Page 47 of More Than Meets the Eye

“So, I knew they needed to be here and be part of this moment. Tess, I love you with everything I am and everything I will ever be. Will you please marry me and make me the luckiest man who ever lived?”

She reached out with both hands and pulled me up. “Jack, I never thought I could find love. I certainly never dreamed of finding it with the best man I’ve ever known. You’re so smart and kind and funny, even when you’re singing sea shanties at three in the morning. My heart never dared to hope before you walked in my door that day. Yes, I will marry you. Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes!”

I kissed her, and everybody cheered.

“You forgot to give her the ring, boy!” Mrs. Frost shouted.

“Oh, no!”

Tess looked dazed. “All this and a ring, too?”

Hastily, I opened the box, took out the ring, and tossed the box to Mike. Then, with hands I was surprised to find were shaking, I slid the ring on her hand.

“Oh, Jack,” she whispered. “It’s the most beautiful ring in the world.”

“AND I GET TO BE A BRIDESMAID!” Shelley shouted.

Tess and I laughed, and then the Fox brothers turned the disco ball back on, and all of Dead End danced and danced and danced, accepting congratulations and best wishes from everyone.

And then we invited the entire town to our place for a barbecue.

“We’re going to need more steaks,” I whispered to Tess.

Myfiancée.

“People will bring stuff. Don’t worry. It will all work out.” She said, and then she kissed me again.

And she was right.

It all did.

Epilogue

Tess

It was almost midnight before everybody went home, and I was worn out but completely, entirely, incandescently happy.

Jack sat down next to me on the porch swing and pulled me into his arms. “Do you remember when you sat out here breaking up with that Snodgrass guy back when I first knew you?”

I smiled at him. “Owen is doing very well. He’s married and has a baby on the way.”

“Is this real life?” Jack tensed. “I can’t help but worry that maybe I’m not meant to be this happy. That life istooperfect.”

I laughed and then kissed him. “We’rebothmeant to be this happy. But I can fuss at you once in a while about leaving enormous stacks of mail lying around, if it will make you feel better.”

“Maybe later,” he suggested, standing and sweeping me up into his arms. “I’d like to make love to my fiancée now.”

“What a wonderful idea.”

Idecided the next morning to take a rare day off work on a weekday. Tuesday seemed like a good day to lie around being lazy and answering a billion phone calls about the engagement.

I talked to Molly for nearly an hour, and then she had me put Jack on the phone, so she could threaten his life if he ever hurt me. We promised to fly out to one of her concerts within the next month, and she promised to come home and help me with all things wedding.

It was an idyllic day, after an idyllic night, but we knew Wednesday would be back to real life.

NACOS was still an issue.

General Barstow was still out there.

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