“How many bedrooms and bathrooms does it have?”she asked as she walked across the wood flooring.From what she could tell, it was a split-level layout, with bedrooms on each side of the house.
“Three bedrooms, two full baths.”
That was a lot of house for one person.“Are you sure you need something this big?”
There was a pause before he responded.“It’s a good size for two people.”
She slanted a glance in his direction as her pulse kicked up a notch.“Is that your way of asking me to move in with you?”
“No.”He reached into his pocket and took out a small black box.Dropping to one knee, he looked up at her with eyes full of hope and promise.“I’m asking you to marry me first.”
Sloane’s breath caught in her throat.She honestly hadn’t seen this coming.Sure, things were going great.Really great.They spent nearly every free minute together.She could honestly say, without a shadow of a doubt, that she loved him with every fiber of her being.But for reasons unknown, Navarre proposing to her hadn’t been anywhere on her radar.
He opened the box, revealing a round sapphire held by four claws and set on a tapered platinum band with intricate engraving.“I love you, Sloane Welker.Each day I spend with you is better than the last.I want to build a life, a family, a future with you.But most of all, I want to make you smile every day for the rest of my life.Will you make me the happiest man on earth by saying yes?”
How could she possibly say no?He was her friend, her lover, her confidant, her partner.
Her heart.She could see it in his eyes.
It took a few moments for her to push past the tide of emotions and find her voice.“Oh my God, yes.Yes!Of course I’ll marry you.”
Navarre’s smile widened as he stood.He slid the ring on her finger, and then kissed her with so much heat and passion, it left her weak at the knees.“I love you, Sloane.”
“I love you, Jacob.”She held the ring up to the light.She’d always loved sapphires.“It’s perfect.How did you pick this out?”
He grinned.“I got a little help from Nina.”
That really shouldn’t surprise her.Now that she thought about it, Nina had asked her opinion about some rings on Pinterest a month or so ago.
“I’m guessing Jackson knew about this as well?”
“Yeah.He helped me work on my pitch.”
She laughed softly.
“So what do you think about the house?”he asked.“I’m not buying anything without your stamp of approval.”
“Well, I haven’t seen the rest of it yet, but this part looks pretty nice.”Not to mention, it was in a good neighborhood, close to work, with plenty of shopping and a public park within walking distance.“But I have one condition for whatever house we settle on.”
He arched an eyebrow.“Oh, what’s that?”
“I’m chipping in on the down payment.Now that my credit cards are paid off, I’ve been saving the money I make from Sierra.”She turned to face him, and the love she saw in the depths of his eyes made her wonder if he’d be open to ordering their food to go.“If we’re going to build a future, we might as well start with the house.”
“I’m fine with that.”He unlocked the sliding glass door at the far end of the great room.
They stepped out into the big backyard, and she envisioned the barbeques they’d have with family and friends.She’d already spotted a place in the living room where they could put a tree during the holidays.Unless the bedrooms were a complete nightmare, she was pretty sure they’d put in an offer.
Together.
Epilogue
Forajobofthis nature, Essie Jackson typically charged a fee in the low six figures.But Chloe Aleo’s hired goons had damn near killed her husband, so this one was on the house.
The dinner rush had already ended, leaving the front of the restaurant less than half full.From her spot at the bar, she watched Chloe, who was showing visible signs of impatience because her dinner date had yet to arrive.
Spoiler alert: He wasn’t coming.Essie’s associates had made sure of that.
“Can I get you another gin and tonic?”the bartender asked Essie.He was a young guy—mid-twenties at the most—with boyish features and shaggy brown hair in dire need of a cut.He hadn’t paid much attention to her, most likely because she’d worn the disguise that made her look like somebody’s frumpy aunt.
