“But what?” she whispered, waiting for him to finally finish a sentence.
He dropped to his knee in front of her. “Heather, would you marry me?” He popped open a ring box, and a diamond sparkled in the soft glow of the lanterns.
And her world fell into place with his words. A life with Jesse and Blake. She couldn’t imagine anything better. Her heart pounded, swelling in her chest until it felt like it would explode.
Marrying Jesse.
Something she’d wanted for most of her life, even if she’d been unable to admit it to herself.
“Heather? Are you going to answer me?” His face was frozen in suspense.
“Yes, Jesse Brown. I’ll marry you. You’re my best friend. You’ve always been my best friend. I love you. And we’ll get to be a family.”
A wide grin spread across his face. “A family. Yes, we’ll be a family. The three of us.”
He slipped the ring on her finger and she stared down at it in awe. It was perfect. Simple. Understated, but beautiful. He knew her so well and she loved it.
He stood, tugged her to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her. “I think this is the happiest I’ve ever been.”
“Me, too, Jesse. Me, too.” And she pressed against him, secure in his arms with joy flooding through her.
“And let’s not wait. Let’s get married soon. Very soon.” His eyes flashed eagerly. “Okay?”
“I’m all for that. The sooner the better.” She didn’t want to miss one more day with Jesse. One more day with Blake. She paused, pursing her lips. “But it will be hard to find a place at the last minute. I’m sure the pavilion at The Cabot Hotel is booked by now. And most of the usual wedding venues.”
“Well, I have a great idea. If you’ll agree to it.” His eyes sparkled.
“What’s that?”
“How about getting married on The Destiny?”
“Oh, Jesse. That would be perfect. We can get married on a sunset cruise in the harbor. That sounds wonderful.”
“I’ll check the schedule and we’ll pick a date. You sure The Destiny is okay? I want you to have the wedding you want. A special one. The one you’ve always dreamed of.”
“The Destiny is perfect.Betterthan perfect.”
“And you can plan the wedding however you want. I’ll say yes toanything. Everything.”
“I bet that’s the last time you’ll ever promise that.” She laughed.
“You’re probably right.” He grinned as he pulled her close again.
“Hey, kid in the room.” Blake laughed as he came out on the deck.
Jesse pulled back from her but still held her hand, captured in his. She squeezed his hand, unsure how long they had been standing there kissing.
Jesse turned to Blake. “And you are just the kid we wanted to see.”
“Why’s that?” He lounged against the doorframe.
“Jesse and I have some news and I hope you’ll be happy about it.” She stood up and her heart sped in a rickety beat as she fought to find the right words. “Jesse and I—I mean we…” She looked at Jesse, imploring him to help her. The words were just not coming.
As usual, Jesse knew just what she needed. “What Heather is trying to say is that I asked her to marry me. And she said yes.”
Blake let out a whoop. “Really? That’s the best news ever.” He came over to her and wrapped her in an exuberant hug.
Which was exactly what she needed. She held him tightly for a moment before pulling away and searching his face. “So you’re okay with this?”
