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Sadie couldn’t take much more. Tears were threatening and her throat was so tight she could hardly breathe. She had no idea what he wanted now, but she wished he’d just get it over with so she could go home. She had more sulking to do.
“Hold the baby,” he said, and held her out so Sadie’s only choice was to take the tiny girl.
“Okay, I offered you double your salary and you said no.”
“I did,” she said, “so don’t throw more money at me.”
“What if I offered you something else instead?”
She sighed heavily and smoothed Emma’s wispy hair back from her forehead. “Like what?”
“A side job.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a blue velvet ring box and flipped it open.
She went perfectly still. Sadie was nearly blinded by the sun glancing off the enormous diamond nestled inside. Her heart actually stopped before it jumped into a wild gallop she had no hope of easing. She looked from the ring up to him and saw light and passion and love shining so brightly in his eyes it almost dimmed that diamond’s gleam.
“Marry me, Sadie,” he said, and the world seemed to suddenly fade away.
She couldn’t hear the traffic or the people around her; all she could hear was the man she loved saying the words she’d never thought to hear him say.
“I know I’m not a good bet,” he said. “And I admit, I was too scared to tell you how I felt because I didn’t want to make another mistake. But I do love you. I love you so much it’s making me crazy not being with you.”
Sadie took a deep breath and held it. Emma leaned her head on Sadie’s shoulder as if she was watching the show and cared about the outcome.
“I realized something last night, Sadie. The only mistake I was making was in not marrying you. You make me laugh. You make me think. You made it impossible for me to live without you. You made me love you.”
“Oh, Ethan...” Tears filled her eyes and she blinked frantically to clear her vision.
“I can say the words now,” Ethan told her. “I should have said it before. But if you say yes, I’ll tell you how much I love you every day until you’re sick of hearing it.”
“That would never happen,” she whispered.
His eyes speared into hers, and it was as if he was willing her to see inside him to the truth shining there. “Marry me and take your old job back, too.”
She laughed wildly.
“Seriously. Come back to work, too.” He grinned at her. “That way I can kiss my assistant anytime I want to. And you’ll save me from Rick. He’s terrible.”
Still laughing, Sadie shook her head and tossed her hair out of her eyes. She didn’t want to miss a moment of this.
“Marry me, Sadie,” he said. “I fired Teresa.”
Surprised, she held Emma a little tighter. “What? Why? She was perfect.”
“No she wasn’t,” he said. “She wasn’t you. I only needed a nanny because I was going to be alone with Emma. If we’re married we can take care of Emma and all of our other kids together. And Julie’s there to help, right?”
“Right...” Together. All of our other kids.
“If we’re married—”
“Stop,” she said, and stepped into his arms. She didn’t need to hear anything else. He’d already said everything that mattered. Everything she’d dreamed of hearing for so long.
When he held her, pulling her tight and close, Sadie’s heart started beating again. His warmth enfolded both her and Emma, and Sadie knew that this was the absolute best moment of her life.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, smoothing her hair back and out of her eyes.
“It’s a yes. To everything.” Sadie went up on her toes and kissed him. “Oh, Ethan, I want you and Emma and more kids, and my job.”
“Thank God.”
“It won’t be easy,” she teased, as he slid that diamond onto her ring finger.
“Who wants easy?” He scooped Emma up, then dropped one arm around Sadie’s shoulders, turning to walk toward the parking lot. “You know, when we tell our kids about how Daddy proposed, we’re going to have to come up with a more romantic story.”
