Kate Hoffmann - Brian

Lily took a spot across the table from Brian's brother. She smiled. "If you want to play darts, you can."

"Nah, I'll sit here with you. If you decide to leave and I'm not here to stop you, Brian will kick my ass." Sean set a glass of Guinness in front of each of them, then wandered back to the bar. "He thought you left town," Liam said.

"I was on my way, but there are a few things left to be said and I just wanted to say them before I went home."

Liam nodded. "He really likes you, so if you're going to dump him, it would probably be best for you to just go."

"I didn't come here to hurt him. We just need to talk."

Liam looked over her shoulder to the door. "Well, you won't have to wait any longer."

Lily twisted around to see Brian walking through the door. She quickly stood and brushed her hair back from her eyes, then stuck her nervous hands in the back pockets of her jeans. He didn't notice her at first as he made a quick search of the bar. But then Lily took a few steps forward.

His eyes met hers in the same way they had that night at the fund-raiser, holding her attention so she couldn't look away. They slowly approached each other and met in the middle of the bar. Though Lily knew that most of the patrons were watching them, she didn't care.

She wasn't sure what to say, but then Brian took care of that. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, his mouth devouring hers like a man taking a drink after days in the desert. Lily's heart raced and she could barely breathe, but she knew that she'd made the right decision. He did love her. It was all there in his kiss, every ounce of emotion he felt for her.

When Brian finally drew back, the patrons of the bar burst into wild applause, shouting and whistling. Brian pulled her into a hug and chuckled. "We have an audience."

"I hope this doesn't end up on the front page of the Herald tomorrow."

"It won't, I promise." He grabbed her hand and drew her along with him to the door. The crowd at the bar groaned, but Brian just waved at them as they stepped out into the humid July night. When they reached the street, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, this time lingering over her mouth.

"You came back," he murmured, nuzzling his face into the curve of her neck.

"I never left," Lily said. "I was at the airport and then I decided I couldn't go."

"Why not?"

"I had to talk to you. I had to find out for sure."

"What?"

"The other night, in the elevator, you told me you were falling in love with me. And then, that day in the news truck, you said you wanted to marry me. If I walked away from that, I knew I'd always wonder."

Brian smiled down at her. "I didn't say I wanted to marry you," he murmured, running his thumb along her lower lip.

Lily stepped back, stunned. "But you-"

"I said that I'd have to marry you."

"Oh," she murmured, her heart sinking. She'd misunderstood completely. This wasn't happily-ever-after. Mortified, she turned and began to walk away, not sure what she ought to do.

"I do love you, Lily," Brian said.

She stopped, then slowly turned back to him. "You do?"

He nodded. "And I am going to ask you to marry me… just as soon as I'm sure you're going to say yes."

"You are?"

He shrugged. "I know we haven't had a conventional relationship. But I promise, if you'll let me, I'll make you happy for the rest of your life. We may not do everything the right way or in the right order, but I think that's what makes things so good between us. We never know what's going to happen next."

"I don't have a job," Lily said. "I'm going to resign my job in Chicago."

"Hell, I'm thinking about quitting mine, too."

"You are?"

Brian nodded. "I think I have to start doing something that doesn't involve my face. The Globe has a position open for a staff writer. It's a big cut in salary, but I know I can make it work, Lily. If you stay here with me, I can make it work. Can you live in Boston? Because, if you can't, then we'll go to Chicago."

Lily smiled, her heart warming. He loved her and he wanted her in his life… forever. She wanted to jump up and down and shout, but instead, she stepped back into his embrace. "I'll go wherever you go. And if we stay in Boston, then we'll make a good life here."

Brian grabbed her around the waist and spun her around. "I tried so hard to avoid falling victim to the Quinn family curse. But it's not a curse at all," Brian murmured. "It's like having your best wish come true."

Lily hugged him hard, then noticed a crowd watching them from the windows of the pub. She smiled at them and gave them a thumbs-up. With that, they all began to cheer again, the noise audible through the windows.

Brian turned around and waved at them, then grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her along the sidewalk to his car. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm taking you home-to bed. It's about time we started doing things the normal way."

Lily stopped short, yanking him back into an embrace. "And I was just thinking how much I liked things the way they were. You know, it's a warm night. And I've never made love outdoors. You think there might be a spot somewhere in Boston where we could give that a try?"

Brian growled and kissed her hard. Then he smiled down at her. "I could get used to having you around all the time."

Brian grabbed the coffeepot and filled his mug, then dumped a healthy measure of Rice Krispies into a bowl. A can of concentrated orange juice thawed on the counter, but he couldn't wait. He grabbed a spoon and tried unsuccessfully to pry it out of the can and into a pitcher. "Lily! We're going to be late. If you want a ride, you're going to have to be ready in five minutes." He poured milk onto his cereal and took a hasty bite.

A few seconds later, Lily rushed into the kitchen, buttoning the front of her blouse, her jacket tucked beneath her arm. "I know, I know. I have to look just right. I have a big client meeting this morning." She straightened and smoothed her hands over her skirt. "We have to work out some kind of schedule in the bathroom," she said. "There has to be a way for us to co-exist in there."

Brian looked up from his bowl of cereal, his gaze taking in her disheveled appearance. They'd lived together for nearly two months and he still enjoyed the little moments like this, when it hit him that Lily wasn't going anywhere, that she was with him for the rest of his life. "We could always get a new apartment, someplace with a bigger bathroom."

"Or two bathrooms," Lily suggested.

She tucked her blouse into her skirt, then slipped into her jacket. The suit was a taupe-colored fabric that looked like linen, a conservative style paired with a clingy silk blouse. Brian thought she looked especially beautiful that morning, but then she always looked beautiful.

"Are you almost ready?" he asked.

"You're the one who kept me in bed too long," she said, taking a bite of his cereal. "If you want me on time, then we're going to have to wake up earlier."

"So what's the meeting about?" he asked, watching her draw her hair back at her nape.

"It's my first real paying client. Do you think I should wear my hair up or down?"

"Up," Brian said.

"Really?" She frowned. "I was thinking down. I want to appear businesslike but approachable."

"Is the client male or female?" Brian asked.

"Female," she said.

"Then down. Definitely down."

"And if my client was a male?"

"Up. In one of those prissy little knots."

Lily shook her head and laughed. "I don't think I trust your advice."

Brian grabbed her around the waist and kissed her neck, leaving milk on her skin. "You'd look beautiful if you teased your hair and wore it with a big bow on top of your head. Trust me."