“Thank you so much, Robert. This is all because of you,” I murmur gratefully.
“No way,” he says. “It’s all you, baby.”
I smile up at him, and he bends down to kiss me tenderly. It took some getting used to, but I love having a boyfriend as amazing as Robert. It’s unreal that I got a book deal and a boyfriend all in the same month, when for years, I was dating duds. How did I get so lucky?
An hour into the party, Pattie finds me and tells me I need to make a speech. I hate public speaking, but Robert stands up on the stage with me, so I don’t freak out. Or run away like a scared rabbit.
“Hi, everyone,” I say, looking out at the countless faces staring back at me. “As I’m sure you know from the giant picture of my face by the door, I’m Elisa Morgan and I wrote You Can’t Go Home. This book started as a writing project while I was in school, and it became a story I couldn’t let go. Thankfully, I found someone who believed in the story as much as I did. None of this would be possible if my agent, Darla, hadn’t found my query in the slush pile and signed me to her agency.”
I motion to the redhead in the crowd, and she waves, grinning ear to ear.
“Of course, it takes a village to finish a book. I’m so grateful that Cameron Publishing, especially my editor Pattie, loved my book as much as Darla and I did. They took a huge chance on me, and I can’t thank them enough.” Polite applause smatters across the room. I take a deep breath because my final thank you is here.
“And my boyfriend, Robert, who is standing here with me, has been my rock and my muse since we first met just over a year ago. You can thank him for inspiring my second book, which is going to come out next year.”
He smiles at the crowd and gives me a light kiss on the cheek.
“Everyone at Cameron Publishing has been amazing. Thank you for the opportunity to get my voice out there and show the world what I’m made of. And thank you to all of the guests who came out here to celebrate my book with me. You make all of this possible. Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my parents. My mom is a poet and my dad owns a hardware store. Together, they taught me how to write, how to persevere, and how to love. I owe them everything. Thank you, Mom and Dad.”
I hold up my glass to the room. “To those who inspire us, and to those who make our dreams come true. Cheers!”
Everyone in the room takes a drink. I leave the microphone, expecting to climb off the makeshift stage and mingle with the crowd again, but Robert stops me.
“Hi, everyone,” he says into the microphone. “My name is Robert Cameron, CEO of Cameron Publishing and also the lucky man who gets to call Elisa his girlfriend.”
The crowd ahhhs and I stare up at him. Where is he going with this?
“For the past year, I’ve been standing by Elisa while she slaves away, proving herself over and over again. We got off to a rocky start, but now that I have her, I’m never going to let her go. That’s why,” he says, turning to me, “I’m here to ask you all to be witnesses for this important question.”
Oh my god! Is this really happening? My jaw drops as my eyes go wide, heart beating furiously. But it really is because Robert drops down to one knee and pulls a small satin box from his suit pocket.
“Elisa Morgan,” he pronounces, those blue eyes seizing mine. “Will you marry me?”
The rest of the world disappears into a blur so that there’s only this man before me. My eyes fill with tears as I extend my left hand. “Yes! Of course, yes!”
Robert slides the simple, three diamond band onto my finger and I pull him up to me. Our lips meet in a passionate kiss as the audience explodes into applause.
I’d noticed Robert acting oddly weird over the last few months, but I thought it was work stress. I never imagined he was planning to propose to me at my book launch.
I can’t think of a better proposal, and lean over to whisper my own secret.
“You’re going to be a daddy soon, Mr. Cameron. Are you ready for that?”
Rob looks absolutely shocked, but also elated.
“Are you serious, sweetheart?” he asks in a choked voice. “I would love to have a baby with you.”
“Yes,” I whisper back, tears coming to my eyes. “We’re going to be parents.
Rob cradles my face in his big hands, and presses a deep kiss to my lips. It’s soulful and filled with meaning, and I know the three of us are going to be the perfect family. The crowd erupts with laughter and applause at our display, and we wave and smile.