Page 43 of A Christmas Negotiation

Jeremy came up by her side and shook Sam’s hand. “Congratulations. It’s a big day.”

“The best big day ever.” Sam unleashed a toothy grin, then winked at Jeremy, which Isabel found odd but decided it was because he was goofy with love. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to hunt down the bride.”

Isabel and Jeremy held hands as they watched him disappear into the other room. “How long do you want to stay?” Jeremy asked.

“I guess I feel like we should stay for the whole thing. Is everything okay? You seem preoccupied.” She didn’t want to let paranoia get the best of her, but she couldn’t escape the feeling that something was wrong.

“Everything is absolutely perfect. You know me. I always want to get you home.”

Isabel fought a smile. “Well, if that’s what you’re getting after, I’m thinking we stay an hour, tops.”

They ended up staying fifty minutes. Isabel was tired and they had quite a ride back to Brooklyn. Jeremy was quiet as they sat in the back seat of the town car.

“You sure everything’s okay?” she asked for what felt like the one hundredth time.

“Yeah. I spoke to my dad today. You know how that goes. It’s getting better, but I still feel like I’m feeling my way around in the dark.”

“Talk about work stuff?”

He nodded. “And just trying to get to a point where I have a better relationship with him. I went ahead and asked them about dinner next week. So we can tell them about the baby.”

“And?”

He smiled. “Obviously I didn’t tell them that part. But yes, they said that they would love to have dinner. My mom really adores you. She says you’re good for me.”

Isabel squeezed his hand tight. “Somebody needs to tell her that you’re good for me.”

They arrived back at Jeremy’s and performed their new coming-home ritual, which was checking on the kittens. Jeremy, never the big cat fan, conceded that he had “warmed” to them. Of course, Isabel was over the moon for them, and the thought of them being adopted out soon weighed heavy on her heart. They wouldn’t have this fun to look forward to much longer.

Isabel sat on the floor of the guest room and played with the three kittens, who still didn’t have names. For now, they were Things 1, 2 and 3—the orange male, the orange female and the calico respectively. Jeremy, however, excused himself and said he needed to get something. That only left Isabel to worry about what his dad had said and how that played into the future of their relationship.

“What do you think, Thing 1?” Isabel scooped up the kitten and kissed him on the nose. The cat squirmed to get down and frolic with his littermates. In the corner, Cat was watching over everything. “Is Jeremy acting strangely?” Isabel asked Cat.

“I don’t know. Am I?” Behind her, Jeremy had walked into the room.

Isabel turned quickly. “Whoa. You are stealthy. I didn’t even hear you open the door.”

“I think that’s only because you’re so wrapped up in the kittens.”

She returned her attention to them as they wrestled on the carpet. “I do adore them. I love them.”

Just then Jeremy knelt down next to her. “Do you know who I adore and love?”

She eyed him with great suspicion. “Okay, now you are definitely acting weird.”

“You, Isabel. I love and adore you.” He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small velvet bag. “And the reason I’ve been quiet all night is because I have a big question on my mind.”

Isabel sat perfectly still, her heart beating unevenly in her chest. She didn’t want to miss a moment or a single word of what she hoped was about to happen.

He reached for her hand and held on to it tightly. His gaze met hers, and she saw exactly how sincere he was. The hurt that she’d once seen in his eyes was gone. And now, she saw hope. “I love you, Isabel Blackwell, and it’s not just because you’re brilliant or beautiful. And it’s not merely because you’re having my baby, although that’s part of it. I love you because you make my whole life better. I want you to be my wife.” With that, he let go of her hand and opened the velvet bag, presenting a beautiful gold-and-diamond solitaire. “This is why I talked to my dad. It’s the ring my grandfather gave to my grandmother. He gave it to my dad, but my dad gave a different ring to my mom. He always felt bad about it, and I can’t help but feel like this is all coming full circle now. As long as you’ll say yes.”

She had to laugh, at least a little bit, even as the tears streamed down her cheeks. “Of course the answer is yes. I love you, Jeremy. I love you for being strong and sensitive. I love you for not giving up on people. I love you for the way you make me feel like I’m the most important woman in the entire world.”

“Youarethe most important woman in the world. No doubt about that.” He leaned forward and kissed her, softly and sweetly, with just enough of that sexy Jeremy edge. She combed her fingers into his hair, wanting more.

Unfortunately, the kittens had different plans, tumbling around on the floor between them. In the excitement, Jeremy had dropped the velvet bag on the floor and they were fighting over it. “Bunch of hooligans,” Isabel muttered, taking the pouch and pretending to scold them. “I can just see one of you choking on the string.”

Jeremy laughed. “Can I make another crazy suggestion?”