Eboni heart wanted to scream yes. She had to make some demands first. "Before I answer, I have a few questions for you."
The crowd around them groaned.
Eboni didn't care. With Gunnar at her feet, she needed answers. "Do you trust me now?"
Gunnar nodded. "With my life."
"Did you give a donation to the community center recently?"
Gunnar paused before he answered, but he eventually nodded. "You weren't supposed to know. I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted to help."
She smiled.
"Is that it? No more questions?" he asked.
"Only one. You don't want us to get married in Vegas, do you?"
Gunnar beamed. "We'll marry wherever you want."
"Then, yes, Gunnar Wells, I'll marry you."
Gunnar slipped the ring on Eboni's finger and stood as quickly as he could. If he'd had the strength to pick her up and swing her around, he would have. For now, she would have to settle for a kiss.
"Hot damn. We get to go to a wedding." Shay clapped her hands.
"I'm just glad our girl found her man." Tillman laughed.
Eboni had waited a long time to get Gunnar. Now that she had him, she would never let him go.
"We don't have to stay in Virginia if you don't want to." Eboni patted his chest.
Gunnar blinked. "You would move? What about your family?"
"I'm moving out of my apartment, and my aunt has secured herself an assisted-living condo. My cousin can fend for himself. For what he did to you, he should live under a rock. With your recent donation and this potential business, we don't have to stay here if you don't want to."
Gunnar held her around her waist. "Baby, me wanting to leave this place had nothing to do with me being bored or wanting something different and exciting. I had issues here. I don't anymore. Now I have you. Anywhere you are, that's where I'll be."
Gunnar had given Eboni the answer she'd been wanting to hear for over ten years.
"I love you, Eboni. I've always loved you. I always will." He kissed her.
"I love you too. I'm never letting you go."
"You'd better not. If you do, I'll be there quick to snatch him up!" Shay sashayed back to her station.
"Hey, easy. He has two other brothers. Go after them." Eboni laughed as she held on to her man.
Her man. She liked the sound of that.
Gunnar paced in the room. He kept his gaze down to the carpeted floor. When he got to the end and glanced up, he noticed bathrooms at the end of the hall. He turned and paced the other way toward the large window that overlooked a fountain and the hospital parking lot.
A twinge of pain hit his side. The doctor had told him walking would be good for him. He ignored the pain and continued his march. No way he could relax now.
Gunnar swung his arms around him to loosen up his tightening muscles. His mind swam with possible outcomes. One outcome he didn't want.
"Baby? Come sit down. You're making me nervous."
Gunnar turned to Eboni, who sat so poised in the hospital waiting room. He sat in between her and Gideon. Both Gunnar's and his brother's knees bounced as they waited to get an update on their mother's surgery.
"Are you sure Thane knows about the surgery?" Gunnar asked his brother.
"Mom said she called him last night." Gideon wrung his hands together. He glanced at his watch. "It's been two hours. Shouldn't we have gotten an update by now?"
Eboni held Gunnar's hand. She squeezed it as though reassuring him, or maybe she wanted to remind him of her presence.
"She'll be okay." Gunnar leaned back in the chair. "I keep telling myself that."
"Family for Elizabeth Sommerville," the information desk person bellowed.
Even with his injury, Gunnar managed to get up first and get to the desk. "Yes?"
"The surgical nurse is on the phone for you."
Gunnar picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi, your mother is doing fine. Her heart is strong, which is helping. We'll be another hour and a half or so and we'll let you know when the surgery is over."
Gunnar breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks so much for the update." He turned to his family, his brother and his future wife. He liked thinking of her in that way.
"The nurse said Mom is doing fine so far. Her heart is strong. She's got another ninety minutes or more in surgery." Gunnar sat down next to Eboni.
"Good. I'm starving. Anyone else hungry?" Gideon stood.
"No, I'm too wound up to eat." Gunnar shook his head.
"I'm fine." Eboni waved her hand at him.
"Okay. I'm going to find the cafeteria. I'll be back."
Eboni interlaced her fingers with Gunnar's. "Did you ever think we would be back together?"
Gunnar turned her hand over to look at her engagement ring. "Deep in my heart, I had hope we would."
"I can't wait to start my life with you."
Gunnar couldn't wait either. "We could elope. I don't want to miss a second not being your husband."
Eboni started to look like she wanted to agree, then she stopped. "Your mother will kill us if we don't have a big wedding."
Gunnar laughed. "You're right about that." He put his hand to her stomach. "I can't wait."
"I know. Trying again should be fun." She placed her hand on his leg.
Gunnar arrested her hand to stop her. "Keep it up and we'll be finding an empty room."
Eboni laughed. "I love you, Gunnar."
"I love you too. I have to warn you. You're marrying in to a crazy family."
Eboni smiled. "Ditto."
Gunnar laughed. If he had to spend eternity with a wacky family, Eboni would be the only person he could do that with. She fit in his life perfectly.
Meet the Author.
Crystal Bright graduated with a B.A. from Old Dominion University with a major in Creative Writing, a minor in Communications, and an emphasis on Public Relations. She earned her M.A. from Seton Hill University in Writing Popular Fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chesapeake.
Books by Crystal B. Bright.
Mama's Boys.
The Look Of Love.