everyone was still staring at him. No, not at him, at them. And instead of curiosity or shock, all he saw was happiness around him. And nothing in his whole life had ever felt so right.
He got down on one knee.
“Oh my God!” Betty Jean cried.
“Where’s my cell phone?” Pilar shouted. “I need to record this!”
He took Kitty’s hand and looked up into her beautiful face. “Katherine Burke, will you do me the honor of becoming my fourth, and last, wife?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes,” she said a little louder. Then, in voice so clear that it rang throughout the entire church, “Yes!”
He got up and pulled her in his arms and in front of God and everyone, Bunco Babes and Betty Jean Collins included, kissed her like he was the happiest man on earth. Which he was.
THE END
Don’t forget to check out all the books in the Whispering Bay Romance series!
The Best for Last: A Prequel Novella (Coming December 2015)
That Thing You Do (Book One)
Then He Kissed Me (Book Two)
That Man of Mine (Book Three)
Excerpt from THAT THING YOU DO
Allie Grant aimed her flashlight at the padlocked door to the Margaret Handy Senior Center. On the surface, the abandoned building appeared like any other ranch style structure built in the nineteen-fifties. Lots of brick, lots of windows, lots of deterioration. But this wasn’t just any crumbling building. According to her anonymous source, this building was haunted.
Unfortunately, it was also locked up tighter than the Spanx she’d worn on her last date. Which was so long ago that Allie could barely recall the details, the only memorable part of the evening being when she took off those Spanx. Alone. Right before crawling into bed with a Snickers bar and the worn out copy of Anne of Green Gables Buela had given Allie on her seventh birthday.
Allie stifled a yawn. She wouldn’t mind being in bed right now. It was nearly midnight and she’d been up since the crack of dawn. But she was a journalist in need of a story and a haunted building (as hokey as that sounded) was a potential goldmine in magazine advertising revenue. It was also the kind of story that could get a freelancer like herself a cover byline, but better yet, it was the sort of story that could land her a permanent job at Florida! magazine.
She raised her flashlight above the door illuminating a huge NO TRESPASSING sign. The way Allie saw it, she had two options.