No Bunny But You (Holiday Romance Series) (20 page)

“Yes,” Molly said cheerfully, wiggling as she hissed
to Drake. “Put me down, you idiot.”

Drake just shook his huge cartoon character head.

“I said, put me down!”

“Oh, don’t worry about me!” The woman giggled behind
her hand. “I’ll just run off. See you later.”

“Listen, Ben or Christopher—whatever your name is—put
me down!” From her perch on his shoulder, Molly waved at the
departing Women’s Leaguer. “Goodbye, Mrs. Sharpton! I’ll talk to
you later.”

Without giving her a chance to wiggle out of his
grip, Drake turned and carried a protesting Molly into the utility
tent.

“What the hell!”

He set her down on her feet as gently as he
could.

“Have you lost your mind?”

Drake dropped to one knee—holding his arm out to
block her from leaving the tent. “Yes.”

He reached up and grabbed the bunny head by one ear,
lifting it off his head.

“Yes, Molly. I have lost my mind.”

Molly stopped struggling to get past him, taking a
step back into the small tent.

“Drake! What are you doing here? And why are you
wearing my Easter bunny suit?” She backed up until she stood
against the serviceable table there. “What are you doing here?”

Putting the bunny head down, he said, “I had to see
you and…and apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?” She seemed startled and
shocked and…tearful? Molly was crying?

“Don’t cry, Sweetheart.” He yanked his paws off and
reached out to take her hand.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I’ve been a fool, Molly. All these years, fooling
myself that I just wanted to be your friend, that I was satisfied
being friends with you.”

She snuffled the moisture he could see in her eyes.
“I don’t know what you mean.”

Drake—still on one knee—scooted forward. “I know we
were just kids, but ever since you ended things in high
school—“

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She rolled her eyes.

“No, Molly. I’m serious. I-I held back all these
years because you seemed—“ He stopped. If ever there was a time for
total honesty, this was it. “No. I held back because I was afraid
I’d lose out even on being your friend. I-it hurt being rejected by
you and I was too much of a scaredy cat to run the risk of that
happening again. Even after we had—“

Drake paused to draw a tight breath. “Even after we
had unbelievable, blow-my-socks-off, when-can-we-please-do-it-again
sex. I was still trying not to get my heart trampled. I’ve been a
baby.”

He saw that Molly was staring at him with
uncomprehending eyes.

“I’ve realized that I love you, Molly. I can’t live
without you. Please, please, marry me.”

Looking like she had sustained a shock, she stumbled
over to a nearby plastic lawn chair and collapsed into it.

Gesturing at the bunny head, she said, “What’s with
the suit?”

“I had to get in here,” Drake admitted. “You wouldn’t
return any of my calls. You didn’t answer your door. I even went
over to Cheryl’s this morning to find you.”

“Cheryl?”

He raised a reassuring hand—which looked funny
without it’s paw covering. “She didn’t tell me anything, I finally
realized what today was. And I came here. I saw the kid in the
suit. I dragged him into the bushes and bribed him to let me have
the suit. Are you going to answer my proposal?”

“I don’t know.” She wiped at her cheek, saying
finally in a laughing voice. “Really? You want me to take a
proposal from an Easter Bunny seriously?”

With a surge of relief, Drake straightened from his
position on his knee and went to stand in front of her, pulling her
up from the chair. “Yes. Yes, I want you to take my proposal
seriously.”

Molly laughed uncertainly. “Drake, you’re such an
idiot.”

“Well? Even idiots deserve an answer to their
proposals.”

“Yes. I’ve been in love with you for the last two
years. I’ll marry you.”

After a breathless, soul-searing kiss, she came up
for air, pushing back a little, she grinned and said, “After all,
there’s no bunny, but you for me.”

Drake dropped another lingering kiss on her
mouth.

“Let’s agree. No more bunny jokes for now.”

LOOK FOR THE NEXT NOVEL IN THE HOLIDAY SERIES BY
CAROL ROSE:

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