by Jeannie Moon
Nick held her close and then, to her surprise, eased her off his lap. “Hang on a second. I have to get something from the car.”
Leaving her, he headed around the house, and that gave Jordan a few minutes to think about what had just happened. He’d trusted her. And for all the times he’d told her he loved her, opening his heart and laying himself out brought them closer than ever before. Jordan was relieved, because she didn’t know how she would go on without him. Now, she didn’t have to find out. Looking out at the water, Jordan noticed the wind had quieted and the water stilled—much like her heart. It was quiet, steady, calm.
Nick returned and handed her a gift bag.
“What did you do?” Jordan’s eyes filled, while at the same time she smiled.
“Not what you think. Open it.”
Jordan pulled a square black box from the gold gift bag. When she opened it, sitting on a field of red satin, was a Jennings compass. Her heart literally skipped a beat.
“Oh, my God. Oh, Nick…”
“Ed made it. It’s a replica of Lucy’s compass. I’m telling you, the man is an artist.”
“It’s perfect.” Jordan turned it over in her hands, feeling the brass warm at her touch. Flipping open the protective cover, she saw the tiny sundial folded against the crystal protecting the face. Tilting it up, she watched the needle. She had no idea if this compass was magic, but she felt like it could be, and her proof was that the needle, steady and sure, pointed north.
When she turned it over, she saw the engraving, and the message made her unshed tears track down her cheeks. Pressing her fingers to her lips, the message said all she needed to know.
Jordan, You are my true north. Always, Nick
True north.
“I want to marry you,” he said. “And I don’t want to do it because of a promise to your dad, or because people expect it. I want to do it for us. Selfishly, for me.” His hand, warm and strong, cupped her cheek. “The other day you asked me what I needed. I need you, Jordan. I need you to be whole again.”
As much as it sounded like a cliché, Jordan’s heart grew, and it was time for her to give Nick the gift she had for him.
“Can you hold onto that thought?” Pushing herself up, Jordan handed him the compass and headed toward the back door, Gertie following on her heels.
“Wait. What is it?”
“You’ll see,” she said, dropping a soft kiss on his lips. “I have something for you, too.”
Nick didn’t know if he should hang on to just being confused, or if he should move to worry. Jordan didn’t tell him to get lost, so that was a plus, but what could she possibly have to show him after he’d just proposed to her?
Whatever she went to retrieve, it didn’t take her long.
In one smooth move, she sat next to him and held out a small folded towel.
“It’s… it’s a towel.”
“There’s something in there.” She gave his hand a little push.
Nick carefully opened the towel and his heart leaped. In all his life, no one had given him a more valuable gift. Never had he felt so humbled. In his palm was a narrow, plastic stick. A pregnancy test. And the word in the window was clear: pregnant.
“Jesus.” His breath caught as he thought about how everything had just turned upside down in a split second. They were going to be parents. A family. “You’re having a baby? When did you find out?”
“Today. Just today. I wasn’t feeling well, and the timing…” He took her hands. “Whatever happened, I wasn’t going to keep this from you, but now…” Jordan sniffled, her eyes smiling through the tears. “Now all I can think about is being a family. I love you, Nick. And I want to marry you. I want us to share everything.”
They reached for each other at the same time. Jordan’s arms slid around his neck as he pulled her close, holding her body firmly against his. She fit. She was perfect for him, and never would he have expected when he woke up this morning that everything was going to change for them.
The nice thing about what was happening… it wasn’t over. It wasn’t going to end.
“I guess I should tell you about the house,” he commented.
“Excuse me?” Jordan pulled back and gazed into his eyes. “What house?”
He couldn’t peg the expression that slid across her face—shock, horror—but there was no turning back. “I was going to put in a bid on a house,” he told her. “Two doors down from here. It’s big. Five bedrooms.”
Her eyes widened. “That is a big house. Lots of bedrooms.”
“Yeah,” he murmured into her ear. “Wanna fill them up?”
She giggled and nuzzled his neck. Nick felt her soft hair against his skin and his body knew it was home. She was his home.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Jordan responded. “Really excellent.”
Nick knew there was one thing left to do.
Taking his phone out of his pocket, he slid his fingers over the screen and smiled at the woman who had given him his life back.
“Who are you calling?”
Nick held up his finger, putting her question on hold. “Hey, Liam, it’s Nick. About Jordan’s ring…” He watched her smile bloom. “We need it back.”
The End
The Compass Cove series
Book 1: Then Came You
Buy now!
Book 2: You Send Me
View the series here
Book 3: Waiting for You
Coming soon
Book 4: Coming soon
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About the Author
Jeannie Moon has always been a romantic. When she’s not spinning tales of her own, Jeannie works as a school librarian, thankful she has a job that allows her to immerse herself in books and call it work. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jeannie has three kids, three lovable dogs and a mischievous cat and lives in her hometown on Long Island, NY. If she’s more than ten miles away from salt water for any longer than a week, she gets twitchy. Visit Jeannie’s website at www.jeanniemoon.com
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