Page 114 of False Start

Giana sniffled, dabbing at the corner of her eyes. “So much better thanI love her.”

That made everyone laugh, lightening the mood a bit, and then Holden leaned toward the camera. “Okay, we appreciate you filling us in. And I think it’s safe to say we all understand how love can make us do some drastic things. But… what is it you need from us?”

“I need your help.”

“With what?” Riley asked.

I let out a long, heavy sigh. “Pulling off the proposal of a lifetime.”

Madelyn

Another yawn stretched my mouth wide as Kyle drove us into the city later that night, one hand on the steering wheel and the other gripping the inside of my knee.

“I see you’re so excited for our date,” he mused with an arched brow.

I shook off the yawn. “Sorry. I’ve been so tired the past couple of days.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me, considering you’re Super Mom.”

“Hardly,” I said, but my stomach was tied up in knots.

Just like I’d suspected, Marshall hadn’t fought me when I told him Sebastian wanted to be home tonight. All that drunken energy had left him.

But he’d wake up sober, and I knew he wouldn’t forget what he’d threatened. I knew he’d follow through.

I knew I was about to have to fight, whether I felt ready to or not.

My head was still spinning from the morning — from Marshall showing up, Kyle protecting me and my son, Marshall’s threat, Kyle’s proposal…

Literally— a proposal.

That part still didn’t feel real. No matter how many times I’d replayed it — his intent gaze, his hand holding mine, his knee hitting the ground, the words slipping from his lips…

It felt like a dream.

He’d hopped up almost immediately when I’d stared at him in shock, urging me not to answer — not yet. He kissed me hard and promised we’d talk more about it all tonight. Then, he’d followed me to drop Sebastian off at camp, making sure I got to my first house showing okay before we split for the day.

There were no words to explain how safe I felt with him, howwhole.

“Well, I’ll do my best not to keep you out too late,” Kyle said.

“No, no,” I assured him, covering his hand on my leg. “We have a babysitter for the night. I’m happy to be here. I can sleep tomorrow.”

Even as I said it, it was through another yawn, which made Kyle chuckle. He folded my hand in his and lifted my knuckles to his lips, kissing them gently.

It was nice being on a date. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been on one. I loved the way Kyle opened my car door for me, how he draped my arm through his and led us into the restaurant where he’d booked us reservations. It was far nicer than anything I’d been to since living in Seattle, the kind of place that had a tasting menu and wine pairing.

We laughed all through it, talking about all the things we missed with each other’s lives. He told me more about his time at North Boston University and I told him about the early years of being Sebastian’s mom, of how my entire world had shifted when he was born.

When we were caught up on the past, the conversation slipped to the future, and though he didn’t bring up the proposal again, it was easy to see that’s where his mind was heading.

“Do you like your job?” he asked over dessert — a delicious key lime and graham cracker creation that made me feel like I was on vacation in Florida.

I shrugged. “It’s not bad. I like the flexibility it gives me.”

“But you don’t love it?”

“It’s far from my dream job, if that’s what you’re asking.”