Alpha Hero - Hope Ford Page 0,16

spent a night apart since. She had some explaining to do with her boss, but when I told him we were getting married, he seemed to have cut her some slack.

As we’re walking back to the car, she turns to me and I can tell she’s mad. “Really, Mack. You didn’t need to lie to him to save my job. I could have found another one.”

I hit the keys to unlock my truck and open the door for her. “I wasn’t lying to him. We are getting married.”

Her mouth drops open. “What?” When the shock subsides, her stubborn ass cocks her hip out and mouths off to me. “Really, don’t you think you should ask me first?”

I drop to my knee. I had planned to ask her at dinner tonight, but honestly, I can’t hold back. If I could make her my wife today, I would do it.

I take the little box out of my pocket, open it and hold it up to her. “Jane, I love you. You are the most beautiful, caring, loving woman I’ve ever known. I would be honored if you would agree to be my wife.”

Before I even finish, tears are rolling down her face. She’s looking from the ring in my hand to my face, back and forth. “Yes, yes, yes!” she cries, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around me.

I kiss the tears from her face and slide the ring on her finger. Until the day I die, I will remind her that she promised to never leave me.

Epilogue 2

Terry

Two weeks later

I’m standing in the buffet line at Mack and Jane’s engagement party. I’ve looked everywhere for her…. April. I know she’s coming. She wouldn’t miss it.

When I look around the room, I finally spot her. She’s leaning against the wall next to the bathrooms and even from here her face looks pasty and white.

I set my empty plate on a table and walk over to her. Her eyes won’t meet mine.

She’s been this way ever since I helped her move back into her mom’s house a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know if she’s embarrassed or what, but I want her to know that I’m here to help her.

“Nice party, huh?” I ask her.

She nods her head and looks around the room. “Yeah, Mack seems happy. He’ll be a good husband.”

As soon as she says it, I can tell she wishes she could take it back. Everyone, including me, knows that her husband wasn’t the best to her. He was my ‘brother’ and I wish he was still alive, but I don’t agree with what he did.

“So how are you doing?” I ask her.

She rolls her eyes. “Do you know how many times I get asked that in a day? I’m fine, Terry. My husband, who was an alcoholic and cheated on me, is dead. Nobody knows and I’d rather they didn’t, but we had been planning a divorce for a couple of weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him. God knows I loved him, but he’d been different the last few years. And well… Oh God, forget my rambling.”

“April, wait,” I tell her. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at me and then before I know it, her hand is over her mouth and she races into the bathroom.

I stand there, waiting for her to come out. I watch the clock and when ten minutes go by – I go in after her.

Falling For You

1

Terry

I can’t stop myself from checking my watch again. April disappeared into the bathroom almost five minutes ago.

I know I should walk away. I know that she doesn’t want my help or heck, maybe she doesn’t want to even look at me. I’m sure just the sight of me makes her think of Allen, her deceased husband, the man who I’ve worked with at the fire station for the last five years.

I still can’t get it off my mind what she said. She and Allen had been talking divorce for a few weeks before he died. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. He never said anything. But really, anyone could have guessed by the way he was always hitting on other women that there was something going on. There were times I just had to get up and leave the bar I was at with him. It was obvious none of the guys were comfortable with it. We all knew he was married. Hell, April is a