Page 115 of Hero's Prize

He looked up at her then back down at the treat. “Rainbow sprinkles and butterscotch.”

“For us,” she said. “Try it.”

He did, popping the whole mini-pastry into his mouth and closing his eyes in bliss. “That is the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“Good. Because I want it to be a symbol between us. It’s time for you to accept my forgiveness. You don’t need to keep doing all the things you’re doing for me, Colton. I truly do forgive you.”

He stared at her for a long moment before finally pushing his box toward her. “I baked this for sort of the same reason. Like yours, I also want this to be a symbol between us.”

She couldn’t believe they’d done the same thing on the same day, but she loved that they were so in sync with each other.

“Can I try it?”

He nodded, and she folded down the box like he had until it was flat.

It was the ugliest looking mini-cupcake maybe in the history of the world. It looked like someone had spilled an entire bottle of rainbow sprinkles on this poor creation, and the mound of frosting had begun toppling to the side with the weight.

But Ella was a professional baker. She knew that sometimes things could look pretty bad but taste amazing.

“You made this yourself?” It was the most neutral thing she could think to say.

“Yes. Rainbow sprinkles on a butterscotch cupcake with butterscotch icing.”

“For us.”

He smiled. “For us. Try it.”

Like him, she picked up the mini-treat and popped the whole thing in her mouth.

And immediately wished she hadn’t. It wasawful.

There was nothing to temper the sweetness, so it was just sugar on sugar on sugar. She tried to keep her face completely expressionless as she chewed.

And chewed and chewed. Was this thing growing?

Finally, she was able to swallow it. “Wow,” she managed.

She didn’t want to say anything negative. The important thing was that Colton had tried to do something special for her. There was no way in hell she was going to make him feel bad for it.

“What do you think?”

“I think the fact that you made this for me makes me love you even more than I already did.”

To her surprise, Colton burst out laughing. And then so did most of the bar. Everyone had been watching her eat that thing.

“You guys!” But Ella laughed too. “You got me. That thing was awful.”

“We know!” Bear yelled. “We had to try them earlier when he was making them.”

She laughed over at Colton and went to push the box back toward him when something shiny in it caught her eye. She hadn’t seen it at first because it had been under the cupcake.

A ring.

She blinked up at him. “Colton?”

He dropped to one knee right there in front of the booth.

“I know traditional wisdom says it’s too soon, but I’ve known you most of my life, Butterscotch. Please tell me you’ll marry me and that you’ll do it as soon as possible.”