Page 68 of Stella's Christmas Rescue
She giggles again. “Yeah. Alright, I’ll let you handle their feeding. Unless you’d like to share a shower…”
“As much fun as that could be, I’m afraid today has sucked the life out of me, so-“
“That’s my job,” she pouts with a gleam in her eye.
“Tomorrow it will be your job,” I wink. “But for tonight, I require a hot shower.”
“Alright then.” She bounces up the stairs, and I watch her ass all the way up, before I let the dogs in.
After they’re fed and I’m showered, Stella and I snuggle up on the couch. The dogs are snoring near the tree skirt, content in each other’s companionship, like us. The Christmas lights twinkle and shine, though none near as bright as her. I kiss the top of her head and ask, “So, now that there’s no one else around and things are nowhere near as crazy, are you sure this is what you want?”
“Christmas?”
“This. Us. Me and you. And Max and Sugar. Did you mean what you said about us being in all of this together and getting married? Or were you caught up in the moment?”
She pops up from my chest to look me in the eye. “More than anything else in the world, you are what I want. Jordan, this might sound weird or something, but I’ve dated my fair share, and this is the first time I’m in a relationship with someone who makes me feel cared for. Someone who makes me feel like I’m on his list of priorities, and I’m not just something to help kill time. Or help kill people, for that matter.”
I chuckle at her apropos joke. “But, wait, what do you mean, you didn’t feel like a priority? If a guy has a girlfriend, she should be a priority.”
“You’ve obviously never dated a guy,” she smirks.
I laugh and almost wake the dogs. “No, I never have.”
“With other guys, I’ve never felt like a partner. I’ve only ever felt like their insignificant other. Then I met you. A man, a real, honest-to-goodness, man. A man who does things with his whole heart. A man who makes me feel valuable to him, adored and protected, and I know that sounds anti-feminist or whatever, but it is uplifting to feel cherished by your partner. I love the way you make me feel, like I’m essential to you-“
“You are the most important person to me.”
She smiles. “I know. And you make me feel it every time you look at me. Jordan, I never thought I’d find a guy who makes me feel like you do. I didn’t think that was a thing people get to have, not in real life. I thought it was something you see in movies or read about in books-“
“You’re breaking my heart, Stella.”
“What? Why? What do you mean?”
I touch her cheek and the sight of her busted lip reminds me to be gentle when I kiss her. “You should have never had to feel insignificant to anyone. You should have always been cherished and treated right. I am so sorry you had to go so long without that.”
She smiles again. “I’m only telling you all of this so you understand that when I said yes, it’s because I know now what I want out of life. I want you. And I won’t settle for less than you ever again.”
“And you’ll never have to.”
She kisses me, then asks, “Any idea about a date?”
“You mean for the wedding?”
“Yeah.”
“Whenever sounds good to you.”
She holds her breath for a minute, then asks, “So, if I said let’s fly to Vegas tomorrow and get married, you’d say…?”
“Who’s gonna watch the dogs?”
She giggles. God, I love that sound. “I love you so much, Jordan.”
“I love you, too. Wait, was that a test?”
“I was just wondering if you had a thought on the matter, that’s all. I’d really like to not have a busted lip for my wedding photos, so not tomorrow.”
“Makes sense.”
