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“Mmmm, and you know what that does to me,” Alexis mumbled, leaning into CeCe.

“Okay, let’s get that one,” CeCe said, stepping back. “Cat would kill us if we got busy in her toy room.”

“Oh my God! You don’t think anyone has…you know,” Alexis said, spinning around to face CeCe.

CeCe shrugged. “We should ask Cat sometime, but not today.”

“Are you suddenly in a hurry to try this out?” Alexis asked as CeCe stuffed the toy in a bag and opened the door.

“No,” CeCe scoffed. “I just remembered I left something in the back room of the salon.”

“Okay, but don’t we need to pay Cat?” Alexis asked as they hurriedly walked to the front of the bookstore.

CeCe waved at Cat who was with a customer and reached for Alexis's hand. “We’ll pay her later.”

“Where is everyone?” Alexis asked as they walked through the salon. “They were just here.”

“I guess they’re through for the day,” CeCe said.

“Well, well, well,” Alexis said. “Saturday night in the back room of the salon. I’m sure we could find something to do.”

“Uh, I thought you wanted to be at our home sweet home,” CeCe said as she stopped before opening the door to the back room of the salon.

Alexis grinned and raised one eyebrow. “You know how much I love this back room.”

CeCe’s heart began to pound in her chest and she gave Alexis the most beautiful smile. She opened the door and flipped the light switch.

30

“What’s all this?” Alexis asked in a voice full of wonder.

The back room had been transformed into a romantic little alcove with strings of lights and soft music playing.

“When did you do this?”

“I did it yesterday. For you—well, us,” CeCe said as they walked over to the table.

CeCe took the bottle out of the bag and showed it to Alexis.

“That’s my favorite wine,” Alexis exclaimed.

“It is and you are my favorite person,” CeCe said with a loving smile. She opened the bottle of wine as her heart continued to race. Her hopes were to make this evening one of the happiest of Alexis's life.

“What’s going on, babe? Why the special lighting and wine?”

“Oh, Lex. You should have everything special every day.”

CeCe poured the wine into two glasses and handed Alexis one. “Did you know right before we had the open house, Cory, Cat and I raised a glass to toast the shopping center? Cory and Cat both said something about bringing joy to our part of town and then they looked at me.”

Alexis waited. “And?”

“I wished that we’d all find our happily-ever-after.” CeCe held up her glass. “You are happily-ever-after for me, Lex.” CeCe smiled. “To our happily-ever-after.”

Alexis clinked her glass to CeCe’s and took a sip of the wine.

CeCe could see the delight in Alexis's face as the wine spread across her palate. Then CeCe set her glass down and took Alexis's as well and placed it on the table.

CeCe reached into her pocket and bent down on one knee. She reached for Alexis's hand and heard her gasp.