“Aaron,” she said, her happiness spilling over.
He pulled her close, leaning down to kiss her, a hungry, passionate kiss as if he had been waiting years to do this.
Joyously she clung to him and kissed him. “I love you, Aaron. I missed you, but I want your love. I just want you to be able to share the good and the bad, the hurts, the happiness, everything in your life with me and me with you. That’s love, Aaron.”
He held her so tightly she could barely breathe. “You mean everything to me. I just couldn’t even recognize what I felt until I saw I was losing you. Thank goodness I haven’t.”
“No, you haven’t. You have my heart. I love you, Aaron. I’ve loved you almost from the very first.”
“Stella, wait.” He knelt on one knee and held her hand. “Stella Daniels, will you marry me?” he asked, pulling a box from his jacket pocket and holding it out to her.
“Aaron.” She laughed, feeling giddy and bubbly. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Aaron Nichols. For goodness’ sake, get up,” she said, taking the box from him. “What is this, Aaron?”
She opened the box and gasped. Aaron took out the ten-carat-diamond-and-emerald ring he had bought. He held her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. “Perfect,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Everything is perfect, Stella. I will tell you I love you so many times each day you’ll grow tired of hearing it.”
“Impossible,” she said, looking at the dazzling ring. “Oh, Aaron, I’m overwhelmed. This is the most beautiful ring. I can’t believe it’s mine.”
“It is definitely yours. Stella, I love you. Also, I’m going to love our baby so very much. This child is a gift and a blessing for me. The loss of my first child—I can’t tell you how badly that hurt and I never dreamed I’d marry and have another baby.”
“We’ll both be blessed by this child. I’m so glad. From the first moment, I thought this would be the biggest thrill in my life if I had your love when I found out we would have a baby.”
“You have my love,” he said, hugging her and then kissing her. After a few minutes, he leaned away. “C’mon. I think it’s time for an announcement.”
She laughed again. “Aaron, I’m used to staying in the background, being quiet and unnoticed. My life is undergoing every kind of transformation. I don’t even know myself anymore in so many ways.
“I’m announcing this engagement to keep the guys away from you. I’ve even had them ask me if I cared if they asked you out. Yes, I cared. I wanted to punch one of them.”
She laughed, shaking her head as he took her hand.
“C’mon. I’m making an announcement and then all those guys will stay away from my fiancée.”
When he said my fiancée, joy bubbled in her as she hurried beside him.
“Stella, let’s get married soon.”
“You need to meet my family. I should meet yours.”
“You will. I’ll take you to Paris soon to meet them. Either before or after the wedding, whichever you want.”
“You’re changing my life in every way.”