Sweaty Summer Nights

“I came to find you,” he replies. “I had to explain—”

“Explain!?” I’m practically screaming as every emotion in my body comes pouring out. “Explain what? I saw you with that girl, Christian!”

“That’s what I want to explain, Kate—”

“She was completely naked and kissing you!”

My heart sinks into the center of the earth as the images of that terrible moment play back through my mind.

“She was kissing me, Kate.”

“Oh!” I laugh. “There’s a difference?”

“Yes, there is,” he replies. “That was McKayla, my ex, who I broke up with because she cheated on me. She already tried once to get back together with me, and I told her no. She told me that you and I would never work, and I told her to get out of my house.”

“Oh, really?” I scoff, but a flicker of hope rises inside me. Could this be true? It certainly sounds possible.

“Yes.” He nods, taking a careful step closer. “She was drunk, and she came over with nothing but a robe on, which she dropped in the kitchen as soon as she stepped through the door, and then just walked right up to me and kissed me. Right as you came in the door.”

That flicker grows into a flame. The look on his face seems truthful. The story sounds…reasonable. And most of all, I want to believe him. After all, why would he come track me down after all this time if he was lying?

“I shouted after you, Kate, but you were already gone by the time I got McKayla off of me and came after you.”

I realize my tears are falling down my face now. I was not expecting this.

Christian steps closer, and I don’t want to back away. I want him to come even closer, which he does. I want him to wrap me in his arms, which after a moment of looking down at me with those strong, powerful eyes, he does.

He pulls me close against his broad chest, and I take a deep breath and inhale his scent. It comforts me like it always does, and just like that, I feel at home.

“You promise?”

“It’s the truth, my love,” Christian says as he strokes my hair. “I told her to get out and that I wanted nothing to do with her. The next day I went to the police and filed a restraining order against her. You can check with them if you don’t believe me.”

Tears spill from my eyes, wetting his shirt. He lifts me into his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist, holding him tightly as I cry into his neck, clutching him like I might lose him again at any moment.

“I’m so sorry, Kate,” he whispers. “I’m so sorry that happened. That you had to see that.”

I don’t know how long I cry, or how long he holds me, but once I regain control of myself, I sit up and wipe my face with the back of my hands and look at my love, the most beautiful man in the world.

“I just have one question. How did you find me?”

Christian chuckles. “Your dad’s car, silly. It’s a pretty easy car to track down when you’re looking for it.”

“Oh, yeah,” I reply, feeling incredibly stupid all of a sudden. “I guess I probably should have thought about that one, huh?”

“Yeah.” Christian nods, still smiling. “Don’t try to become a criminal mastermind, okay? Promise me that?”

I laugh. “The only thing I want to be right now is yours.”

“Mine? You mean my wife?”

My heart skips a beat as Christian gently sets me down then gets on one knee before me. I clasp both hands over my mouth in shock.

“You can understand if I didn’t bring a ring.” I nod ecstatically as he takes my hand, brings it to his lips, and kisses it so delicately. “But I will get you one that you love. If you say yes. So, Kate Pennington, will you marry me?”