Chapter 51 51
"What are you thinking?" Stefan whispered softly. "I can see those gears grinding in your head."
Tears welled in Alana's eyes, but Her lips curved gently. "No, you can't."
"You're trying to talk yourself out of marrying me."
"No, I'm trying to be sure you really want to give up your freedom for us."
"I love Juliana." He said, “And I love you too. That's why,”
“My feelings are jumbled and Lord knows I've tried to piece them together since you came back." She pushed out of his arms and dug in her purse for a tissue, then tossed the handbag on a chair. "I just feel like I'll never know if you care for me or love me because of Juliana or for myself."
"You'll have to trust my word."
She couldn't quite bring herself to do that. Not yet. Not completely. There was still a huge part of her that didn't trust a man to tell the truth and mean it. She'd thought the other men in her past were decent men, good men, up until they betrayed her. Or was she just not seeing them for what they were at the time? Was she blinded by her love? Granted, they hadn't been in a tough situation like the one she and Stefan were in now.
But she remembered her heartbreak when she'd learned the truth about each of her fiances. Keeping herself at arm's length wasn't a bad thing, but Stefan wouldn't stand for that.
When she remained silent, staring at him with that odd look in her eyes, Stefan's heart folded over itself. "You have good reason not to trust men, honey. But I haven't done the things those others have. I'm not leaving and I'm not looking elsewhere, either."
"And if you did find someone else in the future?" Saying it out loud stung her.
"I don't want anyone else."
"Because I'm the mother of your child."
"No, because you're the woman I want."
Alana felt as if an arrow landed right in her heart. For a moment right then, she believed him. She smiled.
He returned it, then his expression sobered. "I will never betray you, Alana. Never.”
She stared, wanting to trust his words. Wanting to just believe him.
"You'll let me know when you trust me, right?" he said, and she blinked.
How could the man read her like that? It was irritating and a little comforting. "Yes, I will." At least he'd accepted the fact that right now, she was borderline.
Stefan took several measured steps toward her, watching her eyes flare as he approached. He grabbed her close and kissed her, leaving nothing hidden, nothing undone. And she came apart in his arms, her fingers driving into his hair, her body meshed with his and yielding for him.
"Marry me, Alana."
"Yes," she breathed.
"Oh baby," he said against her mouth, "You have no idea how happy you have made me,”
Her heart skipped to her throat. "Oh, yeah?”
He laughed and kissed her again, “Hell yeah,”
Balancing Juliana in his arms, he opened the box and withdrew the ring. So beautiful that Alana gasped.
“Stefan, it's so beautiful,” she said.
“Not as beautiful as the woman who's going to be wearing it,” he replied as he slipped it into her finger, “We need to pick a date as soon as possible, baby. So much time has gone already, and I don't want to wait too long to make you my wife,”
___________
Two weeks later, Alana Jackson promised herself to Stefan Maynard.
He'd managed miracles for this moment. The small chapel was filled with flowers, a couple of his partners and teammates from his former job were sitting in the pews, and her parents were there as well. While Alana's mother sobbed quietly, her father and Stefan's father expressed their feelings quite differently. They were all very pleased with the union.
Beside Stefan, his best friend, Reese Logan stood as Stefan's best man, not showing a shred of emotion. It made Alana see the differences between Stefan and his teammates. They were reclusive and almost cold, especially Reese. But Stefan , she thought, was an entirely different man. And right now, he couldn't stop smiling.
He listened to the chaplain, but his eyes were on her. She felt them coat her like warm syrup, touch her in places she didn't know still had life. And when Stefan said "I do" and slid the ring on her finger, Alana struggled to breathe.
"This is forever," he whispered. "All of this." And at the chaplain's command, he kissed her.
Married.
Alana expected her head to scream What have you done? yet her heart was shouting Oh, yes as Stefan dipped her back and kissed her like a lusty groom. They parted, smiling at each other until his teammates muscled their way between them to slap Stefan on the back and offer congratulations. Alana hugged her parents, yet her gaze stayed on Stefan. Despite the small crowd around him, he was also looking at her, and she felt cherished and desired.
It made her heart stumble, yet she didn't have time to think as his teammates converged on her. It had to be illegal to have so many good-looking men in one place, she thought, as one of them hugged her.
Stefan stood back as his teammates kissed his wife, glaring at the youngest member who took full liberty and a little too long in letting Alana go.
Reese was at his side. "She's beautiful, Stefan."
"Yeah, I know."
"I see why you refused to come back to us''
Stefan frowned, then smiled. "It's not just her, Reese. I have a daughter who needs me now."
"True, I understand." Reese replied, “But we'll miss you, especially on this next mission. You were one of the best,”
Stefan glanced at his buddy. "Ever think about it? Settling down?"
"Sometimes, but I've never really met a woman who could handle having me with the job," was all Reese would say.
Stefan knew there was more behind that statement, but he wasn't going to pry right now.
"Well, Think about it. Pretty sure there's a woman for you out there" Stefan said, then headed toward his wife.
Wife.
It stopped him in his tracks, and he was filled with waves of pride and something else he wasn't ready to name. Alana was leaning down to comfort her mother, who couldn't seem to stop crying with happiness.