Now and Forever by Brenda Rothert Page B

Hated all the cool kids like Jude. But then we ran into each other when we were both home from college the summer before senior year, and we’ve been together since.”
    “It was a coffee shop for us,” Emma said. “I spilled coffee on him.”
    “Aww,” Julie said, smiling. “Was he mad about it?”
    “No, he was such a gentleman. We were neighbors growing up, and we recognized each other.”
    Julie’s cheeks pinked as she glanced at Cole. “I had the hugest crush on you in high school.”
    “Me?” Cole arched his brows with surprise.
    “Yeah you, fucker,” Jude said. “All the girls had the hots for you in high school. You got more ass than a toilet seat. It was bullshit.”
    Cole cleared his throat and shot Jude a look. “That was a long time ago, man.”
    “Yeah, it was,” Jude said. “Looks like Layla’s changed a lot since high school. She really seems happy.”
    “She is,” Emma murmured, watching her sister throw back her head with laughter over something Ben said. Layla had always brimmed with confidence, but she glowed with something new now – contentment. Strong-minded, outspoken Layla Carson had met her match. Emma was glad he was a good man who adored her sister right back. If anything ever went wrong between them, she wasn’t sure Layla would recover.

Chapter Four
    Cole ran his hand over the box in the pocket of his suit pants, thinking through his plan again. The platinum band with a sparkling oval diamond inside the box was timeless, just like Emma.
    With a last minute call to their cleaning service, he’d made sure the apartment was spotless. He didn’t want Emma having to worry about anything on the night of their engagement. He was wearing her favorite of his suits – a dark gray one with a pale blue shirt that matched his eyes. The ring was in his pocket. Six dozen red roses were arranged in vases around the apartment. Frank Sinatra was setting a romantic mood from the iPod speakers. Dinner from the Italian place down the street was staying warm in the oven.
    Had he forgotten anything? At the sound of the door opening, his heart rate kicked up a notch. As long as he had the ring, he’d be okay.
    Emma walked in, and he got down on his knees when he heard the thunk of her purse onto a console table.
    “Cole?” she called, walking into the room. When she saw him, she pressed a hand over her mouth and slowed until she stood in front of him. “What’s this?”
    “This is me telling you that I love you more than anything. You knock me out in every way possible. Knowing you’re carrying our child makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. And I need you, Em. So . . .” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny black box, flipping it open. “Will you marry me?”
    “Cole.” She pressed her hands to her chest and smiled weakly. Her tears were happy ones, weren’t they? Cole knew he was just trying to convince himself. Something wasn’t right.
    “Emma?” Panic seized his chest. He’d worried he’d say something wrong, or lose the ring, but he hadn’t considered the possibility she wouldn’t say yes.
    She sighed. “I . . . wow. I wasn’t expecting this.”
    “I thought unexpected was our thing,” Cole said, grinning up at her. He swallowed and turned serious. “Say yes, Em.”
    She blinked and tears slid down her cheeks. “I just think we need to take some time. I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but—”
    “No,” he cut in. “This isn’t about that. We’re together, and we’re serious, and this is the next step for us. I’m asking you to marry me because I want you to marry me.”
    The corners of her lips curved into a small smile, but her eyes remained sad. “You want to marry me because I’m pregnant with your baby. You never got a chance to decide if you wanted to marry me. Just me.”
    Cole scrubbed a hand down his face and got up from his knees. He was in a no-win situation here. What could he say to convince Emma this