Page 48 of Rules of the Heart

Valerie leaned forward. Her brown eyes were warm and loving. Ella felt dizzy with the thought of what her body had been through, that Valerie had clearly saved her life and now Valerie wanted to be with her.

Properly be with her.

Valerie loved her.

“I love you, too.”

Valerie smiled warmly at her and leaned down and kissed her gently. Her lips were soft and full of hope and possibility for the future.

Ella smiled. It might have taken her nearly dying for Valerie to wake up, but she could take that if it meant they would live happily ever after.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes, Ella, I’m nervous,” Valerie snapped. She immediately took a breath and softened her tone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just… I’ve given people such a hard time about relationships in the workplace before. They’re probably not going to be impressed that I’m changing the rules for my own convenience.”

“It won’t just be convenient for you. A number of people will be able to be public about their relationships when they weren’t before, and it’ll open the doors for many more happy relationships in the future. Only doctors and nurses can really understand what it’s like to be a doctor or a nurse. It means that dating within the workplace is a good option for us.”

“Yeah, but they still may be unhappy.”

Ella raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you care about your rules making anyone unhappy? I seem to recall many shouting matches between the two of us about your rules, and you never backed down.”

Valerie grinned. “You’re right. I shouldn’t care so much.”

She took Ella’s hand and walked up the first few steps in the lobby, putting them slightly above the waiting crowd of doctors and nurses.

“Thank you everyone for coming. I just have one quick announcement to make. I’m reversing the rule about relationships in the workplace. From now on, you may date andlove whoever you wish, regardless of whether you work with them.”

Even though she had known it was coming and Valerie had assured Ella she would go through with it, Ella could still scarcely believe it had actually happened. Valerie had never reversed a rule in her life, and here she was, doing exactly that.

There was shocked silence as everyone stared at the two of them.

Valerie took a deep breath. “With that in mind, I have a second announcement to make. Ella and I are in love. We’re in love and… and I want to marry her.”

Ella’s jaw dropped as Valerie went to one knee, pulling a box out of her pocket. She opened it to reveal a sparkling gold and amethyst ring. “Ella, will you marry me?”

Ella’s knees were weak as she held out a trembling hand. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes,” she repeated in a louder voice. “Of course, yes!”

Valerie slid the ring onto Ella’s finger and Ella grabbed her by the scrubs, hauling her to her feet and kissing her so enthusiastically that she almost sent them both tumbling to the floor.

Valerie managed to throw a leg out to stabilize them, clutching Ella’s waist and kissing her back with equal fervor.

The silence around them was finally broken as the assembled crowd broke out into cheers. They were suddenly surrounded by friends and colleagues hugging them and offering their congratulations. Ella was laughing and kissing Valerie at every chance she could get.

She couldn’t believe it. Of course, she wanted to marry Valerie, but she had always figured it would be too much of a commitment for Valerie, what with her fear of getting hurt.

Ella stared at the ring on her finger, entranced. It was a symbol of Valerie’s utter commitment and devotion to her.

“Take the day off work, you two!” Dr. Roth encouraged them. “You both deserve it.”

“I just got back to work!” Ella said indignantly. “I didn’t struggle through six weeks of recovery to take off on my first day back.”

Valerie leaned close and whispered in Ella’s ear. “If you come home with me right now, I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll have you screaming so loudly as you come that people across the block will hear you.”

The words sent a shiver through Ella’s body. As much as she loved surgery, Valerie’s proposition was even more inviting.

“Fine, we’ll take the day off.”

There were chuckles around them, and Ella had a feeling that everyone had a pretty good idea what Valerie had whispered to her. She decided that it didn’t matter. They didn’t have to hide anymore, and it felt good.

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