“What’s wrong?” he asked as he approached. “Is it Gabe?”

“It’s not Gabe,” she said, her eyes bright with an emotion he couldn’t read. “Everything is fine. I wanted to talk to you.”

He set down his briefcase. “About what?”

She moved closer, then put her hands on his chest. “I still remember the first time I saw you. I thought you had a lot of potential.”

He’d been a total geek without a clue. “Not my favorite memory.” The girl he’d wanted to ask out had blown him off, then Jesse had shown up. “Until you came along.”

She was staring at him as if trying to figure out something. As if…as if she still cared. As if he had a chance.

Relief and hope ripped through him, making him want to pull her close, kiss her, take her home and make love to her until she was too weak to resist. But he held back, knowing she had to take the first step. He’d been saying the words over and over. Now it was her turn. If they were going to make this work, she would have to commit.

Except standing there was torture. Waiting for her to see that they belonged together made his chest ache.

“I’d never been in love before,” she told him, her blue eyes gazing into his. “I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t think it would be so powerful or last so long. Moving away didn’t change anything. I still loved you. And I love you now.”

He sensed she wasn’t done, that there was more to say. So he stood there, trying to be patient, knowing the prize was worth the effort.

“I know you were angry and hurt and that you wanted revenge,” she told him. “I understand that you got caught up in your plan and didn’t think it through. I believe you’re genuinely sorry and that you love me and Gabe. I can keep punishing you or I can take a leap of faith. You’ve said you want us to be together. I want that, too.”

He didn’t know if she had more and he didn’t care. He grabbed her and hauled her close, then kissed her until they both couldn’t breathe.

“I love you,” he murmured against her mouth. “I’ll love you forever.”

“Good. Because the women in my family live a long time.”

He chuckled, then kissed her again. “I can’t wait.” He straightened. “Marry me, Jess. Marry me and have more babies with me. I want to spend the rest of my life convincing you that you made the right choice.”

“I already know that.” She smiled at him. “And yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Soon?”

“Let’s take it one step at a time.”

“I LIKE THE BLACK,” Claire said as she stepped in front of the full-length mirror.

“Me, too.” Nicole stood next to her twin and brushed her hands against the sleek, sophisticated black dress.

Jesse grinned as she remembered their terror the first time they’d gone shopping for bridesmaid dresses. She’d tortured her sisters with pink-and-sea-foam tulle before showing them the dozen or so black cocktail dresses she’d picked out.

The black and white color scheme fit the New Year’s Eve theme. With the wedding at six and dinner and dancing to follow, their guests would party through midnight, then spend the night safely at the hotel.

Gabe leaned against her. “You look pretty, Mommy.”

“Thank you.”

“You do make a beautiful bride,” Nicole told her.

Jesse smiled. “It takes a village.” Or in her case, someone to put up her hair while her sisters had laced her into her strapless white gown. She loved the beaded bodice and flowing skirt, but she hadn’t thought the whole lace-up back through. She would never be able to get out of the dress herself. Not that Matt would mind helping.

Paula entered the suite. “You girls about ready? All the guests are here and Matt is pacing, poor guy.”

Jesse hugged her soon-to-be mother-in-law. “You look fabulous.” Paula’s dress was a flattering black-and-white floor-length gown. She eyed the black pearl necklace that matched the earrings Matt had given her for her birthday. “That looks new.”

Paula touched it and smiled. “From my son. Isn’t it nice?”

“Very. This is fun. You and Bill should have a wedding.”

Paula laughed. “I don’t think so. We’re going to stop in Vegas and get married there. We’ll send back pictures.”

The two of them were heading off in February for their two-year trip around America in their big RV. For now, they were spending time in both Seattle and Spokane as Bill sold the bar and settled things there, before they put Paula’s house up for sale.

For the next two weeks, though, they would be taking care of Gabe while Jesse and Matt honeymooned in Hawaii.

“I have a couple of things for you,” Paula said. “Matt said paperwork before toys, so here you go.”

The envelope was slim. Jesse frowned. “What on earth?”

“I have no idea.”

She opened it. Nicole and Claire moved close to read over her shoulder.

“It looks like a deed,” Nicole said. “For a house. His house.”

Jesse blinked. That big, massive, multimillion-dollar estate on the lake?

She opened the handwritten note in the envelope. “Because I love you.”

She felt tears in her eyes and did her best to blink them away. “He’s put the house in my name.” Because he knew how much she wanted a home. And so that she would always feel safe.

“He turned out right,” Paula said, sniffing slightly. “I’m going to cry.”

“Don’t,” Jesse said, still blinking. “You’ll have to redo your makeup. I can’t believe he did that.” But it was so like him. He’d gone out of his way to make her feel special and loved. How had she gotten so lucky?

“There’s more,” Paula said and handed her a large, flat velvet box. “I know what’s in there, so I’m going to warn you against fainting.”

Jesse opened the box and felt her heart leap. Inside was a necklace made of graduated diamonds. The largest stones, in the front, had to be at least a couple of carats each.

Behind her, both Claire and Nicole gasped.

“I think that might be worth more than the house,” Claire whispered. “At the very least, it’s a tie.”

“I thought the big engagement ring was going to be the jewelry highlight,” Nicole murmured. “I guess I was wrong.”

Jesse grabbed the necklace and left the suite. She went down the hall to where she knew Matt waited, and walked in.

He stood in the center of the room, looking handsome and perfect in his black tux. When he saw her, he grinned.

“See, I knew you’d freak about the necklace. The house would make sense to you but all those diamonds would really bug you.”

She felt her lips twitch. “You bought me a present because you knew it would piss me off?”

“That’s not the only reason. I saw it and knew it would look beautiful on you. I like buying you things.”

“You make me crazy.”

“You look amazing. I really like the dress.”

“You should see me in the veil.”

“I will in about twenty minutes.”

Love filled her, warming every part of her. She shook the necklace at him. “Don’t do stuff like this anymore. Try buying stuff on sale.”

“Not my style.”

“It used to be.”

“You changed me.”

“Not this much.”

He moved close and took her hands in his. “You changed everything about me, Jesse. You made me the man I am today.”

“I love the man you are today.”

“So it worked out.” He stared into her eyes. “If I try to kiss you, are you going to complain about your makeup getting messed up?”

“I can fix it later.”

“Good.” He bent his head and brushed her lips. “Still want to marry me?”

“More than anything.”

“Then let’s go get it done.”

He took the necklace from her and turned her around, fastening it around her neck. They were facing a mirror and she supposed her attention should have been riveted on the extravagant jewelry, but all she saw was Matt and how he gazed at her. Love burned in his eyes. Love she’d waited her whole life to find.

“I need to walk down the aisle,” she said.

“I’ll be the guy waiting at the other end.”

“Thanks for not giving up on me.”

“Thanks for coming home.”

She smiled. “I belong here. With you.”

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Jesse. I want you to know that.”

“Oh, Matt.”

Minutes later, Paula was led down the aisle and seated. Claire and Nicole lined up to start the procession. Gabe stood behind them and held a satin pillow with the two rings resting on it.

He looked at Jesse. “Now I have a real daddy,” he said happily. “We’re a family.”

“Yes, we are. For always.”

Jesse’s sisters began to walk down the aisle. Gabe followed, moving slowly as he’d been taught. He carried the pillow carefully and took his place next to Matt.

Jesse waited until the music changed to the wedding march, then it was her turn. She held her bouquet in front of her. While there were dozens of people in the room, she only saw one.

When she reached Matt, he smiled. “What took you so long?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Despite the significance of the moment, she laughed. “I got held up.” For five years. “But I’m here now.”

“That’s what matters. Oh, just so you know. I’m not letting you get away again.”

“Is that a promise?” she asked, already confident of the answer.

“Yes, and you can hold me to it.”

“I will.”

He squeezed her hand. “You mean ‘I do.’”

“That, too.”