Priceless(72)

“Believe me, I’m not going over to Beth’s to lay a guilt trip on her.”

“Gee, bro, what are you going over there to do?” Ben inquired.

Destiny frowned at him. “That is none of your business, young man. I thought I raised you better than that.”

“Sometimes these wild urges to poke around in Mack’s personal life just overtake me,” Ben said unrepentantly. “I live vicariously through him.”

Destiny gave him a considering look. Mack could almost read her mind. If Ben was looking for vicarious thrills, then maybe, at long last, he was ready for another love affair of his own.

“You’ve stepped in it now,” Mack taunted him. “I predict Destiny will have fixed you up with a nurse before she’s out of surgery tomorrow.”

Ben shuddered dramatically. “I don’t think so,” he said. “After all, Mack, she’s not quite finished with you yet, is she?”



“You’re sure you want to do this?” Beth asked Destiny for the tenth time, still unable to believe that a miracle was so close at hand. She felt compelled to keep asking, even though Destiny was losing patience with her.

“Don’t you dare start in on me, too. I got enough of this from my nephews last night. It’s not as if there’s another option,” Destiny said, giving Beth’s hand a squeeze. She looked at her nephew. “I’ve known for months now that our lives were going to be forever intertwined. I think Mack finally understands the significance of that, too, don’t you, darling?”

Mack gave her one of his irrepressible grins. “Stop trying to propose for me, Destiny. I’ll handle that part myself, and I won’t be doing it with you lying here on a hospital bed listening to every word.”

Beth’s head snapped around to stare at him. “What is she talking about?”

“We’ll discuss it a little later,” he said. “Let’s get Tony well again, okay?”

“Some things are too important to wait,” Destiny scolded.

Mack gave her an impatient look, seemed to reach some conclusion, then reached in his pocket. “I suppose I might as well get on with this,” he told Beth, looking vaguely apologetic. “She’s not going into that operating room until she sees this on your finger.”

Beth stared at him, not comprehending the sudden turn the conversation had taken. Or maybe she was just a little terrified that she understood it too well and wasn’t ready to hear it.

“Mack, what’s going on?” she asked warily.

He looked into her eyes, holding her gaze until the room, Destiny, everything else seemed to fade into the background. It was as if they were completely alone.

“Finding out that we could lose Tony made me realize that life is far too short to waste a single minute on what-ifs,” Mack told her quietly. “We don’t know what’s going to happen next year, next month or even tomorrow.”

Beth’s heart began to pound erratically. Surely he wasn’t really going to do this, not here, not now. A part of her wanted him to get on with it so badly it terrified her. Another part was screaming that she wasn’t ready.

“I do know that I want you at my side whatever happens. I love you, Beth. And I always will,” Mack said, then waited.

“Well?” Destiny prodded, giving Beth an unsubtle poke. “He’s waiting, Beth. Answer the man.”

Beth’s mouth gaped, her gaze never leaving Mack’s face. “You’re asking me to marry you?”

Destiny chuckled. “Maybe I’m biased, but I, for one, thought he was pretty clear about that. Don’t make him ask twice. He could get cold feet.”

“Not a chance,” Mack said. “Not when it’s this important. I’ll ask as often as I have to.”

Beth studied Mack intently and saw the certainty in his eyes. Instantly her heart was filled with the same conviction. If he could take this leap of faith, then she certainly could. “Yes,” she whispered, choking back tears of joy. She shouldn’t feel this happy when so much about this day was filled with uncertainty. “Yes.”

“Put the ring on her finger, Mack,” Destiny coached.

He gave her an irritated look. “I think I can take it from here. I got her to say yes, didn’t I?”

“But time’s awasting,” Destiny retorted. “They’re about to wheel me out of here, and I want this deal closed before I leave.”

Mack took Beth’s hand in his, then slid the simple diamond on her finger. “Now it’s official, Doc.”

Beth stared at the ring, then met his gaze. “You never back out of a deal, do you?”