Before you get down on bent knee...
...you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes. For ten years, Connor OâRourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public, and he thinks the time has come. His restaurant is thriving, sheâs got her dream job at Blue Heron Vineyardâitâs the perfect time to get married.
When he pops the question, however, her answer is a fond but firm no. If it ainât broke, why fix it? Jess has her hands full with her younger brother, whoâs now living with her full-time, and a great career after years of waitressing. What she and Connor have is perfect: friends with an excellent benefits package. Besides, with her difficult past (and reputation), sheâs positive married life isnât for her.
But this time, Connor says itâs all or nothing. If she doesnât want to marry him, heâll find someone who does. Easier said than done, given that heâs never loved anyone but her. And maybe Jessica isnât quite as sure as she thinks...
Praise for Kristan Higginsâs Blue Heron series
THE BEST MAN
~Named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews~
âA deliriously funny story.... The Best Man is Kristan Higginsâs best bookâand thatâs saying a lot.â
âEloisa James
âYouâll adore every bit of this story...Higginsâs latest is sexy, screwy, funny and fulfillingâa simply radiant read.â
âUSA TODAY
âEmotional resonance balances zany antics in a powerful story that feels completely real.â
âPublishers Weekly, starred review
THE PERFECT MATCH
âHiggins offers readers a journey filled with tears and laughter and the best kind of sighs, proving she only gets better with each book.â
âNew York Times
âZingy dialog and hilarious asides...make this refreshing riff on the classic marriage-of-convenience plot a delightfully unorthodox, captivating winner.â
âLibrary Journal
WAITING ON YOU
âFans should take care not to read this one in church or anywhere else a gut-busting laugh would be inappropriate.â
âNew York Times Journal of Books
âEmbodies everything fans of contemporary romance are looking for.â
âRT Book Reviews
IN YOUR DREAMS
âHiggins exhibits her storytelling artistry with another stunning romance that includes her trademark touches of laugh-out-loud humor and tear-jerking pathos.â
âKirkus Reviews, starred review
âA spirited, truly funny, and emotionally satisfying romance you wonât want to put down. Humor and heart in one stunning package.â
âLibrary Journal, starred review
CHAPTER ONE
âGET UP, DOOFUS.â
Though the words were said with a smile, they definitely werenât what Connor OâRourke was hoping to hear. He was, after all, on a bent knee, holding up a diamond ring.
âI just asked you to marry me, Jess,â he said.
âAnd it was adorable.â She ruffled his hair. That didnât bode well, either. âThe answer is no, obviously. What were you thinking? And boy, Iâm starving. Did you call for pizza yet?â
Okay. Granted, Jessica Dunn was...different. Theyâd been dating for the past eight monthsâor ten years, depending on how you counted itâand getting her to this moment had taken as much strategizing as, oh, D-Day. Still, he hadnât quite anticipated this.
He tried again. âJessica. Make me the happiest man on earth and say youâll be my wife.â
âI heard you the first time, big guy. And I did wonder about all these candles. Nice touch, if a little on the fire-hazard side of things.â
âAnd your answer is?â
âYou already know my answer, and you knew it long before you asked anything. Now come on, Connor. Upsy-daisy.â
He didnât move. Jess sighed and folded her arms across her chest, giving him a patient look, eyebrow slightly raised.
Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket, because she always checked her phone, no matter what they were doing. âIron Man is killing all the bad guys in the cave,â she said, deadpan.
This was normalâher brother dictating text updates on whatever movie he and Gerard, his occasional babysitter, were watching. It could be funny. At the moment, not so much.
âCan we be serious here?â he asked.
âIâm really hungry, Con.â
âIf I feed you, will you say yes?â
âNo. So up you go. Letâs have a nice night, okay? Werenât we gonna watch Game of Thrones?â