Julie Jarnagin – Real Life Romance – Part 2 of 3

Shannon here: Debut novelist shared her proposal story during the debut month of this blog. That quarter, I chose it as my favorite and asked Julie if I could use a fictionalized version for a future book. She agreed and I think it will fit nicely in book 3 of my current series. Comment on any post dated April 4 – 9 for a chance to win a copy of Julie’s debut novel, Canyon Walls. Deadline: Midnight central time April 9. Here’s Julie:

When Kevin and I were dating in college, our favorite spot was a local coffee shop. We spent hours sitting in a booth, getting to know each other. One of our favorite things to do over sugary coffee was taking turns coming up with questions, which we would both answer. “What is your favorite movie?” “What was the best vacation you’ve ever taken?”  “If you had gone to an out of state college, which one would you have chosen?” It was fun, and we laughed a lot.
            One night, it wasn’t unexpected when Kevin asked me to meet him at our regular spot. It was a nice, spring night, and when I arrived, he was sitting at a table outside waiting for me. Kevin said he had already ordered for us, but when I saw the barista carrying our coffee out to us, I told Kevin he shouldn’t have made her bring it out to us.
            He scrambled to the door to meet her, and before he could get to her, I saw a flash of light reflect off the top of the whipped cream, and I knew what was about to happen.
            The love of my life was about to propose to me at our place, the place where we had gotten to know each other and essentially fallen in love. I kicked myself for almost ruining the moment.
            I fought back the tears as he sat the drink in front of me. The diamond engagement ring was perched on top of the whipped cream.  The next thing I knew, a nervous Kevin bent down on one knee. In the process, his leg bumped the metal table, spilling the iced coffee, which poured down my arm and leg.
            The next few moments were a blur of laughter, tears and Kevin’s sweet proposal.
            A little sticky from the spilled coffee and with an engagement ring on my finger, I gave him a squeeze and a kiss.
            “I guess that means yes?” he asked.
            To this day, he still argues that I never actually said “yes.”
            I later found out that he had purchased the engagement ring that day and told my mom that he was going to wait a little while before popping the question. Kevin is not the most patient person, and by the end of the day, he had waited long enough.
In June, we celebrated our nine-year wedding anniversary, and over dinner, we found ourselves taking turn asking each other questions just like we used to do over coffee.
       1.   Where is the most romantic place you and your spouse have ever been?
I love traveling with Kevin. It’s impossible not to have fun. We took a trip to New York City for our five- year anniversary, and it was amazing. We went to a Broadway show, had dinner in a wonderful restaurant in Little Italy, spent time in central park and toured Yankee stadium.
      2.   Where did you and your spouse go for your honeymoon?
 Honolulu, Hawaii. This was one of my favorite trips to take with Kevin. Spending time in the market, lounging on the beach, snorkeling and eating at some great seafood restaurants were only a few of the highlights we shared on this trip. We’re planning to go back next summer for our 10 year anniversary. I can’t wait.
      3.    What simple gesture does your spouse do that melts you every time?
 It’s the little things that I love the most. On Saturday mornings, he gets up with our son and lets me sleep. I am a sucker for some extra sleep. Having a two-year old son keeps us busy. Kevin understands how much I pour into our family, and goes the extra mile to make me feel special. Those subtle gestures keep me going through some long days. Some Saturdays, he even cooks me breakfast or goes and gets my favorite coffee. I also love when Kevin shoots me a text during the day, just to tell me how much he loves me. 
      4.   Do you and your spouse have a favorite song?
 “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday” by Spiral Staircase. We love to sing it anytime we hear it come on the oldies station. We first heard the song during a lengthy discussion we were having while driving to see family in Kentucky about how odd it is that we don’t have a song. The next thing you know this fun and cheesy song came on, and it seemed to fit us perfectly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j45ezAAeMDw&feature=related
Learn more about Julie: juliejarnagin.com
Come back April 8 for insight into Julie’s fictional romance in Canyon Walls.