Jordan shared a look with Georgie, who shook her head.
“No, we have no idea what it means,” he answered.
“Tiaras!” Hector breathed with a wild glint in his eyes. “We need to start investigating tiaras, pronto, Bobby.”
Georgie stiffened. “I think I’d like to skip the car ride over.”
“Whatever for?” Bobby asked, concern etched on his face.
“The Palace Hotel isn’t far from here, and I could use a meandering walk,” she answered, and Jordan’s heart jumped into his throat.
Georgiana Jensen’s meandering walks meant she had something weighing on her mind, most likely due to the over-sized engagement ring sparkling on her go-fuck-yourself finger. But, truth be told, he could use a break from tissues, TV, and tiaras, too.
Georgie passed Mr. Tuesday over to Becca, and the women began to talk dog logistics as he gestured for Bobby, Hector, and Barry to join him down the hall.
He schooled his features into his do-not-mess-with-me CrossFit angry-god expression. A little something he kept in his back pocket from his Marks Perfect Ten Mindset days.
He narrowed his gaze. “Georgie and I will meet you at the hotel, but you guys have to take it down a notch.”
“Jordan,” Bobby said with a placating expression. “You know my husband, Hector—make a big deal out of everything—Garcia. He could turn a trip to the podiatrist into a major event.”
“Well, why wouldn’t you? I have those gorgeous eco-friendly sandals I wear anytime my little piggies need attending to,” Hector replied, then watched him closely. “You’re not afraid of piglets, are you, Jordan?”
Jordan scrubbed his hands down his face, suddenly feeling insanely exhausted. “No, it was just baby goats, and I’m totally over that,” he answered, not entirely telling the truth.
But close enough.
“Such a powerful moment for CityBeat,” Barry chimed, pressing his hand to his heart.
Georgie came to his side. “Are you ready?”
He took her hand. “We’ll meet you there,” he said to the men as he led Georgie out of the building.
She exhaled an audible breath and leaned into him as they strolled down the sidewalk. It was the perfect early fall day in Denver. The trees were beginning to pop with splashes of gold and red, and all he wanted to do was take his fiancée over to a bench and sit.
No words.
No Belgian Waffle Princesses or Wake-Up Denver plugs.
Just the two of them with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
“Are you contemplating our escape, too?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts.
He chuckled. “Not so much as an escape but a moment alone with you without some idiot trying to work-in the words, Wake-Up Denver.”
She held out her hand with the sparkling diamond. “You mean a moment alone with your fiancée?”
He liked the sound of that.
He sighed. “I’m sorry the ring is the wrong size. Between myself and the wedding wonder twins, I thought I could have gotten that part right.”
She wiggled her fingers as the diamond sparkled in the sunlight. “It’s nothing a jeweler can’t take care of. But I have to ask you, when did you start thinking about proposing? Don’t get me wrong. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but today was a huge surprise.”
“I had to ask before you got another proposal,” he replied, suppressing a grin.
She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. “From who?”
“Remember when that little kid asked you to marry him a couple weeks ago?”
“Little Joey, the five-year-old from the bookstore?” she asked with a thread of incredulity.
He laughed. “It sounds crazy when you put it like that. But I have to admit, I was a little caught off guard by it. But the kid was right. What was I waiting for?”
She hummed a sweet chuckle. “You know there’s no one I love more than you.”
“I know,” he answered gently, wrapping his arm around her.
“I can’t wait to be your wife,” she said, smiling up at him.
This—the two of them. This is who they were.
The hotel came into view, and Georgie stopped and stared at the building.
She turned to him with a slight crease to her brow. “We want this, don’t we?”
He knew exactly what she was talking about and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in close.
He ran his hand down her back. “We both want to help people live their best life. It’s what we’ve wanted from the beginning.”
She sighed, and her warm breath tickled his neck. “I wanted to talk more about the Shakespeare Shuffle. Do you think we’ll be able to pull it off?”
“The high schools are all promoting it, and we post about it every day,” he answered.
“It’s our first big project. I don’t want us to crash and burn,” she whispered.
Neither did he.
“Hey, we’ve proven there’s nothing the wet T-shirt girl and the goat guy can’t do. With enough vegan cookie dough, we’re unstoppable.”
She grinned up at him with a smile that turned him to mush.
“But we do have one problem,” he said, working to keep his features neutral.
“We do? What’s that?” she asked.
His stony expression gave way to a wide grin. “I haven’t kissed you as my fiancée yet.”
“No, you have not,” she replied, her gaze darkening.
He leaned in. “We need to change that.”
“Why’s that?” she purred.
“Because after we finish with whatever the hell kind of champagne party Hector and Bobby have up their sleeves, I’m taking you home, and we’re getting your sex hair back.”
Georgie drew her fingertips down his torso. “Is that so?”
He nodded. “And there won’t be enough hair conditioner in all of Denver to untangle it after I’m through with you, soon-to-be, Mrs. Marks.”
He tilted her chin and stroked his thumb across her jawline. With a sexy as hell sigh, Georgie closed her eyes and melted into his touch when a sharp gasp and shrill yelp accompanied by the scent of perfume left them frozen.
“Pumpkin! Jordan! There’s not going to be a soon-to-be-anything if you two don’t stop playing kissy-face for all of the city to see and make an appearance at your party!”
3
Georgie
Georgie cringed.
She’d know the haughty huff of the Denver socialite Lorraine Vanderdinkle, aka her mother, anywhere.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she didn’t officially see the woman, she and Jordan could take off running down the street.
“Georgiana? Pumpkin?” came the familiar chime of her mother’s voice.
“You told my mother?” she whispered.
“Of course, I did! I went to see her and Howard to ask for their blessing. And I’ve got to tell you, Howard is a pretty great guy. I’ve never talked that much with him.”
“Me neither, actually,” she answered.
“It wasn’t like I could go to Lizzy Bennet, Jane Eyre, or Hermione Granger and ask for their approval. But I did reread Pride and Prejudice. So, there’s that,” he whispered back.