Page 80 of The Backup Groom

Scotty chuckled. “Gee, thanks a lot for sharing.”

“The last thing I would want to do was mess up our wedding night,” Dean said.

I couldn’t believe they were on a first date and he was already hinting at a wedding. At least I had a good excuse. I was marrying for money. Wait, maybe that wasn’t much better.

“These questions are ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head. “At least come up with something that’s realistic.”

Stella raised her hands imploringly. “You’re not even playing, so you have no room to criticize. If you think you can do better, I dare you to ask Scotty a question.” She pointed at him and raised her eyebrows in challenge.

Dean grinned. “Ooh, yeah. Do it.”

I glanced at Scotty, wondering why I had to open my big mouth.

He glanced at me and shrugged. “I’m ready. Give it your best shot.”

Great. Now, I had to think of a question.

I thought and thought and thought, finally coming up with something.

“Okay . . .” I turned back to him. “Would you rather have a pause button or a rewind button in your life?”

“That’s easy,” Scotty said, reaching for my hand and squeezing it. “A pause button. That way I could pause it here and now, so the night wouldn’t end.”

“Good answer.” I squeezed his hand back.

My heart raced as I realized something.

This was the perfect time to propose.

I reached down to the sand to pull the two rings out of the side pocket of my purse, clutching them in my hand so Scotty couldn’t see them. I stood and faced Stella, ready to give her the secret phrase that would let her know I needed some privacy with Scotty.

“I love the smell of ocean air,” I said.

Too bad Stella and Dean weren’t paying attention to me.

Come on, Stella!

I took a step closer, my back still to Scotty. “Stella. Ilovethe smell of ocean air. Don’t you?”

She looked up and her eyes went wide. “Yes! Love it!” She pulled on Dean’s hand. “Hey, let’s go on a romantic walk in the sand.”

Dean grinned. “No way I’m going to pass that up.”

They disappeared, the two of them giggling and hanging onto one another like the other was a life vest and their ship had sunk.

Something told me he knew what was going on.

It didn’t matter at this point.

This was it.

I was going to propose to Scotty.

My heart was banging in my chest like I was about to ask the most popular boy in high school to the Sadie Hawkins dance.

Ask him.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, ready to turn around and face him.