Page 167 of The Flirty Vet

"Despite that not boding well for my counterproposal, I'm going ahead anyway."

"Can you two stop fucking whispering and get on with it already?" Polly yells. "If I'd known it was going to take this long, I would've brought my fold-out chair and knitting needles."

Wilby sputters, tears splashing down his face.

"Shit, sorry," he says, brushing them away.

"It's okay." I glance down at the ring. "I believe you have a question to ask."

He lifts the box up. "This was my grandpa's ring. It means everything to Gran."

I look over at Polly and think about shaking my head, but she fixes me with such a strongyou're having it and that's the end of itlook, I'm too afraid to argue.

"Colwyn Hortense Langdon."

I shoot Dad an evil look. He swore he'dneverreveal my god-awful middle name to anyone. Then my eyes slide to Brant next to him, mouth wide open. Yep. Not even my best friend in the world knew it.

It's so bad. It'sHortense, for fuck's sake.

"Move it along," I mutter.

Wilby composes himself, then brings his eyes to meet mine. "This past year and three months has been like a dream. I never knew someone as good, as beautiful, as cranky as you even existed."

He smiles bashfully. "I know I'm a lot to put up with. And Scuttlebutt isn't exactly the centre of…anything. It's literally inthe middle of nowhere. And I can't buy you expensive things or offer you a life filled with big adventures. All I can give you is my heart. And you have it, Col. You have every single piece of it. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. Will you do me the greatest honour of my life and marry me?"

"Please fuckin' marry him and get him off our hands," Em calls out.

Laughter rings out around us as we look at each other. "Who says yes first?" I ask. "I mean, assuming it's a yes?"

"Of course it's a yes," he says, smiling. "Maybe you should say it first because, you know, I did ask you to marry me first."

"Uh, no you didn't. I got down on my knee first." I gesture to our families gathered around us. "And I have witnesses."

"Uh, yes I did," Wilby counters. "I may not have witnesses, but I specifically recall asking you to marry metwicein Sydney. Once in the hotel room, once at the airport before you boarded your flight."

"Uh…well… They weren't real proposals." He was kidding. "You were kidding, right?"

Wilby smiles. "That's not the point. The point is that technically I've asked you first twice, so technically you should answer first to adhere to the, you know, technical marriage proposal protocol, otherwise known as TMPP. I believe it's stated in chapter seven, article?—"

"For Pete's sake, just say it at the same time," Dad cries out.

Without missing a beat, Kolby yells, "One, two,threeeee!"

"Yes!" we say at the same time, staring into each other's eyes.

Everyone erupts in applause and races over to us before helping us get to our feet. Kolby jumps on Wilby while Dad and Brant bundle me into a hug. "So happy for you, son."

It's the happiest moment of my life.

EPILOGUE 2

Three months later…

Wilby

I'm a simple bloke.

I don't need anything extravagant. I'm more than content with my life the way it is—working full-time at the clinic, living close to my family and watching the kids grow up, being pain-free and able to walk, and having the cranky New Yorker I met randomly one night becomemycranky New Yorker.