Propose To Me

by Caroline Andrus

  She pulled herself back, looking into the most beautiful brown eyes she’d seen. It was a face, she understood with sudden clarity, which she wanted to spend the rest of her life looking at, waking up to and being with. Her heart swelled with the realization that he was right. They had been reacquainting themselves for the past few weeks, but they had a history together. Besides, she’d followed all the rules with Rob, and look where that had left her? In that instant, she knew exactly where she wanted to be—wherever Jack was. Swallowing the knot of happiness in her throat, she smiled. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  THE END

  About the Author

  Elena Kane lives in a small town in Ohio where she teaches preschool.

  She absolutely loves it because she is free to be herself. Elena has three children, two boys and a girl, and they are the light of her busy life.

  She loves the Green Bay Packers and swimming, is determined to live on a sunny beach someday, and—most importantly—she loves to read! Reading is her way to relax and forget her worries. She loves getting on her treadmill with a good book!

  Other works by the author with Melange Books, LLC

  Frozen Dreams (Frozen, A Winter Romance Anthology)

  Connect with Elena at:

  www.facebook.com/elenakanewriter

  ONE PERFECT

  MOMENT

  By Tara Fox Hall

  For every first kiss and last kiss goodbye, and everyone who every hoped to have one perfect moment with the one they loved...and got more than they wished for.

  “Do you think we’ll see any cheerleaders, Ice?” Allen murmured to his friend, his usually calm blue eyes alight with excitement.

  “Even if we do, they’ll probably look a lot different than the last time you saw them at one of your games,” Dustin “Iceberg” Bergman replied, shifting his feet as he leaned onto the bar. He reached for his glass then took back his hand, resisting the urge to take another sip of his drink. As much as the alcohol might soothe his nerves, the last thing he wanted to do was deaden his senses. “And don’t call me Ice, either. It’s either Dustin or Dusty now.”

  “Some of us liked our high school years,” Allen said with a mock glower. “We didn’t need to rebel against everything and anything, and wear black leather jackets.”

  “We never wore any black leather jackets,” Dustin retorted, cracking an involuntary smile. “So I didn’t get into sports like you did, so what? It’s not like I was a criminal or anything!”

  “I can recall once or twice when you ended up in jail for the night,” Allen teased. “Remember that prank you pulled? The homecoming queen’s crown—”

  “We don’t need to get into all that.” Dustin motioned to his friend to keep his voice down.

  “Uh, that’s exactly what reunions are for,” Allen said, giving him an odd look. “Why are you so nervous, anyway? It’s not like you’re unemployed and living with your parents. You’ve got a thriving carpentry business, and you’re in good shape, unlike some.” Allen patted the beginning paunch of his own formerly flat stomach. “So what’s got you so riled up?” Before Dustin could answer, a football friend of Allen’s came over, loudly singing something. Allen turned to him and began talking.

  “Nothing,” Dustin murmured, relieved to not have to bring up the source of his anxiety. Yet even as he brought his glass to his mouth, one name came unbidden to his mind: Coriander.

  What will she look like after ten years? Even if she cut that long blonde hair, those blue-green eyes of hers will still be deep enough for me to drown in all over again. What if she doesn’t remember me the way I remember her? What if she sees me and looks right through me? Worse, what if I see that same disillusionment in her eyes the moment she realizes it's me?

  ~ * ~

  “Cori, hi!”

  Coriander pasted a smile on her face as a heavyset brunette approached her. She delved into the depths of her memory in search of a name to go with the earnest, smiling face. “Brenda?”

  “Yes, of course, Brenda,” the woman said, her smile widening. “God, Cori, you look great! You look just like you did in high school! You haven’t changed a bit.”

  Cori nodded, continuing the conversation in all the right places, even as she scanned the crowd for someone to save her. While Brenda had been an acquaintance more than a decade ago, Cori hadn’t come tonight to chat about old times.

  You know why you came tonight. There’s just one person you’re hoping to see, even if you’re scared to death to face him after how things ended between you.

  Cori forced herself to utter an excuse, and then moved away from Brenda, greeting some of her old classmates warmly, nodding to others. With a small graduating class and the blessing of popularity, there was almost no one here Cori hadn’t known by the end of her senior year. They had all known her as well: friendly, outspoken, eager to volunteer for activities in the community and never one to ridicule someone unpopular, even when tempted by those around her who did.

  It’s nice to remember a time when I was innocent. At least until that night I met Ice.

  Cori flushed at the memory and slipped into the nearby bathroom, shutting herself in a stall. She sat for a moment on the toilet seat, trying to come to terms with the sudden memories flooding her mind.

  Ice catching her gaze across a crowded room. Leaving her last class a day later to find him in the parking lot with the unspoken invitation, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, holding the car door of his black Torino open. The wild ride that followed down one country road after another, windows down, the intoxicating smell of wildflowers strong and undeniable. The stop at the ice cream stand, where he’d treated her to a small baby cone when she’d refused anything else on the grounds of her strict diet. The walk by the banks of the nearby river, the long pauses in their easy conversation whenever their gazes locked again. Cori desperately hoping the dark boy-man would take her in his arms the way she had fantasized, yet terrified to make a move herself to touch him. The thunderstorm that moved in just as they returned, driving them back into the car and into one another’s arms. The long kiss that followed, steaming up the car windows completely.

  Cori closed her eyes, drew in a long shuddering breath and hugged herself as she released it with a tremor. How can a kiss that happened more than ten years ago make my heart race so fast?

  Ice and she had been inseparable after that kiss, even though her friends and his were vocal in their disapproval. Cori and Ice dated all through high school, shunning the major dances and games for long walks and late night talks by the light of fireflies. Cori had never been so happy and thought she had found her soul mate. Entirely without meaning to, she began to plan their future after high school: college, marriage, then children and careers. Maybe not in that order, but those ambitions were a certainty.

  On the night of what would have been their prom, Cori wanted to cement that future. Ice had never pushed for more than passionate kisses or some light touching in all their time together, in spite of his so-called bad reputation. He’d also never mentioned getting married, or anything beyond maybe some college, if he could decide on a major. That they wouldn’t go to the prom was a given; that they’d spend the whole night together—their first night all alone—was, too. In Cori’s opinion, that night was the perfect moment to move things to the next level. She had never thought Ice would be anything but a learned guide on her journey to becoming a woman. And after she had given herself to him, he would ask her to be his forever, and their happily ever after would start then and there, The days would stretch out before them toward some unknown, yet wonderful future.

  You never think that a moment you looked forward to that much, planned to a T, could be anything except perfect. God, was I wrong.

  Cori had assumed that Ice, a man of the world, had sex before her. That night Cori saw Ice for what he was: just a boy her own age who wanted to impress her and appear much more knowledgeable. Not that she’d acted much better, being a virgin herself. The night
had been a complete disaster as soon as it had moved beyond kissing to hesitant, then desperate fumbling. And while the young couple had managed to consummate the act, both of them had been embarrassed and disappointed.

  Funny how something I wanted so much to bring us closer together only drove us apart.

  After they had sex, Cori had been unable to let go of her fantasy and the inadequacy of the real experience. She’d distanced herself from Ice, even said a few sarcastic comments that made her flush in memory. She’d refused to call him by his nickname, telling Dustin that he didn’t deserve it. She wasn’t sure why but that had seemed to hurt him the most. When he’d walked away from her that day, he’d walked out of her life. A month later, she’d gone to his home to make amends, but Dustin had already left for college in another state.

  Cori bit her lip. All these years, and you’ve never heard a word from him. Dustin probably will give you a wide berth, if he doesn’t just say something cutting that’s long overdue. What do you expect, that he’ll just forgive you for being a jerk? Fall down on his knees and tell you to give him another chance?

  “I don’t want any of that, in any case,” Cori murmured aloud. “I’m already engaged to Stefan.”

  Stefan Van Kellam II, a name right out of a romance tale. The man himself is cool, collected ... and the best gentleman I’ve ever known. He’s been a perfect boyfriend, a perfect lover, and so far the perfect fiancé. So why am I here thinking about someone else?

  Cori blinked, then stood up and left the stall, making her way to the mirror. Though her makeup was still fresh, her face was flushed. Hurriedly, she splashed some cool water on the inside of her wrists and then patted her cheeks. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re getting exactly what you’ve always wanted. Dustin has nothing to do with your future, only your past. Now get out there and be nice to everyone. Tomorrow you can forget all of this and go back to your perfect future.

  Resolved, Cori put her head up and her shoulders back then marched back out to the party.

  ~ * ~

  Allen came back over to Dustin at the bar and slapped him on the back. “Enjoying yourself yet?”

  “Of course,” Dustin answered, still scanning the crowd for a glimpse of Cori.

  “She just came out of the bathroom,” Allen said with a knowledgeable smirk. “Looks like she’s kept in shape, too.”

  Dustin shot a surprised look at Allen, and then his hungry gaze fastened on Cori. She stood talking to a tall man he didn’t recognize. He drank in the sight of her: those graceful hand movements she’d always used in conversation, her infectious laugh, and the way her face practically glowed when she was truly happy about something. I used to make her that happy once. Will she ever give me that chance again?

  “If you’re waiting for the perfect moment, this is it,” Allen quipped. “I have it on good authority she’s not married.”

  Dustin was already moving, throwing down the last of his drink for courage as he headed toward Cori. He was almost to her when she turned suddenly, their gaze locking on one another. That same electrical charge jolted through Dustin in an instant, sweeping away the years without her. With an irresistible urge to kiss her, he reached out to bring Cori into his arms.

  “Hey, Iceberg!” a voice called from behind him. “Ice!”

  Cori dropped her gaze instantly, breaking the connection. Dustin took a deep breath, his hands falling again at his side as an old friend grasped his arm, turning him as he launched into conversation. Dustin smiled then quickly excused himself to go to Cori, only to find she had vanished. Feeling a twinge of fear, Dustin raced toward the nearest exit.

  ~ * ~

  Idiot! You almost let him kiss you without even saying a word! So much for your resolve. Cori hurried to her car, fumbling with her keys to try to get them into the lock faster. She had to get away from here before Dustin came after her. She knew that familiar look in his eyes. The one he always used to have when they were coming to the end of the night, and he wanted to kiss her.

  The game we played that led up to the kiss. Kind of a repeat of our first date, where we both wanted to kiss but held off until we couldn’t stand it anymore. We were never like normal teens, groping at one another the moment we got alone together. We were always telling jokes, and teasing one another, laughing at each other and the weirdness of the world. The more time we spent together, the more pregnant with meaning the pauses between our words became; the heated chemistry between us built ever stronger. We weren’t mature enough to know what to say, far too young to quote romantic poetry, even if we could have gotten past our shyness. So, we said nothing. But it was all there in our eyes—that pure longing—a wanting so strong it threatened to eclipse everything else. It only took looking into his eyes again tonight for me to want to give everything I am and take everything he has to offer ...

  “Cori! Wait!”

  Cori shuddered and turned, keys forgotten in her hand as Dustin jogged up to her. She took in his slim physique, his earnest clean-shaven face, the dark hair curling over his collar. How many times did I run my hands through his hair as we kissed? Resisting the sudden urge to touch him, Cori shoved both of her hands into her pockets. She bit back a curse, as the keys tore a small hole in her pocket lining.

  Dustin shoved the dark hair out of his eyes with his hand, his hazel eyes staring down into hers. “Hi, Cori.”

  Say something. “Hi, Dustin.”

  He shifted his weight nervously. “I didn’t want you to leave without saying goodbye.”

  “We never said hello yet,” Cori quipped. A sudden grin appeared unbidden on her face. “Don’t you think we should start there?”

  Dustin stared down at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. Cori joined in almost immediately. The familiar combined sound comforted them both and evaporated the tension between them like so much smoke.

  “Yes, I do,” Dustin said, his expression much more relaxed. “Hello, Coriander. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

  “It’s wonderful to be seen,” Cori said, smiling. “I’m glad you came, Dustin.”

  “I wanted to see you,” he said simply, staring at her.

  The tension that had so abruptly left flowed back in a tidal wave, engulfing Cori. She stared up at him like a deer caught frozen in headlights, waiting for him to accuse her, to call her a bitch for her behavior, to tell her that he’d only come to give their teen love an adult ending, to cauterize the still seeping wound. Instead of accusation, Dustin looked at her with hungry eyes, as if he had asked some question and still awaited an answer.

  “Why?” she managed to squeak.

  “I’ve missed you all these years,” he murmured and stepped close, his arms going around her.

  Why did you leave then? Cori wanted to scream. Instead, she shut her eyes, leaning into the warmth of his chest.

  “Do you have anyone?” Dustin murmured. “I’m single now.”

  His question snapped Cori back to reality. Unease and self-reproach settled in her chest like a contagion. Don’t do this to him; don’t add new insult to old injury. She took a step back, moving out of Dustin’s arms. “I’m engaged, Dustin. I’m sorry, I should have”

  “It’s all right,” Dustin said quickly and took a step back himself. “It’s not like I gave you a lot of time to bring it up, Cori.” He forced a smile. “I’m glad you’re happy, really. When I thought of you over the years, I always hoped you were happy.”

  Cori gritted her teeth. Her eyes shifted from the ground to her car, anywhere but at Dustin, unwilling to see his hurt expression. He had never been able to hide his feelings from her. But then he didn’t try, did he? There isn’t a duplicitous bone in his body. Unlike you, who practically grew up lying ...

  “Do you have some time before you head back to ... um, where are you now?” Dustin continued. “Maybe we can do lunch or dinner?”

  “I live just over the state line,” Cori said, wincing at the unnatural cheerfulness of her tone. She felt relief to
have kept her true feelings hidden. “But I’ll be here through the weekend for the dinner and dance tomorrow night.”

  “Great,” Dustin replied, appearing to ignore her tone. “We can catch up there.”

  Cori stared at him a moment and considered telling him it wasn’t a good idea. It would be better to just walk away now and leave the old wounds alone. But was it? Down deep, she still had questions of her own, if not an apology that was long overdue.

  Dustin shifted his weight, tilting his head as he looked at her. “If you want to, that is.”

  How can he look at me like that and make the rest of the world fall away as if it’s nothing? Cori forced a smile, then reached out and clasped his hand in hers. “That would be fun, Dustin,” she affirmed. “Of course I can’t wait to catch up. I’ve got close to a decade of embarrassing moments to share with you.” Her smile widened, becoming genuine. “You’re going to die laughing, probably.”

  Dustin took her hand in his, and then kissed the back of it. “Believe it or not, I’ve made more than my share of mistakes,” he said huskily. He looked up at her meaningfully. “But I think you already know that, Cori.”

  Get out of here right now. Right now before something happens! Cori managed a quick smile, turned and opened her door, then slid quickly into the front seat of her rental car. She shut the door and cranked the key in the ignition, not daring to see if Dustin was still there. At that moment, he knocked on the glass. Apprehensive, Cori lowered the window.

  “So tomorrow night, then?” Dustin asked. “I’ll be there right at five, when it starts.”

  Just the same: absolutely oblivious to how he affected her. Cori laughed aloud, and then nodded. “I’ll see you then. But forgive me if I’m a little late, I’ve got a lot—”