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I nodded.
“Caught and arrested,” I replied. “Thank goodness. Now, we just have to wait for him to be sentenced.”
“You should sue him for the damages and lost wages as well,” Jesse said, sitting down. “I know a great lawyer who could take the case for you. He’s done wonderfully on these cases before. It’s honestly just a matter of filing the lawsuit and waiting. If he’s in jail because the cops can prove that he was the one who put your life in danger with that fire, then there’s almost going to be a guaranteed win for you.”
“How would I pay for a lawyer, Jesse?” I laughed a little. “The shop is thriving, sure, but we’re still young and have a lot of bills, especially after the fire.”
“I can pay for the lawyer’s fees,” Jesse replied quietly.
I raised an eyebrow.
“How?” The question came out of my mouth before I could stop it.
Jesse paused a moment and then let out a deep sigh.
“Jade, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I haven’t been quite sure how to say it,” he started. “This isn’t just a ranch I worked on as a teen or where I grew up.” He cleared his throat. “My family owns the ranch.” He shifted a little in his seat.
It took me a second to process this. Then I started looking around at the actual mansion around us. Then, I nearly choked on my pizza.
In my mind, I had pictured – from what Jesse had told me in the past – that the owners were nice people who appreciated the good work Jesse had done for them through the years. Naively, I assumed they allowed him into their home to even fix food if he wanted.
“This … all of this … belongs toyourfamily?”
“Yes,” he nodded.
“Wow.”
“Jade, I—” He tried again. “Jade, over the time we’ve lived together already, I have become a different man. For the better. My father says I picked a line of work that left me feeling down and gloomy. Perhaps that’s true. But with you at my side, the world doesn’t seem so bad or so depressing.”
I couldn’t help a small blush that started on my cheeks as he said this.
“I can’t even begin to describe what I owe to you. Using my family’s wealth to pay for your hospital bills or to get you a lawyer… it’s the least I can do after how much kindness you’ve shown me. And, for that reason, I’d like to introduce you to my parents tonight when they get back from town.”
I felt my jaw go a little slack. My heart beat so fast, and I wasn’t sure, but it felt like I was floating.
“But I want to introduce you to them not as my girlfriend,” he continued as he pulled something out of his pocket. “Jade Santana, I’d like to introduce you to my parents as the soon-to-be JadeDelaney. Will you marry me?”
He opened the little box to show a ruby ring sparkling brilliantly in the light shining in from one of the large windows.
I let out a gasp. It was beautiful. A circle-cut ruby sat nestled in a band of rose gold, which complemented the ruby enough to almost let the band disappear. To either side of the ruby was a small, clear diamond. The ring must have been worth a fortune… but then again, he had just said he was wealthy.
I wondered how long he had been sitting on this, briefly, before nodding my head.
“I would be honored to become Mrs. Delaney,” I said.
Jesse slid the ring onto my finger. It fit like a glove, which was intriguing since I had never worn rings before. Didn’t even own one. How in the world had he gotten my ring size?
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said as he embraced me. “I don’t want to go back to living my life without you, Jade. Thank you.”
He gently kissed me. If I hadn’t known before, I was now even more certain that I was madly in love with this man. Not only was he so very handsome, but he was kind and compassionate, and he was my superhero. I never imagined I could be so in love.
With the success of the store and now this, life couldn’t get any better. I’d have to let Maria know and thank her. It was her idea that had brought us together.
I looked at Jesse.
“We should tell Maria,” I said. “She was the one who suggested we buy a store together. She should be the first to find out that we’re engaged.”
The word felt surreal on my tongue and I thought my face might break from how happy I felt.
“And my parents since I think I hear them driving up,” he said. “And you should let your parents know, too. I wouldn’t want them to hear it from social media.”
I nodded.
With that, the long list of calls soon began. But I couldn’t stop smiling.
The End.
