Last part.
For a minute Stevie didn’t speak.
Then making a decision she squared her shoulders and said, “okay, I accept on
behalf of my family, but you’re taking mine back.”
He shook his head, “no.”
“That’s the condition” she said.
“Either you take mine back or you take all of them back.”
Grant glared at her. She had him
over a barrel and they both knew it. If he wanted to help her, he’d have to do
it her way.
He released his breath on a harsh
sigh, “fine” he said.
“Good, now there is something else
you can do for me.”
“Anything” he said.
“Two weeks ago tomorrow you asked
me a question, will you please ask me again now.”
Grant frowned at her.
“Come on Grant” she said “it was
only four words, surely you can remember that.”
Grants eyes narrowed and he tilted
his head as he stared at her. Then as the smile she couldn’t hold back anymore
pushed up the corners of her mouth, an answering smile appeared on his face. He
reached out and pulled her into his arms. “Will I get a different answer?”
“There’s only one way to find out”
she teased with a grin.
“Will you marry me?” he asked his
expression solemn.
“Yes please” she said with a
delighted laugh.
Grant looked at her for a minute
and then grinning he lowered his head and kissed her.
After a minute he eased back and
looked down at her “not that I’m complaining but what made you change your
mind?”
“How could I refuse after what you
did for my family? That was an amazing gesture Grant. I still can’t believe you
were prepared to do it, even if it was all over for us.”
“Well I told you I’d find a way to
repay you for all those meals you cooked at my place” he joked and as she
acknowledged it with a smile he added, “I must admit I was waiting for you to
hit me” he said grinning.
“I thought about it” she said.
He laughed. “Do you really want me
to take yours back?”
“Definitely” she said with a
frown. “While I can accept the others if I have to, because they are not for
me, and they aren’t marrying you, I’m not starting out our marriage indebted to
you like that.” Then touching his face, her expression softening she said “but thank
you. Once again I forgot to say that after you had been very generous.” She was
referring to when she’d tried to repay him for fixing her car, back when they
first met.
He chuckled. “You’re welcome” he said.
“So how did you rope Rachel in to
this little deception?” she asked.
“I didn’t think you’d agree to
meet me if I asked. So I went to ask for her advice. When I explained what I’d
done and why and she volunteered to help.”
“Hmm I’ll be having words with
her” Stevie said but she was unable to feel too angry with her friend.
“She figured as much” Grant said
“she said it was worth it to see you smile again. Were you that miserable?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t feel
anything anymore. You?”
“You know how much I’ve lost” he
said, his expression bleak, “I didn’t think it was possible to hurt anymore. I
was wrong.”
“I’m sorry” she said.
“Me too” he said.
“I love you” she said her tone serious.”
Bending Grant kissed her.
Then as he lifted her head, her
expression changed to teasing and she asked “now are we going to take advantage
of this room or what?”
Grant grinned “well this isn’t the
sort of place that rents rooms by the hour so I did book it for the night” and picking
her up he tumbled them onto the wide bed.
Stevie laughed.
He lay over her and looking down
into her eyes he said “I missed you.”
She shivered. “Me too” she said
and pulling his head down, she felt him smile against her mouth. As they kissed
and touched and made up for lost time, she vowed to do everything in her power
to always make him happy. There would be no more loss in their future, not if
she had anything to do with it.
THE END
