Page 88 of Tango

The kids barely stopped until Cole noted Ethan’s big yawn and scooped him up and draped him over his shoulder. Normally, June and Abby would leave and take the kids home to bed. Tonight, it had been arranged for some of the house staff to do that. Soon, all of them had been kissed and hugged and bundled up into cars. We watched them drive off with their escort, and we all walked back inside to enjoy the rest of the evening.

The guys had all hit the dance floor with their respective partners. Gear seemed to be asking one of the waitresses to dance, and Zack moved in and took her tray and encouraged her to go. He was such an awesome man, good to everyone, including…I watched Mark smile at Mia, but it dropped when he saw Zack take June’s hand to dance.

“The fuck,” Mark mouthed to Cole, who shook his head for him to chill.

I chuckled and leaned my head on Ty’s shoulder and breathed him in. I closed my eyes and hugged him tight.

“Greatest escape ever,” he whispered in my ear. I drank in his love and rubbed his back gently.

Connie, Ty’s mom, smiled at me as she danced with Richard. The look in her eyes told me that everything was right inside. She blew me a kiss then looked up at her husband and said something that made him smile.

Three songs morphed into one and we never broke rhythm. Neither of us wanted to let go. We stayed locked in each other’s arms. This was a night we never wanted to end.

Snow fell softly but steadily as we left Zack’s. I was pleased I’d packed my tall boots, as the snow was already up my ankles.

“It’s so peaceful out here.” I held out a hand to feel the snowflakes as they prickled my warm skin.

“Come with me.” Ty pulled me in the opposite direction of the hotel, then through a little walkway out toward the main street. “Apparently, every year, the stores and restaurants decorate for Chris—” He stopped as I cut him off while I took in the scene.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered at the Thomas Kincade painting in front of me, “it’s gorgeous.”

“It really is.” We moved into the center of the quiet street and admired all the colored lights. All different sized trees lined the storefronts. Some were decorated with red and gold bows, some had oversized ornaments, some had ribbons. Dean Martin’s The Christmas Song came on over Zack’s speakers that could still be heard throughout the street.

“Shall we check it out?” He offered his arm.

“Let’s.”

A toy store two doors down had a pretty gold train that chugged around a beautifully decorated tree in their window.

“You know, Doc said something to me recently, and I can’t get it out of my head.” He covered his heart with his hand. “Love comes to people in many ways. Sometimes it’s a slow burn, sometimes you see it coming, and sometimes it’s a force that knocks you completely off course. It’s how you choose to accept it that determines your happiness.”

“His was a slow burn, let me tell you.” I laughed as I leaned toward the window and admired a brown teddy staring at me from between the branches.

“And you were a force,” he said behind me. “You came into my life like a storm, and I couldn’t see anyone but you.” He took my elbow and turned me to look at him. “I don’t want anyone but you.”

“I don’t want anyone but you either, Ty. I—”

“Hear me out, okay?” I nodded, “I did something a few days ago.” My stomach gave a little lurch. “I asked your uncle and mother for their blessing.” What?

“Woow,” my head pulled back at that, “Ty, isn’t it a little soon to be talking about marriage? We haven’t even been dating a year.”

“And they said yes,” he ignored my minor freakout, “because love doesn’t wait for you to be ready for it. If your soul was meant to connect with mine, then who are we to deny it? I love you, Ivy. I want you to be mine because I want to be yours.”

“I, ah,” I stumbled as his words sank in. He stepped back, pulled a small white box from his pocket, and went down on one knee in the snow.

“Will you marry me, Ivy Knight?” He opened the box, and a stunning princess cut, white gold ring sprinkled under the Christmas lights.

I stopped and took a moment. I listened to my heart. Yes, it was soon. I thought of my uncle, who had waited so long to find and accept love. Don’t wait too long to be happy, he’d recently whispered in my ear. Ty made me happy—incredibly happy.

“Yes,” the words got caught in my throat as my eyes prickled with unshed tears, “I’ll marry you.”

“Really?” His eyes lit up as he stood and plucked the ring from the box. He slipped it on my finger. “Geez, I had a whole backup plan,” he admitted with a grin. He took my face between his warm hands and kissed me several times quickly then pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me as he dove deeper into a long kiss that had me longing for something more.

We barely made it back to the hotel room where we tore at each other’s clothes. He hauled me into the shower and angled the spray toward me as he leaned me against the shower wall. He tilted my chin back and smiled warmly into my eyes as my body heated.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you happy, Ivy. But I need you to promise me something.”

“Sure.”

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