After she had accepted her proposal and they made love on the grass, they went and told the family. Her sisters were excited,and once her father returned home from his travels, she knew he would share in their joy. James had stayed for dinner and then the two of them snuck away to her room for the evening, which is where she stood now with her skirts bunched up in her arms. Feeling, to be honest, a tad exposed, despite the vulnerable state she had been in out in the open air earlier.
“All right, James, but why on earth are you looking for a mole at all?”
“A moon-shaped mole, to be precise. On your bottom.”
“James,” she demanded. “Are you going to explain yourself or talk in riddles?”
He tapped his chin. “Shall I explain myself? Hmm…Or shall I keep a secret from you?”
Joan dropped her skirts, catching James’s head in the movement. He laughed and withdrew his head from between her legs.
Once she had his attention, she crossed her arms and stared at him. “No secrets, James.”
“Fine.”
“I told the Betting Buddies that the only way I would fall in love is if I met a girl who kissed my eye, likes the names December, and—”
“You did not!” Joan swatted his chest.
James chuckled as he placed his hands around her waist. Heat spread from his hands to her core.
“I did.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Despite his ridiculousness, her hands still found themselves entwining with the hairs at the back of his head.
“You want to know what’s really ridiculous?” he smiled up at her.
“What?”
“So far you have filled two out of three of those.”
“What happens if you don’t find a moon-shaped mole?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why bother looking?”
“To satisfy my curiosity.” He tapped her nose. “You can save me time and just tell me if I’ll find one.”
“I could…but I won’t.” She kissed his lips softly. “I need to know something. I do remember the conversations about names. December is so pretty sounding. But when did I kiss your eye?” Joan racked her brain trying to recall a moment where it might have been mistaken that she kissed his eye. She certainly didn’t recall doing any such thing in the gardens or on the grass. Try as she might, she couldn’t think of when she would have done that.
“In the boats,” he answered smugly.
“The boat?”
“Boats. Plural. I was in one and you were in the other. Just as I went down, crashing into the water, sacrificing myself for you I might add.”
“It was a great sacrifice. One I will always treasure.”
“And one I would make time and time again. You are mine to protect. Always and forever.”
“And that’s only one of the reasons I love you.” She squeezed him into an embrace.
“And your hugs are just one of the many reasons that I love you.” She felt his lips press against her temple and was reminded of how she knew he was the one for her. It was still a bit of a shock to think he loved her. That of all the women he could have chosen, he picked her. Him choosing her made her feel special. She was not just a third daughter looking to belong somewhere, but a woman, who stood out.
“Back to this so-called eye kiss?”
“Yes. Your lips made contact with my eye just before I crashed into the water. Which makes me realize that you made the first move.”
