“Heather Clarke,” Brody began. “For two highly organized and by-the-book people we sure have done things half-assed backward.”
She laughed and shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”
“Together for a couple of years before calling what we were doing a relationship and then becoming a family and moving across the country. All without benefit of a formal declaration.”
“Oh my god,” she gasped. “What’s happening?”
“Hurry Daddy,” Bella blurted out. She was fidgeting with an abundance of excited energy.
Brody dropped to one knee and Heather was pretty sure that when he hit the floor, the heavens opened up and the angels started to sing. A movement from Bella made her glance at the child. She was holding up Brody’s phone like a social media pro snapping pictures to post.
He took her hand and gently kissed it. “Heather, my love, what can I say except you are my heart. In your arms I found a sanctuary that gave me what I needed to make it all the way back.’
She heard the serious message in his words and choked back a sob.
“I planned to ask you this question when we were in Boston but,” he drawled with a shrug, “shit happened.”
Dropping her hand, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a jeweler’s ring box. It felt like she was in a movie when he cracked the lid and a simple diamond solitaire twinkled in the Christmas sunlight.
“I love you. And if that’s not enough,” he choked out with heavy emotion, “I’ll love you more. And I’ll keep on loving you until there are no more days. Heather, I’m here on my knee with my mother’s engagement ring in my hand, laying my heart on the line. Will you marry me? Will you be Heather Jensen and live here with me and raise our family?”
She looked into his loving gaze and then glanced at Bella’s beaming face. Heather Jensen. She swallowed the heavy emotions clogging her throat.
“Yes. Yes, I will marry you, live here with you, and raise our family.”
Brody’s happy grin got bigger when he slid the beautiful ring onto her finger. Bella clapped with glee.
He kissed the ring and stood up, folded her into a hug and sealed the deal with a lovely, lovely kiss.
Feeling breathless, giddy and deliriously happy she was startled when he stepped back.
“Bella?”
Sliding off her chair, she handed off the phone and came to stand in front of Heather. “I’m so glad you’re going to marry my Daddy. He loves you very much,” she told her with six-year-old sincerity. “And I love you too, Heather.”
“Aw, sweetie,” she murmured as a big fat tear rolled down her cheek. “And I love you so much.”
Bella lit up and turned to look at Brody. He waved her on and nodded with encouragement.
Gesturing for her to stoop down, Heather got on her knees and faced the little girl. Then, Bella Mia Jensen, the ragged little girl who stole her heart all those months ago, reached into her pocket and took out a shiny ring.
“Now that you’re going to marry Daddy, will you be my mommy too? I picked out this ring if you say yes. The yellow stones are called citrine. Daddy says they’re my birthstone.”
She couldn’t take the chance of looking at Brody because she was fairly sure with one glance she’d be bawling like a baby. This moment was too important to Bella and she needed to hold it together.
“Bella,” she croaked. “I fell in love the second I saw you crouched on the floor in your Daddy’s shadow and even though we weren’t married, I felt like your mommy in my heart. I love you with my whole heart honey and yes. Yes Bella Mia. I would love to be your mom and take care of you forever.”
She held out her right hand and let Bella slide the plain thin band with the pretty yellow stones onto her pinky.
Wow. The old saying two stones, one bird certainly rang true in this situation.
Holding her sweet daughter for the first time, Heather let the tears flow freely as she poured her heart and soul into the silent promises she was making in her heart.
This was, by far, the perfect end to a perfect year.
Engaged.
A mom.
And even more incredibly, trying for a baby.
As Brody joined them in a group hug he kissed their heads and said, “My girls.”
Bella was so joyful she was almost having an out of body experience. “I can’t wait to get married!” she shrieked with delight. “Next year is going to be the bestest ever.”
Brody Jensen, former preppy professor turned long haired biker with a mad case of dog whispering gave an agreeing head nod. “She’s right. Team Jensen is in pole position for the ride of a lifetime, ladies.”
Heather smiled broadly. “What comes after unforgettable?” she asked.
“Well,” he answered. “We have a lifetime to figure it out.”
“Time to eat!” Bella announced as she raced into the kitchen.
Brody kissed her hand, the one wearing the ring he put there. “I think this is what you’d call the start of a happily ever after.”
“Guaranteed,” she replied.
THE END … FOR NOW.
Spring 2017
Everlasting
Acknowledgments
None of my stories had any chance of seeing the light of day without one person,
my daughter and the light of my life
Ella Fox
Thank you seems so inadequate
The HEA Dream Team
Cheryl, Fiona, Diane, Shelly, Kelly, Dee and Christina
Much love and many thanks to my tribal peeps!
Ashley Bauman
Designer
Thanks for hanging in there!
The frustration was worth the wait
About the Author
Suzanne Halliday writes what she knows and what she loves – sexy contemporary romance featuring strong men and spirited women. Her love of creating short stories for friends and family developed into a passion for writing romantic fiction with a sensual edge. She finds the world of digital, self-publishing to be the perfect platform for sharing her stories and also for what she enjoys most of all – reading. When she’s not on a deadline you’ll find her loading up on books to devour.
No longer wandering because the desert southwest finally claimed her, these days instead of digging out from a snowstorm you can still find Suzanne with 80’s hair band music playing in the background, kids running in and out, laptop on with way too many screens open, something awesome in the oven, and a mug of hot tea clutched in one hand.
@suzannehalliday
SuzanneHallidayAuthor
www.authorsuzannehalliday.com
Unforgettable (Family Justice Book 5) Page 52
