The Fiancée Fiasco (24 page)
Read The Fiancée Fiasco Online
Authors: Alyssa Kress
Win followed after. "I'm waiting."
"Yes, yes, I know." Roseanne grasped the back of one of the dining room chairs. She could tell Win was behind her. "Children." She gushed out a breath. "That covers the whole category of family. Home and hearth. Loyalty to one's own."
There was a short pause before she heard him drawl, "Interesting."
Roseanne shot him a quick glance over her shoulder. "I, uh, didn't come down here to break our engagement, Win." Her heart nearly beat out of her chest with the admission.
"No?"
"Um, no." Taking a deep breath, Roseanne turned her gaze toward the dining room chair and plunged forward. "Actually, I came down here to do the opposite, but I got all— Anyway, I came down here to ask about living with you Win. Maybe even, uh, to think about...getting married."
He didn't say anything for a long, unbearable moment. Then, from behind her, he took gentle possession of her shoulders.
"That's quite an idea." His voice was low, his lips near her ear. He sounded interested, if wary. She began to take heart. Then, just as low, he asked, "Roseanne, do you love me?"
Love. That awful word. She'd been hoping to avoid it. Roseanne lifted one hand to rub her forehead. She struggled to come up with the closest thing she knew to the truth.
"No." She swallowed. "At least...I don't think so. I...don't think I can." To give in completely, all the way? The very idea scared her witless.
His hands squeezed her shoulders. Then Win turned her around. She was forced to look into his face.
His expression was stern. "Then why do you want to marry me?"
"Because I—I can imagine it." How was she supposed to explain something she barely understood herself? "I liked living here with you, your companionship. I...missed you after I left." Oh, how she'd missed him. Impossible to convey the aching longing. "I think we...fit together."
His brows drew down. "You want to marry me because we fit together?"
"Yes. I mean, does there have to be love? Can't a couple get married because they simply get along? And have a healthy passion for each other?"
His frown grew darker. "That's your idea?"
"Yes." Wasn't it enough?
He searched her eyes for a moment, then with a short, expressive grunt, released her. "It won't work."
His brief negative took her aback. "Why do you say that?" It was awfully cold where Win had let her go. "I'm pretty good at making things work."
"Maybe you are, sweetheart, but not this."
"Tell me why not."
He turned back to her, a sad smile on his lips. "As honest and constant as you are, Roz, I can't take that chance."
"What? I wouldn't make you take any chances."
His gaze grew even sadder. Stepping up to her, he laid a hand against her cheek. "One day you
are
going to fall in love, Roz. Then you'll know what I mean. Love doesn't wait for you. It doesn't play by any rules. It's damn immoral, in fact. When you love, that love just takes a hold of you and soon you're doing things you'd never have dreamed of doing."
Roseanne swallowed painfully. "You think I'll fall in love with someone else, and leave you."
As Win lowered his hand from her face, his smile faded. "That's what I think. Now go get your purse so I can drive you to the airport."
There was no appeal possible here. Roseanne could tell by his rigid posture as he led the way toward the front door. Win had made up his mind.
If she didn't love him, they were through.
Forever.
He'd even taken back his ring.
Pain ripped through her. She couldn't believe mere emotion could hurt this bad. She was in agony. It was utterly impossible to move.
At the door, Win turned impatiently. His eyes locked onto her: cold, remote, inscrutable eyes. But then, as she slowly died standing there, unable to move, the expression in his hard gaze shifted. He went from cool dispassion to amazement.
"Roseanne," he said, plainly awed. "You're—you're crying."
She brushed a hand across her cheek and found it came away wet. Sopping, in fact. A sniffle escaped her, then a sob. "Oh, God, Win. I can't take another farewell scene at the airport." The very idea broke her down completely. Three short sobs in a row led to a complete downfall. The waterworks broke. Convulsing, Roseanne covered her face with her hands.
It was impossible to stem or stop the deluge. In fact, the whole thing only got worse when she tried. She was a real mess by the time Win got to her. Without a word, he wrapped her in his arms.
If he'd meant to offer comfort, the gesture sadly backfired. Roseanne only surrendered further to her inner agony. To never see Win again, to never have that chance sitting in the background, the idea of asking to make their engagement real...? It was like hitting a brick wall.
"You haven't cried since you were eleven years old," Win was kind enough to point out. His voice ruffled her hair.
"Thanks," Roseanne sobbed, "for reminding me."
Win rubbed a palm across her back. "You swore you'd never cry over another man."
"True." She crushed the material of his shirt in her fists as more sobs wrenched out of her.
"Roseanne, are you crying over me?"
"Who else would I be crying about?" she bawled.
He started shaking.
It took Roseanne several incredulous moments to realize he was shaking with laughter. She drew back in amazement. Disbelief choked her tears to a pause. "You think this is funny!"
"No, I don't." His denial was less than believable, given that he was certainly laughing. Shoving one hand into a back pocket, he produced a neatly pressed handkerchief. "Here, sweetheart. Dry your eyes. Meanwhile you might want to remember how this feels."
Roseanne reluctantly took the proffered handkerchief. God knew, she needed it. "If you don't mind, I'd prefer working on forgetting this whole adventure."
Win's laughter faded. "You can remember it because it's never going to happen again. Count this as the last time I make you cry."
Roseanne slanted him a dark look. "As a matter of fact, Win, when I get back to Seattle I plan to spend at least two days in bed, crying my eyes out. Don't see how it can be avoided, in fact." She blew her nose with martial determination.
"You're not going anywhere."
Roseanne scowled at him over her handkerchief. "What did you say?"
"I said you're going to Seattle over my dead body."
Her jaw dropped as she stared up at him. "What—? You said you were hauling me off to the airport."
"Right, but that was before." He took the handkerchief out of her hands, produced a clean one and dabbed her wet cheeks with it.
Dumbfounded, she submitted to his ministration. "Before what?"
"Before you told me you do love me, after all."
For a long minute, Roseanne could only stare at him, thoroughly flabbergasted. "Of all the—! Of course I don't love you. I wouldn't love any man. I couldn't. Why, if I loved you, and you ever left me, or rejected me, I'd be devastated. I'd be— I'd—" Her voice trailed off as her jaw simply stayed open.
I'd feel exactly the way I do right now
. "No," Roseanne whispered.
Did I really take that plunge
?
Looking at her, Win slowly smiled.
With her jaw still slack, Roseanne stared back. "Oh, my God," she said, still in a whisper. "I
do
. I
do
love you, Win. Don't I?"
He laughed softly. "Only you can answer that, sweetheart."
"I do," she repeated. "But—" She gasped. "What about you? Do you love me, Win?" Wow. This was pretty important information.
"Uh huh." He nodded as he dabbed her other cheek with the new handkerchief. "Quite a lot, actually."
"Really?" It was amazing how full her chest suddenly felt. Win loved her! She flicked a quick glance up at him, though, remembering something. "Like a volcano?"
"Like a what—?" Win looked down at her in alarm. "Oh, that. About Sylvia. No, darling, not like a volcano."
"Oh."
"Volcanoes blow themselves out and go extinct." Win stopped drying her face and took her firmly into his arms. "The way I love you isn't like that at all."
"No? Then what is it like?" Her budding disappointment eased with curiosity.
Win appeared to think about his answer. "I'd say it's more like some passing ember fell into a bunch of dry wood that was me. The thing took hold and started to burn. The fire's only been getting bigger ever since."
Roseanne's arms wound around his neck. "I like that." Her voice went husky. "So tell me, does this fire need fuel added from time to time to keep going?"
"Oh, yeah." Win lowered his head. "Constantly."
"Win?" Roseanne stopped him before his lips could meet hers.
"Huh?"
"Do you think I could have my ring back now?"
His lips were so close to hers she could feel them curve into a smile. "Roseanne, are you by any chance proposing marriage to me?"
"For the second time, actually." Roseanne smiled, too. "Don't you like me asking for things now? You know, the whole trust and dependence bit?"
"Mm." Win made a sound of mild annoyance as he pulled back. "That's okay as far as it goes, but there are some things, my dear, that
you
have the power to grant
me
."
"Oh?" Roseanne found she enjoyed the idea. "Like what?"
His gaze hit her with stunning force as he suddenly swept her off her feet and into his arms. "Like what I'm going to take you down the hall to ask you right now."
"Oh! Am I finally going to get a look at the master bedroom?"
"You better curb that tongue," Win muttered as he made for the hall, "if you ever want to see that ring again."
Roseanne kicked her legs lazily. "I'm not too worried about the ring. I figure you'll have to marry me, once the kids start coming."
In hindsight, it might have been wise to save that particular tease, at least until she'd made a safe landing somewhere. As it was, Win nearly dropped her.
"The kids?" he choked out.
"Mm hm. I have a feeling they're going to start coming very soon." She fingered his lightly stubbled cheek. "You do want children, don't you, Win?"
Under her finger, a muscle twitched in his jaw. "More'n anything else in the world—except for you."
"Good." Roseanne nodded. "That's settled, then."
Win shifted her weight in his arms. "Nothing like having serious life discussions while one of us is up in the air."
"Is that my fault?"
Win grunted and pushed open the door to his bedroom. "Suddenly I'm in charge of everything."
"Oh, no, Win. I promise I'll take care of lots of things."
"I'll just bet you will," he muttered.
"Like the wedding," Roseanne announced.
He dumped her on top of the bed, his eyes widening. "Now you want to talk about a wedding? When will this end?"
"Soon, soon," Roseanne promised, laughing up at him. "I just wanted to say I agree with you about the ceremony. It should be in Seattle."
Win growled and moved to cage her with his arms. "Is there anything I can do to get your attention?"
"In a minute, darling. But then after the wedding, I definitely want to move down here."
"Is that right?" He lowered his head to nuzzle her neck, but she knew he was still listening because he thought to ask, "You going to transfer to the Houston branch?"
"No." Roseanne made an effort to avoid letting him get to her mouth—yet. "Actually, I'm thinking of resigning."
His tender predations abruptly halted. "You what?"
She craned her head around to be able to look at him. "You know, once I made partner it wasn't that big a deal any more. And besides, waiting for the dirty dozen to make up their minds made me realize how dependent I'd become on them. That didn't sit so well. So I'm thinking of striking out on my own."
"Oh yes, a little independence." Win slowly grinned. "That ought to be right up your alley."
"I think so." Roseanne smiled serenely as Win drew over her. "Especially seeing as how I'm going to be a little tied up on the home front."
"Right." Win kissed her lightly, beginning the familiar melting process. "What with the children and all."
Roseanne closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of Win pulling her into his magical place. "Yes, the children," she sighed. To her utter astonishment, she was actually looking forward to pushing out babies. "Do you know what I think, Win?"
"No, what?" He appeared to be losing his part in the conversation, finding Roseanne's neck to be quite a bit more interesting.
"I think we're going to have one of those marriages that truly works out. You know, the kind that last through thick and thin. For always and forever."
Win rose on his elbows and looked down at her. There was a shimmering promise of love in his eyes. "You've hit the nail on the head there, sweetheart. That's just how it's gonna be. Always and forever."
As his lips met hers, the bedroom door snicked closed. Roseanne could have sworn the lock bolted by itself. It seemed Win had regained his magic touch.
In a few minutes more, she was sure of it.
The End
Alyssa Kress completed her first novel at age six, an unlikely romance between a lion and a jackal. Despite earning two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and spending nearly a decade in the construction industry, she's yet to see her feet stay firmly on the ground. She now lives in Southern California, together with her husband and two children.
You can learn more about Alyssa Kress and her other novels at
http://www.alyssakress.com
.