I turned toward him to tell him I was fine, but my vision blurred and I started to fall. I felt Ronan’s arms surround me as everything faded to black.
* * *
When I woke,bright white lights assaulted my eyes, causing me to groan.
“Jacquelyn?”
“Mom?”
“Gigi?”
Gigi. Gabby. My eyes flew open and I tried to sit up. “Calm down, love. You’re in the hospital. You’re okay, but you can’t get up right now.”
“Gabby?” I asked in confusion. Had I imagined her voice? Was that even possible?
“Gigi! I love you, Gigi!”
My eyes finally found her, clinging to Jacob as he cradled her against his chest. “I love you, too, sweet girl. Bring her over here, please.”
Jacob looked to Ronan for permission. “I’m fine. Bring my grandbaby over here. She’s upset and I won’t have it.”
“Well,” Jacob mumbled. “It seems Gigi is just fine.”
He carried Gabby over and carefully placed her on the bed beside me. She started to reach for me but stopped herself. “It’s okay, sweetie. Come up here and snuggle with Gigi,” I told her and patted the bed where I wanted her to go.
With Gabby nestled into my side, I addressed the rest of the room. “What happened?”
Ronan stepped forward and hung his head. “I failed you.”
“Cut that shit out, man,” Jacob snapped. “You saved my mother’s life, not to mention all the money she raised for charity.”
“Why am I in the hospital?” I asked, even though it was more of a demand.
“When you went all Ninja Claus on Carl, Ben was able to get a shot off before Ronan took him down. The bullet grazed your neck and you passed out. However, when you arrived at the hospital, they discovered your blood sugar was extremely low. So, with the shock of the robbery and not eating properly, you keeled right over,” Jacob explained.
“Are you okay?” I asked Ronan. “You weren’t hurt?”
He shook his head but wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Could we have a moment, please?”
“Of course,” Keegan said knowingly and ushered Jacob and Gabby from the room. There was once a horrific time where she was the one in the hospital bed looking at her man filled with guilt.
Once they were gone, I focused on Ronan, who was still staring at his feet. “Ronan, come sit with me,” I said softly and patted the bed. Reluctantly, he did as I asked. “I love you, with all my heart. When I saw those guns, I knew you would come running to save me. And all I could think was, please don’t let him get hurt. So, I did what I did because I wanted to save you. Was it foolish? Probably. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. You’re my other half; you have been for a long time. I can’t and won’t lose you. I’m sorry if my actions made you question your abilities. I’ve never doubted you and I never will. I want you by my side forever and always.”
He slowly raised his head and met my eyes. One side of his mouth curved up in a grin while his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Did you just propose to me?”
I playfully swatted his chest. “I most certainly did not.”
“Good,” he nodded. “Because that would have completely ruined this.” He stood and pulled a black box from the pocket of the Santa pants he was still wearing. Flipping the lid open, he knelt beside my hospital bed. “Jacquelyn Marks, I’ve been in love with you for years. You’re the air that I breathe, the sun that lights my world. You’re everything to me. Would you do me the honor of being my wife and spending the rest of your life with me?”
I smiled and wiped the tears from my face. “Yes!”
He slipped the ring on my finger and pulled me into his arms. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he whispered and captured my lips with his.
“I saw Mommy—” Jacob started to sing, followed by, “Oomph.”
“Shut it, Shaky Jakey!” Ranger snapped.
