Page 45 of Passion

I had no plan. I had no pomp or hype. All I had was a simple ring and my love, and even though I never did things in a small way, I knew it was all that was needed.

“Excuse me, ladies. I have to get something.” I got out of my seat and walked to my office, taking the small, black velvet box out of the top drawer. The ring would look perfect on Vera’s finger.

I returned to the room confident as I had ever been. I strolled right up to Vera and dropped to one knee. She looked at me like I was crazy, then got a gleam in her eye. Lorna gasped, and I bent to tie my shoe.

“Oh, God, Luke.” Vera laughed and swatted me, and I grinned and looked up at her.

“What?”

“I thought you were going to propose. You need to stop doing that.” Her eye roll got me. I chuckled and produced the ring.

“I am.” Vera was looking at Lorna when I held the ring out, but she turned to me and the laughing stopped immediately. “Ms. Davids, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know you for the past nearly fourteen weeks. That doesn’t seem like very long, but it’s long enough to know what I want. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Make babies with me. Go on adventures. Build a family and a life together.”

Vera’s eyes twinkled as she nodded. “As long as you stop with the cheesy jokes and… aw, heck, you’ll have the best dad jokes ever.”

She threw her arms around me. I stood, lifting her off her feet as I went, and I spun her around in a circle. Lorna clapped and laughed, and my heart was full. It had been a whirlwind of a summer, but it had changed my life. I couldn’t be happier. My life felt strangely like it was complete, but also like it had just started.

“I can’t wait to make you my wife.”

Vera squeezed me harder. “I can’t wait to make you a father.”

I laughed again. They say good things always come in pairs. This woman and the baby she carried are the best things. I’d take that to the bank.

35

EPILOGUE

VERA

One year later…

“That was such a beautiful ceremony,” Midge said as she hugged me. The room was a little loud with the music playing, but I couldn’t complain. The day had gone off without a hitch.

“You can thank Tina.” I nodded at Lucas’s personal assistant who sat next to Mom holding Victor. At almost four months old, he looked more like a little person than a baby. Lucas selected a baby tuxedo for the event, and Mom had made sure to be meticulous about bib usage so he didn’t spit up on the black satin lapels.

“Speak nothing of it, Vera. You and Lucas are like family.” Tina grinned and bounced the baby.

Midge hooked her arm through mine and took a few steps away from the table of chatty women. “So your career actually took off, huh? I heard you got a huge slot in Motherhood Maternity’s ad.” She had expressed her jealousy after I scored the shoot. Motherhood Maternity was the largest producer of maternity clothing for women, and I had gotten multiple contracts with them for every clothing line.

“Yeah, well I’m just gladVogueasked me back even after having received the contract with Motherhood. It seems even if my body has some flaws from pregnancy, they still want me.”

“Of course they still want you,” Lucas said, coming up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my belly and scratched his stubble across my neck as he kissed me. “How is my beautiful wife?”

I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him as a chorus of tinkling sounds echoed around the room. Our guests tapping forks on their glasses indicated a traditional kiss from the bride and groom was demanded. I had no problems kissing my sexy husband in front of all these people. Midge snickered and covered her mouth.

“Well, I can see you two have no shame,” she commented.

“None at all,” I told her, looking over my shoulder. Lucas let me go but lingered by my side.

“So, you leave tonight?”

We were headed to Honolulu for our honeymoon and a visit to some old friends back home for a reception there. Lucas had never been to Honolulu, only the big island, so it would be a treat for us both. “Yeah, Mom is going too. She’ll watch Victor so I don’t have to be without him for very long.”

“That’s nice. You wouldn’t want to end up getting pregnant again.” Midge’s offhand comment made Lucas swarm me again. His grabby hands had me by the hips this time as he kissed my bare shoulder.

“Nonsense. That contract with Motherhood is good for five years. That means we still have four years to make as many babies as we can, and I’m thinking it might be nice to have eight or ten.” His teeth bit down on my skin, and I yelped.

“Yes, I second that!” Mom walked up to us holding Victor. “I want a dozen grandbabies all as perfect as this little angel.”

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