Inside, a diamond engagement ring sparkled in the Southern California sunlight. Or was it the tears in Dianna’s eyes that gave the stone such a glow?
Dianna sensed, rather than saw, the people on the mall stop and surround them.
She knew what she wanted to say. But there were things he had to know. “I’m trying to adopt Julie,” she said, reaching down and drawing him to his feet.
She stood very close to him, so she had to look up into his eyes. One arm went around her, and with his other hand he took hers and pressed the box into it.
“No sweat,” he said. “I want kids. And I think the world of Julie.”
“And I’m trying to straighten out the mess of who owns or runs Englander Center.”
“Your call.”
“And then there’s the matter of the Center’s construction. Because it’s a valuable asset to the community, I’ve been looking into getting a government subsidy to reinforce it, and I’ll probably have to figure out how to break leases to empty the place while the work is being done. That’s assuming it can be fixed at all. The whole thing is a huge, ugly mess and will probably take a lot of my time.”
“If anyone can manage it, you can.”
She smiled ironically. “You mean, you’re not going to tell me what to do about it, issue me orders?”
“Sure I am. Dianna Englander, you are going to marry me. Soon. We’ll take care of Julie together, and we’ll have a kid or two of our own. What do you say to that?”
“Yes,” she said very simply, then pulled his head down into a kiss.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-3752-0
GUARDIAN OF HER HEART
Copyright © 2004 by Linda O. Johnston
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