Page 27 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

“The other night you told me you were going to take a step back from your business to focus on TJ and me. I wouldn’t be upset if you’d changed your mind.”

I squeezed Jack’s hand and shook my head. “I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to be there for you and TJ. Honestly, I don’t feel as though I’m giving up anything. You promised to help me find a CEO who could take the brunt of the work. I trust you to do that. Do you trust me to be TJ’s mother?”

Jack stopped in his tracks. A few of the others did too.

“Go on ahead. Summer and I will follow in a minute,” he waved his hand for our families to follow the guide.

Erik and Savannah passed us with a smiling TJ. Erik had our boy on his shoulders. He was babbling nonstop in Norwegian, pointing to different things that were of interest to him. Erik being an eager new uncle, dutifully took in each thing and shared his thoughts.

Jack waited until the others were out of hearing distance before he cupped my cheeks. “You are the only woman I trust to mother TJ. Savannah is sweet and will probably be a good mom to their children. Your mom, Irene, Autumn, all really wonderfulpeople that I’m glad are in TJ’s life. But you…you have already become his touchstone. He looks for you in a crowd of people. He calls out for Sum Sum more than anyone else. You’ve made yourself his person during a very hard time. And I don’t know how I could ever be more grateful or feel more love for you than I do today.”

Now was the time.

The wind blew the hood off my head, and I felt a little nudge on my shoulder, but no one besides Jack and me were there.

The ancestors.

“I want to get married,” I blurted.

Jack smiled wide and nodded. “Soon as we can, we will.” He looped his arm around my waist and brought me flat against his chest.

“No. I want to get married today. Now. On this mountain.”

“What?” His entire expression was one of confusion.

“When we get to the spot where we set Ellen and Troy’s souls free to spend eternity together, I want my mother to marry us. Right out in the open, under the lights, in nature, with only the family we’ve chosen present.”

His gaze traced my entire face. “You’re serious.”

“I am. It’s the only way we can be sure Ellen and Troy are with us. The three of us. I’d like to have their blessing.”

The kiss came out of nowhere.

Jack’s mouth crashed over mine so fast and so hard I almost lost my balance. But Jack was there to hold me up. His tongue tangled with mine in a dance as old as time.

The kiss went on and on until he ripped his mouth away, sucking in air.

He pressed his forehead to mine, both of us winded.

“You are the best fucking thing that has ever happened to me. You hear me, Summer? Before you, I was cold, alone, andempty inside. Every day I’m with you I feel…full. Full of life, of love, of hope.”

“Jack,” I croaked, putting my hand over his heart, comforted by the rapid beat against my palm.

“All the years I grew up with no family to call my own. Practically every year until I was put in the boys’ home, I had a new family to get used to. One that never stayed. Sure, I had the Johansens, and my best friends, but they weren’t mine. They didn’t belong with me. You…you’re mine. And I’m yours. And I know with my whole heart not a single soul could ever take that away from me. You prove time and again that you aren’t going anywhere.”

“I never want to be without you, Jack,” I stated with as much grit and confidence as I could muster.

“And you never will. I don’t care what I have to do, you and me are forever. So if you want to get married here, in my home country, with the people we care about most present…while we still have Ellen and Troy, I say we do it. I can’t imagine a more perfect union.”

“I love you, Jack.”

“Love is too small of a word to express how I feel about you, Summer.” Jack said and then kissed me softly. “Let’s get married!”

Jack tugged on my hand and together, we ran through the moonlit snow toward our future.

Episode 95

Winter Weddings & Funerals – Part 2

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