At least her friends were excited, though.
“I wanna see,” Naomi said, hip-checking Angelica out of the way and grabbing hold of Jess’s hand. Lifting it to the light for closer inspection, she hummed out her approval. “Mmm, very nice.”
Noah chuckled and clapped Sean on the shoulder. To Naomi, he said, “For someone who claims she’ll never get married, you sound awfully covetous of a wedding ring.”
Iain snorted, and when Naomi glared at him, he covered his mouth and turned his head away. Unfortunately, that did nothing to disguise shoulders shaking with laughter.
Naomi rolled her eyes. “There is no claiming. We aren’t getting married. Such a shame too, since I do love the jewelry.”
Iain wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I could buy you a ring,” he remarked offhandedly, and all eyes swung his way.
Naomi turned to Iain, her face a mask of surprised wonder mixed with faint suspicion. “You could?” Her throat visibly bobbed as she swallowed deeply.
Iain took hold of Naomi’s hand and rubbed the pad of his thumbs lazily over her knuckles. “Sure, I could. It’ll be a ‘we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together living in sin’ ring. I hear they’re all the rage.” He smirked, and Naomi beamed at him.
After a few seconds, she glanced down at Jess’s ring. “I do love diamonds.” She paused. “Emeralds, too. And sapphires.” Her voice had become dreamy.
Iain chuckled and lifted his chin toward Noah. “I’m gonna need the name of your jeweler. This one isn’t lying when she says she loves diamonds. She wouldn’t stop talking about Angelica’s ring when you proposed.”
Noah’s eyes found Angelica, who was standing across the circle from him. “How about I take you there myself?” He was speaking to Iain, but his eyes never strayed from his fiancee. “Maybe I’ll pick out some wedding rings while I’m at it.”
Much as they’d done with Iain’s pronouncement, all eyes swung to Noah.
And then to Angelica. For a few brief seconds, she didn’t react. But then her gaze grew misty and she nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s time we make this official.”
By the time Noah broke out a couple of bottles of sparkling grape juice—something he’d been working on in secret for when Sean and Jess came over—there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And if anyone else noticed Max and Maeve’s heads bent together, no one said a word.
Coming Soon: The Barista’s Beloved
THE BARISTA’S BELOVED
(River Hill #4)
When Maeve Brennan isn’t at the distillery she co-owns with her brother, she’s feeding the homeless and fostering kittens. She doesn’t just talk the talk—she truly believes in being the change you want to see. But one thing she can’t seem to change is her dating status. It’s been months since she’s met a man more interesting than the tom cats down at the shelter. That is, until she crosses paths with River Hill’s newest—and worst—barista. But Ben’s made it clear he only wants to be friends, so Maeve will definitely stop thinking about his forearms. Probably. Maybe.
Ben Worthington never thought he’d be a mostly-out-of-work lawyer living above his best friend’s garage and working at a coffee shop, but there’s a lot about his life that doesn’t make sense. Like his attraction to Maeve Brennan, River Hill’s most beloved resident. As much as he wants to ask her out, he knows she deserves better, so he’s determined to keep it friendly. But being friends with a woman who’s everything you never knew you wanted is harder than he thought. And since Maeve has made it clear she’s not interested, he’ll stop thinking about her naked. Soon. Eventually.
But when the youth center Maeve volunteers at comes under fire from a big-city developer, Ben realizes he’s exactly what she needs. He might not be a high powered corporate attorney anymore, but he knows how to fight fire with fire. He just hopes she can live with both sides of his personality—the take-no-prisoners lawyer and the friendly, bumbling barista—because he’s pretty sure he can’t live without her.
Sign up here to be notified when THE BARISTA’S BELOVED is available:
https://www.subscribepage.com/RiverHillSeries
Start at the Beginning …
THE VINTNER’S VIXEN
River Hill #1
With movie roles for “curvy best friend” drying up fast, actress Angelica Travis is happy to leave Hollywood behind to renovate a bed and breakfast in peaceful wine country. She’s got plans and power tools ready, but an inconvenient attraction to her grumpy new neighbor is not on the agenda. Neither is kissing him practically all over town.
Vintner Noah Blackstone’s main goal in life is to win awards for his wine. Everything is going according to plan, too, until construction on the B&B bordering his property threatens his prize-winning vines. When Noah storms next door to demand an explanation, he doesn’t expect to come face-to-face with the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. Everything about Angelica is both infuriating and exhilarating—from her pink tool belt to her quick retorts. And even though she drives him absolutely insane, he can’t help wanting her.
Somehow, between long hikes through the forest and lovely picnics on the bay, they manage to resolve their differences. But when Noah’s secrets are revealed and Angelica gets another shot at stardom, this unlikely couple is forced to ask themselves some very hard questions. Can their love survive the truth? Better yet ... can they survive each other?
Click here to see where it all began …
About The Authors
Rebecca Norinne and Jamaila Brinkley have been friends for almost fifteen years. Separately, they write contemporary romance and historical fantasy romance; together, they created the enchanting world of River Hill. In this charming Northern California town, Norinne and Brinkley combined the interests that made them friends in the first place—great food, delicious wine, and a pinch of home renovation—and added in the spicy romance they love.
Rebecca: http://www.rebeccanorinne.com
Jamaila: https://jamailabrinkley.wordpress.com
Also by Rebecca Norinne
The Irish Rugby Romance Series
Trying Sophie
Ruck Me
Break Down
Scrumptious
Forever At Last
Swoon-worthy Standalones
Not Quite Perfect
Lucky Star
Writing as Margot Rose
The Contract
Mr. Gold
Xander
Protect Me
Also by Jamaila Brinkley
THE WIZARDS OF LONDON SERIES
Thieves’ Honor
Witch’s Stone
Captain’s Lady
THE GALIPP FILES
The Star of Anatolia
The Mathematical Gambit
The Portrait Problem