Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

Jason kissed her, and it wasn’t some proper public peck, either. He kissed her Hollywood style, with everything he had, wrapped her in his arms, and tasted her like a starving man who hungered for her and only her.

“I love you,” he growled near her ear, and started walking away, as if he was afraid he wouldn’t if he didn’t go right then. Too quickly, he went out to the tarmac, and didn’t look back.

Kat ran to the window to watch him walk toward the plane. Her eyes prickled. She could feel the tears burning to escape and she fought them. Jason stopped at the stairs and turned to her, waving when she knew he couldn’t see her. But he knew she was there. She inhaled and she thought she was okay, but when he stepped onto that plane and disappeared again, the tears spilled down her cheeks. She backed up and sat down in a chair, burying her face in her hands to try and pull herself together.

* * *

JASON SET HIS bag on the leather seat of the luxury plane, but he remained standing, his hand on the overhead bin. He had his phone out, dialing the studio again. He got voice mail again.

Leaving Kat was crazy. In fact, why was he leaving her? Ellie would be here to look after things. Why the heck hadn’t he thought of this several hours ago? There was no reason Kat couldn’t come with him. They didn’t need anyone’s permission to be together. He hesitated, thinking of Kat’s complicated obstacle course that required him to leave and come back, as if that proved they were going to make it.

He dialed his boss Sabrina again and left a message. “I’m chartering a plane to Denver,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll make auditions. I’m taking Kat with me though, so whether you put her at the audition table or not, she’s coming along for the trip. Ellie, her husband and Ronnie are covering the show.” He hung up and grabbed his bag.

“Do you need me to put that somewhere for you?” a stewardess asked.

“No,” Jason said. “I’m not staying. Feel free to depart without me.” Jason was out of the plane and running toward the airport door in a flash.

He burst through the door, praying that Kat wasn’t already gone. “Kat!”

“Jason!”

He spotted her in a seat with tears streaming down her face. “Baby,” he said hurrying to her, tossing his bag on the ground, and dropping down on one knee in front of her. He wiped dampness from her cheeks. “Why are you crying? Don’t cry. I don’t ever want to make you cry like this.”

“Because you’re leaving,” she said. “It’s just hard. I… why aren’t you on that plane?” She grabbed his arm, her eyes wide. “Go get on that plane.” She tried to stand up.

Jason kept her in the seat. “I left, just like you said I had to. I didn’t like it and you didn’t seem to either. So, I came back. That exercise is done and over. We passed the test.”

“Jason, you have to get on that plane. The studio—”

“I’m chartering a later flight,” he said. “I’ll make tomorrow’s audition. And you’re going to be on that plane with me if I have any influence at all. Ellie is here. There’s no reason you can’t come with me.”

“But—”

He kissed her. “No ‘buts’ allowed. I want to show you something.” He unzipped his bag and pulled out a velvet box, but kept it out of her sight. “I carried this with me to remind me of what waited on me at home, Kat. I planned to do this when the auditions were over, but I can’t wait.” He lifted the box and opened the lid to display a platinum ring that he’d had designed for her. It was shaped like a lily, the flower theme they’d had at their first wedding. “I need my wife back to share my life with. Marry me, Kat. You are, and have always been, the woman I love. Marry me in Europe. Marry me in the Elvis Chapel, or heck, let’s find someone here in this airport who has the power vested in them, and let’s get married now.”

Kat hugged him tight.

“Please tell me that’s a yes,” he said, holding on to her, holding his breath at the same time as he waited for her reply.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she quickly said, and leaned back, cupping his face and kissing him. “Of course, it’s yes.” She stared down at the ring and started crying again. “It’s gorgeous. It’s perfect. It’s our flower.”

Jason slipped the ring onto her finger. “I only have one other request,” he said.

“Don’t lose the ring?” she asked.

“That, too,” he agreed. “But I was thinking more along the lines of don’t divorce me again.”