He set her feet down and leaned back slightly. “I was thinking down a wedding aisle—a church, a Vegas chapel, a beach, the top of a mountain—wherever you want that aisle to be.”
“Abe?” Her heart thumped fast and hard.
“Rach, I’ve been an idiot. I shouldn’t have spent one day away from you.” He looked more solemn, his dark eyes searching hers. “I let Angel and Preston take a lot from me, the three months in prison pale in comparison to the years I let the anger fester. I thought I was fine, building my business, acting like this successful, accomplished person but I wasn’t fine … until I met you and you helped me learn to love, and forgive. Please forgive me for ever leaving you.”
Rachel blinked fast but the tears still came. “You’re here now,” she said.
He smiled. “That I am. And I promise you I’ve buried my weapons of war deep in the ground.”
“Your weapons of war?”
He nodded. “My anger and need for revenge. None of that is as important as being with you. Thank you for doing the video and helping me to see that.”
“So the video was the ticket?”
“Seeing you and Allison together. Your plea at the end. It finally got through to me. I’m so sorry for letting Preston and Angel take more from me, time with you. I can’t get back that time, but I want to do everything I can to be the man who’s worthy of you.”
“You’re more than worthy of me.” She kissed him softly but it grew in need and the sheer amount of missing him she’d done made the kiss deep and desperate.
“Wow,” Abe said against her lips. “Maybe I need to leave you more.”
“Don’t even think about it,” she growled at him.
Abe laughed, released her, and dropped to one knee. He fished a round diamond solitaire out of his pocket and held it up to her. “Rachel Jewel, will you please do me the honor of being my wife?”
Rachel would’ve smiled at his formal lingo but her lower lip was trembling too hard. She dropped to her knees in front of him, snatched the ring and put it on her finger, and then kissed him.
She knocked him over onto his back and kept kissing him. Abe chuckled and held her close against him. “If I would’ve known this would be your reaction I never would’ve left you.”
“Lesson learned. Never leave me.”
“Lesson learned.” He agreed and then he was kissing her again and they didn’t need any lessons on that.