“Wow,” she said, looking at it. “This is a knockout. I—”
“I have to go,” he said as he hurried to the door. “I’ll see you later and we’ll finish this.”
She was beside him instantly. “I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not. You’re barefoot and half-drunk.”
In reply, Kate held out her hands, left one flat, right one holding the ring.
With a smile, Jack slipped the ring on her finger. Of course it fit perfectly. He opened the door. “Try to keep up.”
“That won’t be easy now that I’m hauling around three great big shiny rocks.”
With a smile that showed he was pleased that she liked the ring, Jack took off down the path. Kate followed him, her skirt hiked up around her hips, her legs bare. She gave a few quiet “ouches” but she kept running. Florida sawgrass isn’t for sissies.
Jack silently went in the back door, then up the old stairs Kate had used as a child. When they got to the nursery, the door was locked, just as they had left it. He had a key and opened it. He flipped on the light switch and all looked normal and tidy. Kate limped into the room.
“We missed them.” Jack’s tone showed his annoyance. They’d taken too long to get there. “I guess they were just looking at things.”
“Ha!” Kate sat down on the window seat. “This place has been searched. Everything is out of order from where I put it.”
Jack sat down beside her. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely. Dora cleaned, then I put it all back. See those pillows? I didn’t leave them like that. And look at the books. They’re out of order. And—” She stopped talking because Jack was looking at her in a way he’d never done before. It was like something out of a movie, with desire in his eyes. His eyes were hot and dark and full of fire.
They were alone in the big room.
She could feel her mind and body saying,Yes,yes,yes.
Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Years of pent-up desire, plus a long celibacy, guided them. Clothes came off in seconds, and they fell back against the newly upholstered seat.
At long last they made love. It was short and quick. They had too much passion to postpone anything.
The second time lasted a lot longer, leaving them both satiated—at least for the moment.
At 2:00 a.m., they slipped downstairs and raided the big refrigerator, carrying food and drink back up the stairs. They spread it out on the Lachlan boys’ rug that showed the flora and fauna of Florida.
The only light was from a small lamp of a merry-go-round and Kate kept holding up her hand to watch her ring sparkle.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he said.
She knew exactly what question he meant. “You didn’t finish asking me.”
“Kate, my beautiful, the best friend I ever had, will you marry me?”
Her eyes glistened. “Friend? Better than Gil?”
He leaned forward. “Better than everyone.”
“Oh my! Yes, I’ll marry you.”
When he leaned forward to kiss her, ever-practical Kate said, “Will you move into my apartment?”
He knew she meant the one in Sara’s house. “No. I thought about...” He waved his hand to indicate the room they were in.
“Here?Thishouse?”
