“Yes,” Kate said and put the solitaire on her finger.

Jake pulled her back close to him and said, “Thank you,” with such heartfelt gratitude and relief that Kate was amazed all over again.

“You really do want this,” she said.

“I really do want this,” he said.

“Then why six weeks…” she began, and this time he interrupted her.

“Listen, I know you’re sure about this, but you’re sure about everything,” he said, his voice filled with love and concern. “I’m not sure about anything. I worry. And let’s face it, it’s not always going to be easy with us.”

“I know,” Kate said.

“I wanted to be sure when I asked you,” Jake said, looking at her with more love than she could bear. “And now, I’m sure.”

“Oh,” Kate said and swallowed. “I still can’t believe you bought a house and ring and let me cry for six weeks. Don’t ever-”

“That’s what I mean,” Jake said. “I don’t think I ever will, but I just didn’t know how to ask you. I didn’t even know how after I was sure. Look how badly I handled this. And we’re going to hit this again. I will try my best, but I’ll screw up and you’ll fly off the handle and we’ll fight.”

Kate swallowed again. “I know.”

“But the important thing for me,” he said, looking into her eyes, “is that whatever problem we have, we can solve, because nothing will ever be as bad for me as being away from you. Nothing.”

“Oh,” Kate said.

“Kate?” Jake asked when she’d been quiet for a while.

“I’m just overwhelmed,” Kate said, trying not to cry. “I thought I’d come back here and you might be glad to see me, and you might tell me you thought you loved me but you weren’t sure, and you might even reluctantly marry me, but I never thought…”

Jake held her tighter. “Have I been that big a jerk? I thought you knew-”

“No,” Kate said. “But I do now. Now that you’ve told me.” She flashed her solitaire in the lamplight and then looked at it more closely. “These carvings. On the band. Are these fish?” she asked finally in a strangled voice.

“I had to have them made specially,” Jake said.

“Fish?” Kate asked again, looking at him and loving him so much, she was almost paralyzed by it.

“Some of our best moments were in front of the fish,” Jake said. “I didn’t want to get you an ordinary ring. You’re not an ordinary woman.”

“Fish,” Kate said. “Have I mentioned that I’m going to love you till the day I die?”

“You’d better,” Jake said. “Because that’s how long you’re going to have me around.” He waited a beat and then added, “Unless you kill me in bed. Go ahead and try. I don’t mind.”

Kate looked at the ring on her finger again. “I’m engaged,” she said, and flashed it in the light again.

“Well, you’ve been that before,” Jake said as she admired her ring. “That’s why I think we should get married this weekend.”

“What?” Kate said, startled. And when she turned her face to his, he kissed her, pulling her so close she felt like he’d never let her go. She kissed him back, loving the way his lips felt on hers, the gentle tickle of his mustache on her skin. And when he broke the kiss, she clung to him and buried her face in his shirt because it felt so good to be pressed against him, so safe to have his arms wrapped around her. He felt like home, and she’d never been there before.

“Engagements don’t work with you,” Jake said into her hair. “Those other guys, they waited too long. They let you get away.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kate said, turning her face up to his again. “If you think I’m leaving you, you’re crazy. You proposed and I’ve got the fish to prove it.”

“Of course, that was partly your fault,” Jake went on as if he hadn’t heard her. “You and your plan.”

“Hey.” Kate straightened. “My plan worked just fine. I got you, didn’t I?”

“And I was part of your plan?” Jake grinned at her. “I don’t think so. I think I hijacked you, babe. Blindsided you while you were twit-hunting. The best thing that ever happened to you was me showing up and that plan going south.”

Kate started to protest and then stopped. He was smiling at her with so much cheerfully confident love that she went dizzy just looking at him. He was tall and dependable and successful at life, a guy with a great sense of humor who was terrific in bed and would love her to the point of madness to the day she died.

“What was I thinking?” she said, and relaxed back into the warm arms of the best plan she’d ever made, planning to stay there forever.