“All the misery you’ve been through. Honey, you weren’t the one whose proposal was rejected.” But his voice was light and teasing, and she knew he wasn’t angry anymore.
“Speaking of,” he said as he grabbed her hand once more and led her closer to the picnic blanket. He bent to dig through the basket, and when he turned around, he was on one knee, holding up the most gorgeous emerald ring she had ever seen.
“Not quite as bright as your eyes, but close,” he murmured. He held it up to her, his face growing serious again. “Lissa Winters, will you put me out of my misery and do me the honor of letting me be the man who spends the rest of his life making you the happiest woman alive?”
She swallowed the sob that tried to escape her throat and nodded as she held out her hand to him. “You already have.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger, and she dropped to her knees in front of him, unable to take her eyes off his face. This was real. It was almost hard to believe that thirty minutes ago she’d been in the pit of despair, and now she was happier than she could ever remember being.
Jesse took her face gently in his hands and rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. “I love you.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever said it back to you. I love you too, Jesse.”
He laughed and pressed a kiss to her nose. “You have. The last time I proposed to you.”
Her mouth fell open in surprise, but she didn’t have time to say anything to that because he lowered his head to hers and kissed her, softly and full of promise of all they had ahead of them.
EPILOGUE
“Here they come,” Lissa said in a hushed voice, dropping the curtain of Jack and Cassie’s front window and hurrying back to stand beside Jesse in the living room. She’d gathered a small group of their closest friends and family at the house to welcome home baby Carter.
“Mommy’s home!” Sarah squealed from where she was perched on Jesse’s hip. Jesse leaned down to place a quick kiss on Lissa’s head, but she turned her head up quickly to meet his lips. He smiled and rested his free hand on her slightly rounded stomach, just starting to show at five months.
As Lissa waited for the growing family to make their way inside, she thought back over how different things were for her now. Jesse was a different man, but still exactly the same man she’d always known and loved. Now they were able to give themselves to each other completely, without any reservations, and she couldn’t wait for what the future would bring. She smiled to herself at the secret she was almost ready to reveal.
Then Jack and Cassie had everyone’s attention as they made their way inside, accepting hugs and congratulations from everyone. Lissa helped them get settled in and offered to hold Carter so Cassie could get something to eat while he was still sound asleep.
“Oh, Cassie, he’s just precious,” Lissa said a little later as they all sat around the table. She didn’t want to hand him over, but she knew that she was being selfish keeping him all to herself. She leaned down to smell his head and sighed in contentment.
“You’re going to be an amazing mother,” Jesse whispered in her ear.
“No more so than you will be as a father,” she replied. He smiled at her easily, and she was reminded of what a different reaction he’d had to a similar statement only months ago. It was amazing how quickly things could change. And in a few more months, things would change for them again. She couldn’t wait.
“So it looks like little Jesse Junior will have a buddy to play with after all,” Jesse said to Jack. They had waited to find out what the baby was until it was born. Lissa was nowhere near that patient.
“Actually,” she said, biting back a grin and catching Cassie’s eye, “it looks more like he’s going to be betrothed before he ever has a say in the matter.”
Cassie laughed and clapped her hands, but Jesse just looked at her in astonishment.
“A girl?” A slow smile spread across his face, and Lissa knew he was already in love. She could just see him holding a precious little girl, spoiling her and treating her like the daddy’s girl she would be.
“Actually,” Lissa said, “the bigger question is how in the world will we decide which of the two should be his betrothed.”
She waited. It took a minute for it to sink in, but when Jesse cleared his throat and hoarsely whispered, “Two?” she simply nodded.
“Got more than you bargained for, Kincade?”
He smiled, though he still looked a little shell-shocked. “With you? Always.” He kissed her squarely on the mouth, then pulled back slightly so they were still only a breath apart. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
THE END
If you enjoyed Meant for Love, check out Christine’s other books:
Return to Love
Sunset Kisses
Rescue Me
The third book in the Willow Valley series will be available soon!
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About the Author
Christine Kingsley is a small-town southern girl who loves writing contemporary romance books from the heart. Fall in love over and over again with each new book.
Christine can be found online at www.christinekingsley.com and on Facebook.
Meant for Love Page 16
