Mendoza's Return (15 page)

He took her by the shoulders. “I love you more, Melina. Once I let go of the anger, love filled the empty space so fast I could barely breathe. I thought you only wanted sex, and I wanted that, too, but I also only wanted
you.
Anyway I could get you.” He looked amused and surprised at the same time. “
You
were going to propose?”

She laughed joyously. “I'd already waited years for you. I didn't want to wait a second longer. And I wanted a definite answer, not more could'ves and should'ves.”

He kissed her then, softly, tenderly but thoroughly. “So, marry me today.”

“Today? Rafe, really—”

“We've lost too much time already. We'll fly to Vegas.”

Melina threw her arms around him, laughing and crying, happier than she'd been in such a long time. “Not today, but very soon. I want a real wedding, with our families and friends. Not a big one, but a proper one. I've dreamed of it since I was fourteen.”

He threaded his fingers through her hair. “I'll give you a month. Let's go tell our families.”

“That's a deal. I can— Oh, no! No, we can't get engaged today.” She looked around, wondering if anyone had seen them—then could barely count the
number of cars that had pulled up. “The bet, Rafe. The bet.”

He eyed the street and the people standing outside their cars, watching. “I love this woman!” he shouted. “I just asked her to marry me and she said yes!” Then he bent her over his arm and kissed her most publicly, most exhaustively.

“Pay up, people!” came Beau's voice out of the melee.

Car horns honked. Cheers went up.

“Bells are ringing,” Rafe said, holding her tight. “For me and my girl.”

“Our song.” She framed his face with her hands, cherishing him, sorry that she'd taken away his big proposal moment. She would make it up to him. “Let's go tell our families before the grapevine beats us to it.”

“I love you,” he said, taking her hand to walk her to his car, to start their lives together.

“I love you more,” she said, echoing him from earlier.

It was a good start.