Page 110 of Hart of Vengeance
I pressed my hands into the mattress on either side of her head. “Ditto, angel.”
“Best Christmas ever,” she said in a breathy tone.
“For sure.” I didn’t want to tell her the best was yet to come. “Let’s take a shower. Then we can make breakfast and lounge around.”
“I have something to do first. You shower. Then I’ll join you.”
I imagined that she had to wrap a gift since I hadn’t seen any for me when I tucked her box under the tree. Not that I needed a gift. I had the best gift God could give me—Jade in my arms.
Thirty minutes later after we’d both showered and dressed, we were in the kitchen.
Jade was getting ready to make bacon.
I poured coffee into a cup. “Let’s open presents before we eat.” I took her hand and pulled her over to the tree.
She lowered herself to the carpet and sat on her heels. “I would like you to open yours first.” She snagged the box that she must’ve put under the tree while I was in the shower and handed it to me.
I joined her on the floor, feeling like we were kids eager to tear into our presents. Then I unwrapped the box that I was guessing had a shirt or sweater in it. But when I finally took the cover off, I cocked my head to one side. “What’s this?” I lifted the manila folder out of the box.
“Open the folder,” she said.
The paper inside read, “Denim Hart, your murder charge has officially been dropped and your record expunged. Congratulations! Kelton Maxwell.”
I’d been waiting for this. Kelton had said it would take some time.
I kissed Jade. “Best Christmas ever.”
She smiled from ear to ear. “That was from Kelton. There’s something else inside from me.”
I pulled out tissue paper to find a square box that looked like it contained some type of jewelry, which I didn’t wear. Inside was…
I glanced up at her. “Where did you find this?”
She took the watch out of the box. “I found it in my bedroom a week before you broke up with me. I guess I kept it as something to remember you by.”
I had loved that watch. It wasn’t anything fancy—a designer knockoff with a silver face and band, but Grace had given me the watch for my birthday one year. She’d saved up her money Duke had given her on occasion. It was more sentimental than anything.
I put the watch on my wrist. “I love it. Grace will light up when she sees this.”
Jade tucked her hair behind her ear. “Merry Christmas.”
“I have everything I want now. Well, there is one thing I need.” I dragged the shoe box to her. My heart ramped up, ready to burst out of my chest.
She tore the wrapping paper off it like a kid in a candy store. Then her eyebrows knitted together when she started pulling out tissue paper after tissue paper until she got to a small velvet box. Her hands shook. “You didn’t, Denim Hart.”
I took the box from her. “Jade Kelly.”
She shook her head. “This can’t be happening.”
I scooted closer to her until we were knees to knees. “Please look at me.”
She lifted her watery green gaze.
I opened the box, not taking my eyes off her. “I’ve never been surer of us. I’ve never been happier. I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you. I want you to be my partner, lover, best friend, and mother of my baseball team of kids. But most of all, I want you to be my wife as we muddle through this world and spend every moment making memories. I love you, Jade Kelly. Will you marry me?”
She slapped a hand over her mouth as a sob escaped her. “You can’t afford that emerald.”
“Angel, that’s not the answer I was looking for. But I got a job. Dillon hired me. I’m now officially working on his security staff for the shelter, and his friend Hunt is going to get me into his brother’s security firm too.”
She blinked away tears. “That’s fantastic! But I thought you wanted to go into business?”
“I do, and I will still get my degree, but I have to work.” We didn’t have rent or a house payment thanks to Duke, but we were partners, and I needed to do my part. “Back to the important question.”
Jade took the half-carat emerald out of the box. “Yes, yes, yes.” She threw herself at me, peppering kisses on my jaw then lips. “I love you more than you know. My heart has been yours since we met. And I couldn’t have asked for a better man to spend my life with.”
Now I had everything I needed.
