She’s smiling so brightly, and yet so gently at the same time. She boosts up on her toes to kiss my lips, and then, to my surprise, begins to speak.
“I’m so glad you did this because I have something to say too.” She blinks and seems to gather her thoughts, and then turns those bright green eyes up to mine. “Wuthering Heights is my favorite book, and the best line in it says this: If he loved you with all of the power of his soul for a whole lifetime, he couldn’t love you as much as I do in a single day.
“I’ve always felt that that line was written for me, about you. I’ve watched you from a distance for years, caring for you, worrying about you, thinking of you. I’ve felt pulled to you my entire life, Landon. I couldn’t explain it, and I couldn’t wish it away even when I tried. You’ve never left me. I’ve carried you with me always. It’s a constant surprise to me that you’re mine now. It feels like the best dream I’ve ever had, and I find myself wishing and praying that I don’t wake up.
“But, I’m not dreaming. And for better or worse, you are finally mine. I have a feeling that ours is going to be a life that’s a little bit messy, with lots of laughs and some tears, but that is what makes it great. It’s passionate and whole and true. And I can tell you for certain that it’s forever. Because it’s already been forever.”
She reaches up and gently catches a tear that has escaped my eyes.
“I am so blessed.”
I pull her in and wrap my arms around her, and kiss her tenderly.
“Now that we’ve finished our vows, are you ready to go celebrate?”
“I’m ready for all of it.”
“IF THEY DON’T stop putting parsley on the plates, I’ll—”
“Mia,” Cami says with a laugh, and hugs her tightly. “Relax. I don’t care about the parsley. And you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself. This is a party.”
“You’re right.” Mia shrugs. “I’ll give them a refresher course on garnishes later.”
“Atta girl,” I reply happily as Lucas and Addie both stand and Lucas taps his water glass to get all of our attention.
“Hi, everyone,” Lucas says. “So, it’s tradition for the best man to give a toast, but instead, Addie and I are going to tell a story.”
“It’s a really great story,” Addie adds with a nod.
“Picture if you will,” Lucas begins, raising his hand for dramatic effect, “a hot summer in 2003.”
“Cami was seventeen and Landon was in his early twenties, home for the summer before he shipped off to join the Navy.” Addie glances over at us, grinning widely. “And we had a big cookout in Landon’s backyard.”
“But Cami didn’t come alone,” Lucas continues. “No, Cami showed up to the cookout with some dude, none of us can remember his name. Now, what I do remember is seeing Landon’s face when Cami walked into the backyard with that bozo on her arm. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, I do believe that Landon proceeded to glare at the guy all night.”
Please don’t tell them about how drunk I got that night.
“What he didn’t know,” Addie says, picking up the story, “was that Cami was so not into Mr. No-name. Frankly, she just brought him along in hopes that Landon would get jealous and finally make a move. It was her last-ditch effort, if you will, before Landon left.”
“Oh, he was jealous all right,” Lucas says with a laugh. “And I won’t even get into how much beer he drank that night.”
“Thank you!” I call out.
“But he didn’t make a move on our Cami,” Addie says, and everyone in the room says “aw” in sympathy. “I believe her exact words after that night were ‘screw him.’”
“Awww!” everyone says again. I reach under the table and take her hand in mine, and when I look down at her, she’s laughing with the others, not embarrassed in the least.
“But the story gets better,” Lucas says. “Not long after Landon moved back home, I came to town to see how he was doing, and I was shocked when he bailed on a night of debauchery with me to take Cami out on a date.”
“It was their first official date,” Addie says with a smile. “And it may have been years later, but they finally got it right. That first date led us here, and all we can say is, it’s about time, you guys.”
“To Landon and Cami,” Lucas says, raising his glass. “And to a long life together.”
Everyone cheers and I lean in to whisper in Cami’s ear. “This moment is thirteen years in the making, and I couldn’t have pictured it any better than this.”
Epilogue
Three months later . . .
~Cami~
“I have wedding photos!” I announce, and pull an album out of my purse. The five of us are enjoying Sunday-morning brunch at our usual place in Northwest Portland.
“Oh! Fun,” Riley says, and reaches for the album and she and Kat huddle together to look through the photos.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me that you could see my belly through my dress?” Addie asks with a scowl. “I would have showcased it more.”
“No one can miss it now,” Mia says, and reaches out to rub Addie’s stomach. “Are you ever going to tell us what you’re having?”
“No. Jake and I want it to be a surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises,” Kat says, and then points to one of the photos. “Aw, Cami, this candid shot is awesome. When was this?” She turns the album to show me and I smile at the memory.
“That was after everyone else had left the church and Landon wanted to say a few things to me privately. We didn’t realize that the photographer stayed to take a couple photos, but I’m so glad she did. That’s one of my favorites.”
“What did he want to talk about?” Addie asks.
“That’s one of the few things that I’m not going to share with you guys,” I reply. Those words were too important to share them with anyone else.
“Well, it’s a great picture,” Kat says. “She did a really good job.”
“Thanks, I think so too.”
“Hey, Kat, did you buy your airline tickets for your trip yet?” Mia asks, making Kat frown again.
“Yes, but I’m telling you guys, I don’t want to go.”
“You do want to go,” I correct her. “You just don’t want to fly.”
“I don’t need to go,” Kat says.
“It’s a freaking wine convention in the Sonoma Valley. Of course you need to go,” Riley says with a laugh. “It’s shocking that you’ve never been down there before.”
“I’ve never had time to drive down there before,” Kat says.
“You’re one of the most badass women I know,” Addie says, and shoves a chunk of pineapple in her mouth. “I don’t know why you’re so damn afraid of flying.”
“Because I just don’t like it,” Kat snaps. “You don’t like things. Sometimes people just don’t like things.”
“Okay, look.” Riley looks back and forth between them, warning them to chill out. “Kat, it’s not going to suck. It’s not a long flight from here.”
“Did you book an aisle seat?” Mia asks. “That will help. Looking out the window might freak you out.”
“I got an aisle seat,” Kat says. “Can I get drunk before I get on the plane?”
“I don’t see why not,” I reply with a shrug. “Also, think of all of the hot guys that will be down there for the convention.”
“Sexcation!” Addie exclaims, and claps her hands happily. “There’s your silver lining. You can go down there and hook up with some hot wine dude. You can have lots of hot sex in the rows of grapes.”
“Ew,” Riley says, wrinkling her nose. “Don’t have sex in the grapes. Someone is going to end up drinking those.”
“That’s kind of sexy,” Kat says, sitting back to think it over. “It has been about six months since I last got laid. A sexcation sounds damn good.”
“See?” Addie says, proud of herself. “I knew someone would end up taking advantage of the sexcation idea. It’s a really brilliant idea.”
&
nbsp; “So to recap,” Kat says thoughtfully, “I can get drunk for the flight and have no-expectations sex all week?”
“Yeah, that pretty much covers it,” I reply with a nod. “You should totally do it.”
“Okay, I’m in. But I have to be really drunk for that flight.”
“We can do that.”
Jake’s song for Addie, “If I Had Never Met You,” specially written and recorded for Listen to Me, is available for purchase from music retailers!
Kristenproby.com/listentomesong
An Excerpt from Blush for Me
Make your reservation for the next deliciously sexy novel in Kristen Proby’s New York Times bestselling Fusion series,
BLUSH FOR ME
As the take-charge wine bar manager of Seduction, Portland’s hottest new restaurant, Kat Meyers is the definition of no-nonsense, and she isn’t afraid of anything. Well, almost anything: she hates to fly. When she’s forced to travel on a death trap with wings, the turbulence from hell has her reaching for any safe haven—including the incredibly handsome guy sitting next to her.
Ryan “Mac” MacKenzie hasn’t been able to get his sexy seatmate out of his head. The way she clung to him stirred something inside him he didn’t think existed: tenderness. As the owner of a successful wine touring company, Mac thinks he’s got a handle on what life can throw at him and he’s not prepared for any surprises, especially in the feelings department. And when he brings a tour into Seduction, he sees the petite spitfire he just can’t forget.
Mac is determined to discover what else they have in common besides fine wine and the inability to keep their hands off each other. But what will it take for two stubborn people to realize that what they have is so much more than a hot chemistry between the sheets and to admit to falling in love . . . ?
Pre-order now!
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author KRISTEN PROBY is the author of the bestselling With Me in Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type, fiercely protective and a bit bossy; and her ladies are fun and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Praise for Kristen Proby
“A Kristen Proby book is a guarantee of a fantastic romance. Proby always delivers when it comes to heat, heart, humor and ALL THE FEELS.” —Lauren Blakely, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“No one packs as much passion and romance on each and every single page the way Kristen Proby does.” —Jay Crownover, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby’s stories are all sexy, swoonworthy must-reads!” —Laura Kaye, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby writes contemporary romance like no one else!” —Monica Murphy, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“No one does swoony alphas, strong women, and sexy love stories like Kristen Proby. She truly knows how to write romance with heart.” —Laurelin Paige, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby is a master at creating hot heroes and tender romance. I love her books!”
—Jennifer Probst, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Also by Kristen Proby
The Fusion Series
Close to You
Listen to Me
The Boudreaux Series
Easy Love
Easy Charm
Easy Melody
Easy Kisses
With Me in Seattle Series
Come Away with Me
Under the Mistletoe with Me
Fight with Me
Play with Me
Rock with Me
Safe with Me
Tied with Me
Breathe with Me
Forever with Me
Easy with You
Love Under the Big Sky Series
Loving Cara
Seducing Lauren
Falling for Jillian
Saving Grace
Credits
Cover design by Michael Accordino
Cover photograph by Michael Frost
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Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CLOSE TO YOU. Copyright © 2016 by Kristen Proby. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
EPub Edition August 2016 ISBN 9780062434784
ISBN 978-0-06-243476-0
16 17 18 19 20 RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Kristen Proby, Close to You
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