When at last they were spent, Jayce asked, “What does your Fitbit say?”
Kristine checked the device on her arm and noted the number had changed dramatically. When she analyzed what that meant, she said, “We just expended enough energy to climb twelve flights of stairs.”
Jayce laughed. “In other words, we just fucked each other up a high-rise.”
Kristine joined him in laughter and hugged him close. “I love you so much, Jayce.”
Jayce lifted his upper body enough to stare into her eyes. “I love you too. I’ll love you forever.” He carefully withdrew and moved to a kneeling position. “Marry me, Kristine.”
Oh my God.When she could speak, she said something totally lame. “Don’t you think we should clean up first?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to wait another minute. I’ve wanted to ask you since the night we went out on my boat.”
She sat up and linked her hands behind his neck. His arms went around her back automatically. She paused for a moment to think of some poignant words. Jayce lifted his eyebrows, waiting.
“I will.” It wasn’t very eloquent, but it seemed to be what he wanted to hear—and, in essence, what she wanted to say.
He grasped her close and whispered, “I’ll do everything in my power to make you as happy as you’ve just made me.”
* * *
Eventually, Jayce and Kristine got off the couch and decided to eat something before they starved to death.
Since he knew where everything was in the kitchen, Jayce offered to cook. Most firefighters knew how to prepare meals, since they rotated the responsibility of keeping their coworkers fed.
Jayce wanted to impress her with his cooking skills, but he didn’t believe in wasting food, so he looked for the items that might expire before his parents returned. “How do you feel about an omelet? And what do you like in it? Meat? Veggies?”
Kristine sat at the kitchen table and rested her chin in her hand. “I’m easy.”
Jayce turned around and flashed her a grin. “I like that about you.”
She chuckled and didn’t contradict his deliberate misunderstanding. He started pulling things out of the fridge: leftover steak, cheese, a green pepper, a red onion, and mushrooms.
“Can I help?” Kristine asked.
“Sure. You can wash the veggies while I whip up the eggs and season them with spices.”
“You use spices?” Kristine asked.
“Yeah, don’t you?”
Kristine shrugged as she wandered over to the sink. “Do salt and pepper count?”
It sounded as if she wasn’t used to fancy fare. He’d hold back on some of the more exotic spices. Jayce found a colander and stuck it in the sink for her, piling the veggies in it.
“Wow. Are we feeding an army?”
He chuckled. “I could eat like one.”
“Maybe I can make a salad with anything that’s left over.”
“Now you’re talking.” He grabbed a head of lettuce out of the fridge too.
They worked easily side by side and soon had not only a couple of fabulous omelets but also a crunchy salad to accompany them.
Kristine had already set the kitchen table and placed their salads beside their forks. Jayce brought the omelets over. As they ate, Jayce realized he had a few important things to tell her. He didn’t know if he was supposed to yet, but if she was to be his wife, eventually she would have to know.
“Babe, I need to fill you in on a few things I learned recently. My dad had been trying to tell me some important stuff for a while, but we kept getting interrupted. So, eventually he had a captive audience—specifically, quiet Miguel and me when all I could do to interrupt was squawk. These are secrets, closely guarded by and known only to the heads of the family. Can you swear to me you won’t tell anyone?”
