"See what?"
"You're gonna say it."
"What?"
"Come on. Youknowwhat."
Damn it.He was right. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t stop myself, even if I wanted to. And Ididn'twant to, because he was exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed. And in my heart, I knew that I was perfect for him, just like he was perfect for me, in spite of all our differences.
When I said it, it came out in a breathless whisper. "Yes."
And then, right there on my kitchen floor, he slipped the ring onto my finger and said, "I'm gonna hold you to that." With that, he stood and pulled me into his arms. His lips found mine, and he kissed me like there was no tomorrow.
As his mouth claimed mine, I almost couldn’t believe this was happening. Either this was a dream come true, or I was being stupid beyond belief. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. All I knew was I was happy, and felt full and complete for the first time since he'd left.
And then, something was ringing.
The doorbell.
With obvious reluctance, Joel pulled away. He looked toward the front of the house and gave a low curse. "That was fast."
I didn't know what he meant, but I felt like cursing, too. I glanced at the kitchen clock. It was practically the middle of the night. I didn't care who was at the door. There was no way I'd be answering it.
Besides, there was only one person I wanted to see, and he was already here.
But then, Joel said something that made me pause. "It's your aunt and uncle."
I shook my head. "It can't be."
"Why not?"
"Because they just left."
"Yeah," he said. "And now they're back."
"How can you be sure?"
He smiled. "You'll see."