“Damn you, Gavin,” Thea said. “ I was going to do the grand gesture.”
Then she grabbed his lapels, yanked him forward, and kissed him. Oh, how she kissed him. She kissed him with her hands in his hair, her heart on her sleeve. She kissed him as she spoke. “I was going to go to New York.” Kiss. “I was going to find you.” Bigger kiss. “I was going to walk in and tell you . . .” Deeper kiss. “I love you.”
Gavin cupped her face and pulled back. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Gavin. I love you. And I’m so sorry. You were right about me. I was scared and stupid.”
“We’ll probably be scared and stupid again at some point.”
“But we’ll get through it,” he vowed.
Mack cleared his throat. “Speed this up. They’re almost done with their vows.” Right. He wasn’t done. Grand gesture wasn’t over. Gavin dropped to one knee and took Thea’s hand.
“What are you doing?” Thea laughed.
“I didn’t get a chance to do this right before, so I’m doing it now. Thea Scott, will you marry me?”
“Yes. Right now. We’re in a church.” Thea laughed as Gavin stood. “Russian,” he panted. “Come here.”
“My name is Vlad. Sorry about your bathroom.”
“So you guys . . . you’re the bromance book club?” Thea said.
Mack nodded slowly, then quickly. “I like that. The Bromance Book Club.”
“Just do it,” Gavin said. He took Thea’s hands and faced her.
“Repeat after me,” Vlad said, unfolding the paper Gavin had given him. “I, Gavin Scott—” “I, Gavin Scott.” There was applause inside the church.
“Promise you, Thea Scott.”
“Promise you, Thea Scott.” Music blared. Shit. Gavin tore the paper from Vlad’s hands and repeated it by memory. “Promise you, Thea Scott, to always tell you how I feel. To read to you every night. To cherish your body—”
Mack and Del covered their ears. “Not in front of the children!”
Gavin tugged her close and whispered the rest in her ear. “And to never forget that love—”
“Is enough,” Thea breathed.