Page 56 of Justice for Aleta

“Could you come out here, please?” Jack was on pins and needles. God, he wanted it to go off just like he’d seen it in his mind, like he’d planned it for the last six weeks.

“Yeah. What?” Aleta appeared in the entrance to the hallway, but she stopped stock-still when she saw the new guests. “Whaaaa?”

“Hey, sweetheart! It’s great to see you!” her mother, KarenDavidson, gushed and ran to her daughter. In seconds, her dad’s arms were around them both, with her brother and his wife standing close by and their kids watching, eyes round, waiting to meet the aunt they didn’t really know.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Jack invited us!” her mother sang out. “We’re so glad to be here!”

“I’m glad too! Did you come to see the house?” Jack could tell she didn’t have a clue. “Isn’t it nice? We just got it finished. Want me to show you around?”

Jack reached for her arm and gripped it. “Actually, we’ve got some business to take care of. Stand right there in front of the fireplace.” He motioned to the spot, so Aleta stepped into it and stood there, her brow wrinkled in puzzlement. One glance told him Matt was standing in the background, phone in hand and ready to snap some pictures.

Jack turned to her father. “Mr.Davidson, I have something to ask you.”

“Yes, son?”

“I would very much like to have your blessing before I ask your daughter to marry me.” He heard Aleta gasp from behind him and had to fight a grin.

“I can see from my daughter’s face that she’s very happy here with you. Goodness knows she deserves some happiness after everything that’s happened in her life. We don’t really approve of the two of you living together, and we’d hoped she’d find another minister?”

Aleta’s mother interrupted him, her voice sounding as stern as the frown on her face looked. “Jeffrey, we discussed this on the way here. This is Aleta’s life.”

Mr.Davidson sighed and smiled. “Yes. We did. I’m sorry. Yes, Jack. You have my permission to ask my daughter to marry you, and also my blessing.”

Extending his hand, Jack waited as Jeffrey took it and shook it. “Thank you, sir.” Then he turned to Aleta. The tears rolling down her face shocked him, and he hoped that didn’t mean she’d be saying no. Taking her hands in his, he looked straight into her eyes. “Aleta, I was there. I saw the worst moment of your life. You’re not the only one who relives it?I do too. But we’ve come a long way since then. We’ve stared death in the face and told it to go screw itself. We’ve built a home together, a real home, not just a house with two people in it. You’re my family. You’re my love. Aleta, you’re my whole life. Will you marry me?” Reaching into his pocket, Jack pulled out a diamond ring that he’d paid six months’ salary for. It glittered in the sunlight from the front windows and reflected tiny little star-shaped bits of sparkle on the ceiling. When she didn’t answer, he asked, “Well? Whaddya say?”

She ducked her head, and Jack wondered what was going through her mind. Surely she wasn’t going to tell him no. But when she lifted her head and smiled, he knew everything was fine. “You’re right. You were there for the worst day of my life. I remember seeing you in the hospital and thinking you were an angel. And youwerean angel, Jack. You were sent to me. I’m as sure of it as I’m standing here. I told you from the beginning that I wanted to show everyone I could be independent, that I could make decisions on my own, that I could take care of myself.” She grinned. “Know what? I think I proved that. I saved the life of a Kentucky State Trooper. Not a lot of women can say that!” she said with a laugh, and everyone around the room laughed too. “I look at this home we’ve built together, and I see it as that?a home. It’s our shelter, our refuge, our love nest,” she said with a wink that made Jack smile, “and our base. Everything that’s good in our lives will come out of this home. So yes, JohnHenry Fletcher. AletaSimone Davidson Culp would be proud to be your wife.”

Amos let out a hoot and everybody clapped and laughed as Jack slipped that big honkin’ diamond ring on Aleta’s hand. She was his. He was hers. And they’d never be alone again.

* * *

Date night.Jack always looked forward to it. He made reservations somewhere and surprised her. They didn’t do it every week, but they didn’t go more than two weeks without having that date. It was something they both needed. With their schedules, it would’ve been easy to lose their connection, and neither were willing to let that happen.

The crab legs had been delicious at Marley’sHouse of Seafood, and Jack was stuffed. It was all-you-could-eat Wednesday night, and that was great because he sure loved those things. Aleta had gotten some fish something or other, and she said it was wonderful. They were waiting for their dessert when he heard her say, “Jack?”

“Yeah!”

“Are we all set?”

“Yeah. The minister’s planning to be there, I’ve got a suit, you’ve got your dress, Deidre’s going to do the flowers.” Her sister-in-law had volunteered to do the florals, and who were they to tell her no? “You ordered the cake, right?”

“Yep. It’s on its way.”

“Then I’d say everything’s in order,” he said and reached for her hand.

“I want to ask you something.”

“Okay, shoot.” When she frowned, he grinned. “Maybe that’s not very good terminology for us.”

“I think not.” He waited. It seemed to be taking her a very long time to get out whatever it was that she wanted to say. When he was about to ask, she quietly said, “I want to stop taking my birth control.”

Ah. He was going to make her ask, not just assume. She wanted it, she had to ask for it. “So you want to use condoms?”

“No.”

“Okay. Well, then, what kind of birth control did you have in mind?”I know I’m torturing her, but this is so much fun!

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