Evidently picking up on the fact that she wasn't in a talkative mood, Brad turned back to his computer and resumed typing. Jasmine sighed, regretting her solemn mood and hoping she wouldn't cry again. Over the past three days that was all she'd done.
She had needed time alone and had decided to get away. After packing up all her stuff in Wesley's house she had decided to take the hour drive to Fernandina Beach, Florida. She had checked into a hotel on the beach and stayed mainly in her hotel room. She had not wanted any contact with the outside world.
She had tried to eradicate Wesley from her mind, as well as her heart.
Of course she had done a poor job of it. Love wasn't supposed to hurt this way but it did and she wanted none of it. She understood that he'd been hurt in college, but it had been unfair for him to group her and Caroline Perry in the same category.
Not wanting to think about Wesley any longer, she thought of the conversation she'd had with her father earlier that morning. He had called and invited her to meet him for breakfast. It was then that he'd told her of his decision to divorce Evelyn. He'd confided that he wasn't happy with his marriage and hadn't been for quite some time. He felt it was time to bring things to an end. He had planned to see his attorney later that day to file the papers and intended to give Evelyn what he considered a generous divorce settlement. A part of Jasmine truly regretted things had ended that way.
She looked up, startled, when Polly, the staff secretary, set a huge vase of fresh-cut flowers in front of her.
"This was just delivered to you, Jazz. It's a beautiful arrangement. Whoever he is, you might want to think about keeping him around," the perky woman said before walking off.
Jasmine noticed the delivery had gotten Brad's and a couple of the other reporters' attention. As calmly as she could, she pulled off the card and read it. There were two words: I'm sorry.
Jasmine breathed deeply. Although the card had not been signed she had a good idea who had sent the flowers. Deciding she didn't want to deal with Wes's apology at the moment, she opened her desk drawer and placed the card inside.
Less than thirty minutes later Polly came back to her desk with another arrangement of flowers, this time a dozen red roses. "This guy is pretty serious," Polly said, sitting the flowers next to the other arrangement. "I know I would keep him around," she added.
As soon as Polly walked off, Jasmine quickly pulled off the card and read it: I love you.
Her breath caught in her throat. "Since when?" she couldn't help asking herself angrily out loud.
"Since the first moment I saw you."
Jasmine turned around to find Wes standing beside her desk. "What are you doing here?" she asked barely able to catch her breath.
"I'm here to see you and to make amends."
She noticed her co-workers' curious stares and wondered where Security was when you needed them. "I got the flowers and want to thank you but we don't have anything to say to each other, Wes."
"You may have nothing to say to me but I have a lot to say to you."
She frowned, again noticing her co-workers' attention. "I don't want to listen, Wes, and this is not the time or the place."
He leaned against her desk. "For us any time is the right time and any place is the right place."
Her face turned a darker brown when she suddenly remembered how they'd made love any time and practically any place over the past month. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"But I want to talk about it. I owe you an apology and I want to say that I'm sorry, right here and right now. I misjudged you because of my experience with another reporter back in college and I had no right to do that. I'm truly sorry, Jasmine."
Jasmine frowned. "Great, you're sorry. Now can I get back to work?"
"And I love you, Jasmine."
Jasmine closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. Telling her that he was sorry was one thing but telling her that he loved her was another. "No, you don't."
"Yes, I do. That's the reason I hurt so bad when I thought you had betrayed me. If I hadn't loved you so much, I would not have gotten as mad as I did. I love you, Jasmine. I love you and I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that I am worthy of your love."
Tears streamed down Jasmine's face. She couldn't help but notice the entire office had stopped working and was watching the two of them. Even Manny had come out of his office to see what was going on.
At that moment the reader board that was hooked up to the wire service began beeping and everyone turned to read the message that was boldly blinking.
Wesley Brooks loves Jasmine Carmody and is asking for her hand in marriage.
Jasmine turned and met Wes's gaze, wondering how he had arranged that, then decided Wesley Brooks could do just about anything, even capture her heart.
In front of her and everyone in her office who were looking on, he got down on his knees and took her hand in his. "I love you, Jasmine, and more than anything I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"
Jasmine wiped the tears from her eyes. She knew that Wes was a very private person and it had taken a lot for him to come down to the newsroom to make not only a public apology but a public proposal, as well. She loved him and was convinced that he loved her.
"I love you, too, and yes, Wes, I'll marry you."
Cheers went up and everyone applauded. Wes placed a huge diamond ring on Jasmine's finger before pulling her into his arms, sealing her answer with a kiss.
Jasmine's heart overflowed with love and she knew at that moment that she was the luckiest woman in the world.
* * *
Later that night Jasmine lay in Wesley's arms while she slept completely naked, except for the locket around her neck and the new engagement ring on her finger.
Wesley drew a deep, calming breath as he studied the peaceful look on Jasmine's face. His hand gently caressed her stomach. Visions of her pregnant suddenly filled his mind.
Becoming a father was something that he had never thought about before. He had been in awe at how easily Jake had stepped into the role of father. He knew his best friend loved his son to distraction, even though a year ago the last thing on Jake's mind was having an immediate family. Now Jake looked like he wouldn't think of having it any other way.
Being careful not to wake her, he slid his arms around Jasmine and brought her closer to him, needing the bodily contact. He'd come so close to losing her.
Suddenly she stirred in his arms and her eyes opened. "You're awake," he said softly.
At the sound of Wesley's husky voice she glanced over at him. His smile was warm, seductive. His gaze had moved from her face to the nipples of her exposed breasts. "Yes, I'm awake."
His hazel eyes returned to her face. "Good."
He moved his body over hers and took her mouth. Her body trembled and she knew the love they had would last a lifetime. He broke off the kiss and held her gaze. She still couldn't believe that he had actually come to the newsroom to apologize and to ask her to marry him.
Another surprise had been the arrangement he'd made with Miranda Danforth. After leaving the newsroom, he had taken her to Harold and Miranda's home where the older woman had a surprise informal dinner party planned with all the Danforths present. Tears had come into Jasmine's eyes when Abraham Danforth gave a touching speech, welcoming her into the Danforth family.
Wesley and Jasmine had decided to plan a small private wedding on Wesley's property; a section on the Savannah River where he had taken her for picnics several times. It was a special place where they would talk for hours and make love under the beautiful sky. The river held special memories for the both of them and they felt it would be the ideal place to pledge their lives together.
"I love you," Wesley whispered softly.
"I love you, too."
Earlier when they had arrived at his home, before making love to her, he had held her tenderly in his arms and told her the entire story of Caroline Perry and how the woman's betrayal had made him leery of falling in love again—especially with another reporter.
She had understood and had tried kissing away all the pain that Caroline Perry had ever caused him.
"No regrets?" he asked with their gazes still locked.
She shook her head. "None."
"What about your desire to write that 'big story'?" he asked quietly.
Jasmine thought about his question a while before answering. "In a way that article on Jake and Larissa was my big story. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about it and I found out it's not what story you write, but rather how you write the story." And to think she had once been so hell-bent on bringing the Danforth family down. But that was before a certain person in that family had stolen a place in her heart.
"Everyone is right you know," he said reclaiming her thoughts. "You did a wonderful job on that article. Jake and Larissa are as much in love as you said they were." He pulled her closer to him, wanting to make love to her again.
Jasmine smiled. "I know. That's why I felt that I had to be the one to write the story to do it justice. Whenever I see them I think of love."
"And what do you think about when you see us?" Wesley asked her.
She met his gaze and smiled. "I think of passion, love and happiness." She shifted in his arms. "What do you think about when you see us?"
Wesley chuckled. "I see a man who met his match, a man who found his soul mate."