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“Done,” he said easily. “You could fly up to see them at any time, we can call them together, or you could go with me next time I’m taking leave. I’m an only child, so there are no siblings.”
“Do you like dogs or cats?”
“I’ve always loved animals – even the smelly sheep. There’s something so beautiful about looking into those big eyes.”
“We never talked about where you are from,” she said quietly. “You said to save it to talk about over coffee… and well, we are past that.”
“True,” he chuckled easily, still rubbing her back in light circles. “Plentywood, Montana, near the border of Canada. It’s a tiny little town, about sixteen hundred people, mostly farms, and in the middle of nowhere. I think if you sneezed, you’d pass it by. Believe it or not, Yonder is bigger… I think.”
“How long have your parents been married?”
“Fifty years this year… which reminds me that I need to have something nice shipped to them as a gift.”
“They’d probably want to see you.”
“Or meet you,” Jax said softly, smiling at her from where he sat beside her.
“You really want to do this?” she asked nervously.
“I love you,” he said simply, as if that made everything better suddenly. “I could wait and get down on one knee six months from now, or six years from now… but it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
“We don’t have to get married…”
“I’m hoping you ask about children again someday,” he whispered tenderly. “And I guess I’m old-fashioned, but I believe parents should be married.”
“I do too.”
“You mentioned this would be in name only…”
“Until you chose to accept me into your bed.”
“Jax, this is ridiculous,” she hesitated again. “I don’t even have a bed because my apartment is so darn small, and…”
“So find us a place to live,” he countered. “As my wife you have access to my VA loan and…”
“It’s not that simple,” she said weakly, realizing he would counter every single thing she protested with, giving her anything and everything she could ever imagine.
“Do you love me?” he asked quietly. “Could you see yourself laughing and smiling with me in two years, five years, or ten years from now?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me be the person that will make you smile.”
“I don’t believe in divorce,” she admitted. “It took a lot for me to ever take that step, and I don’t ever want to do it again. I had such guilt, feeling like I betrayed myself and my faith by doing it… but I couldn’t stay.”
“I would die knowing I hurt you enough to cause you to hate me or want to end this between us,” he said openly, not holding back. “If you are ever unhappy – I would want us to talk and figure it out.”
“I’m unhappy at the idea of getting married so fast.”
“Then don’t,” he said softly, smiling sadly at her. “I said I would wait for you, and I meant it. If you aren’t comfortable, then we’ll wait until you are ready.”
“You mean it, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You would let me walk away if I said I wasn’t ready.”
“I’m hoping by you saying‘walk away’that you don’t mean breaking my heart and dumping me…”
