Page 146 of A Better Place

“James, I’m good. I promise.”

“You did good, son. Texting me right away. You saved her. You know that, right?”

Jack swallows hard and flits his eyes over to me before looking at James again. I can’t control the constant stream of tears making a trail down my cheeks at the moment, so I don’t even try to wipe them away. “What you said…”

“Meant every single word, bud. I’d make it official if I could.”

“But… we only just met you,” he says, a look of astonishment on his face, and if I’m not mistaken, a few tears in his eyes.

“Like I told your mom when she participated in Margarita Madness. Doesn’t matter the length of time I’ve known y’all. In my heart, I know what’s true. You’re mine. I guess that is, if you’ll have me. And Lil. We’re kind of a package deal.”

Ovaries = exploding.

Heart = melting.

Body = tingling.

I’m a mess. I’m a weepy, blubbering, idiotic mess considering we just saw Vince again for the first time in years, watched him kick the crap out of James, then reveled in him being arrested and hauled off in a police cruiser.

“I love you, Carly. You know one day I’m putting a ring on this finger, right? Someday pretty soon?”

“And what if I don’t say yes to that?” I ask, knowing damn good and well that if he even began to ask me to marry him, I’d say yes before he could finish his question.

“Oh, you’ll say yes,” he says, reaching over and bringing us close together. His arms slide around my waist, and mine go to his chest. I reach up and graze my fingertips over his cheekbones, careful to be gentle with him. His left eye is already swollen, he has a cut on his cheek under his right eye, and there’s blood on his lip. He looks like a complete wreck. A complete wreck who stood up for Jack and me.

“You seem pretty confident.” I raise my eyebrows, but I can almost feel my eyes twinkle and know he’s seeing through me.

“No one says no to Captain James,” he says, smiling wide.

“You’re such an ass,” I tease.

“You love my ass.”

“Damn straight. And what a fine ass it is,” I tell him as I reach around and squeeze his rock-hard ass cheeks. Did he just flex his butt?

“Dude! Mom!”

James and I both bust out laughing — James wincing in pain at what I’m sure are a couple of bruised ribs — as Jack looks on in horror. Tate and Will grab hold of my son, wrestling around and teasing him about having a hot mom while James stares down at me, with his swollen left eye and right cheek puffy and red.

“Will you?”

“Will I what?” I ask.

He drops down to one knee, and my eyes bug out so big they about pop out of my head. My heart begins to beat so loudly I’m certain it can be heard across town, and suddenly, everything is quiet. Jack, Will and Tate are no longer wrestling, though Tate’s head is still in a headlock that Jack had just pulled him into.

“Whoa,” Jack says quietly. “Now? You’re doing it now? I thought you had this whole big thing planned?”

“You knew!?” I ask him.

“Yeah, of course I knew! He asked me if it was okay! I didn’t realize he was just going to do it now though! No game, man. No game,” he says shaking his head teasingly.

“Any chance I can speak sometime soon?” James asks from the floor.

“You asked Jack?” my voice barely a whisper.

Tears are already streaming down my face as I look at this man who had stood in front of me, accepting every hit he could in order to ensure the safety of my son and me. This man, who announced to my ex-husband that I was his forever. That Jack was his forever. In an instant, I’m on the ground on my knees in front of him. My hands go to his cheeks, and I press my lips against his. Our mouths open slightly, but I’m very aware of our audience. Our kiss is short and soft, but it means so much more.

“Carly,” James mumbles, resting his forehead against mine.

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