Page 67 of Stella's Christmas Rescue
I laugh. “No. Stella, you are the strongest, sexiest, most incredible woman I have ever met. You make me happier than I have ever been?—"
“You were stabbed today because of me.”
I nod. “What’s your point?”
“I couldn’t live with myself if something else was to happen to you. Maybe I should leave?—"
“The worst thing that could happen to me is if my heart were broken by you. And if you left, I would be crushed. Don’t do that, it’s a bad idea. Marry me instead.”
She grins and her lips part, but Wes cuts in, “You two, think about this. We still don’t know what the smuggling ring will do when they find out what happened here today. They could take this as a grave insult to them, or?—"
“Mr. Jennings,” Katie interrupts him to pour us coffee, “these two are eggs and bacon. Good on their own, but better together. Whatever else is coming, they’ll be fine, so long as they’re together.”
Stella looks at Katie. “What makes you say that?”
She smiles and says, “I’ve never seen Jordan so happy, and he’s the best guy I have ever met, which means you must also be wonderful.”
“Thank you, Katie,” she says.
I ask, “So how about it?”
“That’s how you ask?” Stella teases.
“Pardon me, Katie.” I brush her aside as I get out of the booth, then down on one knee. Which absolutely hurts like hell.
Stella sees it on my face. “Get up here, you crazy man, what are you doing?”
“Nope, no, no. I’m not getting up until this is done right.”
“Well, if you’re gonna do it right,” Katie pulls her high school class ring off and hands it over, “then you need one of these.”
“Much obliged, Katie.” I take it and ask, “Stella Collins, will you marry me?”
She reaches out for me to put the ring on, then says, “I can’t.”
“What?” My whole body locks up.
“Summers. My real last name, it’s Summers. If you’re gonna do it right, then I want it done right for real. Ask again, with my real name.”
I look to Wes. He smirks and nods. “She couldn’t use her real last name in Witness Protection. But it’s Summers.”
I ask again, “Stella Summers, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” She lets me put the ring on her, then pulls me up for a kiss. “I will marry you, Jordan Waters.”
When we get home, Max and Sugar are so excited to see us, they almost knock us both down on their way out the door for their bathroom trip. “I can’t blame them,” I tell Stella. “I’d ignore us, too, if I had to wait that long to pee.”
She giggles. “Yeah, we were gone for a while.”
“I’ll get them fed, while you shower.”
“Are you sure? I thought you might want to hit it first.”
I shake my head. “I plan to use whatever hot water there is, so I figured you’d like to get a chance for the shower first.”
She kisses me, then sighs. “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?”
“Possibly the longest day.”
