Jill Shalvis: The Sweetest Thing

Everyone waved.

Shaking his head, Ford waved back. “I don’t even know some of those people but the ones I do know are probably going to mock me for the rest of my life. And Jesus, is Chloe videotaping this?”

Chloe had her phone aimed at them. “For Facebook,” she called out.

Tara turned her back on them. “Just do it!”

He stared at her. “You really are the most stubborn woman on the planet.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m working on that. Ask me !”

“You sure do like to tell people what to do. You know that?”

“Yes, but to be fair, I’m good at it. Ford-”

“ And impatient,” he mused. “Interrupting me when I’m trying to outline the reasons I love you.”

She blinked. “You’re… you mean you love my stubborn, bossy, interrupting self?”

“Well, I’d say you were more perversely inflexible and mule-headed, but yeah. I also love the way you drop your g s like a Southern belle, and the way you talk to yourself when you’re cooking. And how you think you’re so badass cool, calm, and collected, when really, if you know what to look for, you show everything in your eyes, and usually you’re not cool, calm, or collected at all.”

Her breath caught.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I know all the secrets. I love them, too.” He pressed his mouth to her temple. “I love you, Tara. Love me back. Marry me.”

She pressed her forehead to his and felt all the little pieces of her heart knit together. “Yes,” she said, and the crowd on the porch erupted into cheers.

“I did that,” Mia told Maddie and Chloe proudly, pointing to Ford and Tara embracing. “I totally brought them together.”

Ford grinned at her, then looked down at Tara. “I even have a ring,” he said. “I’ve had it since right after you poured me a glass of iced tea while you were serving the Garden Biddies.” He lifted a shoulder. “It was wishful thinking. It’s on my boat,” he said and waggled a brow.

She laughed. “Are you trying to lure me back to your place?”

“Yes. Is it working?”

She thought about it for a beat. “It’ll be hard.”

He lowered his voice for her ears only. “I can promise you that.”

“I mean I’m no picnic, Ford.”

“No,” he agreed, closing his eyes when she slid her arms around his waist, brushing his lips along her jaw. “But you sure taste good.”

With a sigh, Tara turned her face, pressing it against his chest. He wrapped her in his arms and held on, although to be fair, she was doing most of the supporting. “How long do you figure until you fall down?” she asked.

“Maybe ten seconds.”

“Sawyer!” she yelled, without taking her eyes off of her new fiancé, who cupped her face and looked deep into his eyes.

“ Forever this time,” he said as Sawyer strode toward them.

Tara sighed blissfully. “You know what this means, right?”

“I’m done guessing,” he said. “Tell me.”

“It means you’re mine,” she said. “And I’m yours. No more walking away. We are going to get it right this time.”

His smile was slow and easy, and just for her. “Well, finally.”

Ingredients:

1 layer of tater tots

1 layer of ham or sausage cubes

(or crumbled bacon, whatever makes your skirt blow up)

1 layer of grated cheddar cheese

(there’s no such thing as too much cheese for breakfast)

Mix the following together and pour on top:

6 beaten eggs

1/2 tsp. salt (or more, if no one’s looking)

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 cup of chopped onion

3 cups of milk

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Add 1/2 cup melted butter over all that. Shh, don’t tell…

Cook 1 hour at 350 degrees uncovered.

Chloe has always been a little bit wild. But she may have met her match in Sheriff Sawyer Thompson…