Now and Forever by Brenda Rothert Read Free Book Online Page B

reason to pull out all the stops. You have to buy a nice ring and get down on your knee and tell her how much you love her. You have to ask her, bro. Beg her. She’s probably thinking you’re just offering to marry her because she’s pregnant. Women don’t like that shit.”
    Cole’s face had lost its edge of anger when he looked over. “You think so? We’ve been together for like a year now, and I just . . . it’s not like I can surprise her, so what’s the point of an elaborate proposal?”
    Ben shook his head emphatically. “All women want a proposal they can gush to their girlfriends about. You think she wants to call her sister up and say, ‘So then he said, ‘did you wanna get married? And I said ‘okay’.”
    “How’d you do it with Layla?”
    “I got her a cupcake and put the ring on top of it.”
    “That’s it?”
    “That’s it?” Ben asked indignantly. “It’s a fucking two-carat solitaire. I spent a fortune on that ring. And I got down on my knee and said the emotional shit that women want to hear. That woman’s my world. I wanted her to have that proposal that all women dream about. And I’ll give her the wedding she wants, too. When she’s happy, I’m happy.”
    “Shit.” Cole grabbed the back of his neck and stared ahead at the bottles lined up behind the bar. “I want Em to have whatever she wants, too. I thought being mellow and supportive was best, but maybe she does need a real proposal.”
    “It’ll work,” Ben said. “Emma’s crazy about you. She needs to know that you want to marry her, not that you’re willing to because she’s pregnant.”
    Cole nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’ll go to a jeweler tomorrow.” He lowered his brows skeptically. “Are you gonna take credit for this later? If she says yes are you gonna tell her it was all your idea?”
    Ben finished off his beer and set the bottle down, shaking his head. “No, man. We’ll be brothers-in-law soon, we’ve got to start getting along. And poor Emma’s been puking her guts out every day with this pregnancy. Layla and I want to see her happy.”
    “I want to make her happy,” Cole said. “I love her. I really do. I guess I just took her for granted.”
    “So fix it,” Ben said, getting up from his stool. “Let’s go, I’ll drive you home.”
    “I’ve got it,” Cole said, leaving cash on the bar for all the drinks.
    “Hey, you guys looking to sell the bakery building?”
    Cole furrowed his brow. “No, Em loves that place. Why would we sell it?”
    Ben shrugged. “I just thought with the baby on the way . . . Anyway, I own a few commercial properties, and if you ever want to, I’ll make you an offer on it.”
    “That’s good to know, but I don’t see it happening. Em’s a natural with the business side of things, and her food’s out of this world.”
    “Yeah, she’s more than you deserve, so you better get a ring on it, asshole.”
    Cole nodded. “I want to.”
    ***
    Emma reached into her purse and pulled a gingersnap from a bag inside. She’d concocted the recipe after reading that ginger helped with nausea. If these cookies could do that, she’d sell the recipe and retire young.
    So far the gingersnaps were helping keep her hands busy, which was something. She and Cole had just arrived at the engagement party her parents were throwing for Ben and Layla.
    She spotted Layla immediately. Wearing a form fitting black dress with an open back, she was radiant. The dark waves of her hair glistened, but nothing shone brighter than her brown eyes as she gazed up at Ben. Her sister’s look of joy warmed Emma. Layla deserved this. She’d made a dramatic turnaround over the past year.
    “Should we go say hi?” Cole asked, laying a hand on her back. He wore a dark suit with a pale blue dress shirt and no tie. For Emma, this night was like going to prom with the guy she’d always fantasized about being on the arm of in high school.
    “Yes, let’s,” she said. She wore a sleeveless dark green