Page 25 of Be-Leaf in Love

He has never once waffled in his determination that I am the woman for him.

I take a sip of coffee, then slowly stroll the three steps over to Jack. I set his mug down and place my hands on his chest. My chin tips up as I push my brain aside and speak from the heart.

No more hesitation. No more fear. I believe in our love, too.

“Jack.” My voice is faint, so he has to lean in to hear, his eyes locked with mine intently. “I love you. This is going to work.”

His grin takes my breath away. “Damn straight it’s going to work, baby. I love you so much. You and I are the best stock pick I’m ever going to put my money on.”

He kisses me with such force and passion that it’s dizzying. He squeezes me close in those thick, strong arms. “Luckiest man in the world. That’s me. It’s official.”

“Does that make me the luckiest flower girl?”

His finger tips up my chin. “As long as you’remyflower girl. Forever.”

18

JACK

* Six Months Later *

“You’re really not going to tell me where we’re going?” Violet shoots me a sideways glance as I drive us downtown.

“Of course not. Check out the definition of the wordsurpriseon your phone. See what it says.”

“Very funny.”

“It’s not funny. A surprise dinner situation is extremely serious. No funny business whatsoever allowed.”

She bursts into laughter.

Over the past six months, Violet and I have made a point to engage in lighthearted teasing as often as possible. She keeps me from spending too much time with stuffy paperwork. I keep her grounded when she falls into a day-long sketching zone and forgets to eat. She calls me a businessman. I call her a hippie. There are many traumatic moments where we pretend to be deeply offended, then make up over gourmet chocolates.

We pull up in front of Grapevine Walls, where we had our first date. “Oh good!” she exclaims. “I love the food here, and I’m really hungry.”

“Perfect.”

I escort her into the restaurant and straight through to the horseshoe-shaped leather booth at the back. There are customers near the very front of the restaurant, but we have the back section to ourselves.

Violet laughs when she notices the centerpiece as we sit down at the table – three Bird of Paradise flowers in a crystal vase. “It’s your alien freak bird!”

“Yes.”

After we order, I turn and take her hands in mine. “Baby, it was six months ago that my entire life changed. You strolled into my office, told me how to redecorate it, and you’ve been improving my life ever since.”

Her eyes glow. “You’ve been helping me as well,” she says. “Gaining confidence. My first corporate account. Teaching me”…her eyelashes flutter…“about things I didn’t even know I needed.”

I squeeze her hands, then stand up and come around to the side of the booth, right in front of her. Reaching into my jacket pockets, I pull out two identical, small black boxes, then drop to one knee.

“Violet, you are the love of my life. I want to spend every moment of every day trying to care for you, comfort you, laugh and learn and live with you. Will you please do me the supreme honor of…” I hold up the two boxes, nodding between them.

“Wh-what?”

“Pick one.”

She blinks sharply, her eyes flicking in a triangle between my eyes, then each box, then back again. Her right hand reaches out,hovering. Then she points to the one on the left. I drop the other one back in my pocket, then open the box she chose.

She gasps at the huge emerald ring.

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