Her Perfect Stranger

'Yes, I think I do.' Corrine gulped, but then managed a hysterical laugh when her mother turned to leave. Grabbing Louisa's wrist, she shook her head. 'No, it's not that kind of sickness. It's my heart, you see.' And she rubbed the ache that had settled there the day she'd met Mike and had never, not once in all these months, gone away.

'Oh, dear Lord. You've got heart problems? You didn't tell me! We'll get a second opinion. Your father-'

'Mom, it's…' She took a big gulp of air. 'It's love. I think I'm in love with Mike. I just realized it, just now, and it's making me sick.'

'Oh, darling!'

'Don't look so excited,' Corrine warned, pointing a finger at the joy scrambling across her mother's face. 'This is a terrible thing. I actually-' she pressed both hands to her heart now '-I actually want forever with him.'

Louisa's eyes filled. 'Oh, baby.'

'Don't you dare cry.'

Louisa sniffed and wiped a tear from her cheek. 'I'm not.' Then a sob escaped and she slapped a hand over her mouth. 'Really, I'm not.'

'Mom!'

'I can't help it,' Louisa cried. 'It's just that I'm so thrilled for me. He's just what I always wanted in a son-in- law.'

'No! Mike can't know!'

'What? Why not?'

'Don't you see? This can't happen. It just can't. It's an impossible situation, for a million different reasons.' Though all of them were crowding her head, she couldn't put words to any of them.

'Name one,' her mother commanded.

'There's…well…'

Louisa cocked a brow. 'Why, Corrine?'

'Yes,' Mike said from the doorway, with a perfectly indescribable look on his face. 'Why?'

Corrine's stomach dropped to her toes. So did her heart, and all her other vital organs.

How much had he heard?

There was no telling from the look on his face. 'I-I thought you were chopping wood.'

'I was. Until I got the strange feeling there was something far more interesting going on in here.' He leaned back against the doorjamb, casual as you please. 'I was right.'

'Yes, well.' Corrine leaped to her feet and became a whirlwind of activity, busying herself by straightening up an already tidy kitchen. 'We were just-'

'Talking about me,' he said, taking her shoulders, turning her to face him.

How had he moved so fast? Reluctantly she looked into those dark eyes, thinking Please don't have heard me, oh please don't have heard.

But those eyes were filled with knowing, and she swallowed hard. 'You caught it all, didn't you?' she whispered.

'Every word.'

13

She loved him.

Mike hadn't imagined it, had never dared give thought to the possibility. But now his heart was racing, his entire body humming. He could think of nothing else. 'Say it again,' he demanded.

'I don't think so.'

'Please?'

That surprised her, and he realized he hadn't often shown her his polite, gentle, tender side, not unless they were in bed.

That would change, because he intended to make her the happiest woman on earth.

'I think you should go,' she said calmly, her eyes alone showing her panic.

'Nope, that wasn't what you said.' He cocked his head and smiled, though he was so nervous he could hardly draw a breath. 'Try again.'

'No, I mean I think you should leave. Now.'

He looked at Louisa, who gave a sympathetic shrug. 'You have things to discuss,' she said. 'I'm going to give you some privacy.'

'We don't need it,' Corrine said quickly, but her mother only put a finger to her lips.

'Listen to him, honey. For once, slow down and listen.'

Louisa left, and Corrine stood there looking cornered. When cornered, Mike knew, she came out fighting.

But fight or discuss, calm or agitated, they were doing this. 'We can make it,' he said softly. 'We can make this work, no matter what our jobs are, no matter how different we are, no matter what. Are you getting this?' She studied her shoes. 'If we try hard enough, nothing can stop us,' he insisted.

'I can think of lots of things to stop us.'

'Such as?' He smiled in the face of her fear, even as his heart constricted. 'I know it's terrifying.' Close enough to touch now, he took her hands in his. 'Truth is, I've been terrified since the day I met you, and I didn't realize why until just a moment ago, when I heard you say you love me.'

She made a sound of misery and fury, and tried to tug her hands free.

He held on.

She tugged again, but he was quicker and stronger. 'I love you back, Corrine. I always have and I always will.'

She hadn't so much as blinked. 'What did you say?'

'I said I love you back.' He waited while that sank in, while her eyes went from heated to glassy with shock. 'I want this to work.'

'Work.'

'Between us. And I want forever. As in the white dress, the minivan, kids…'

'Kids.'

'Or not.' He shrugged. 'I can go either way, unless we're talking about us. Because that's one thing I'm pretty set on, Corrine. You.'

'You're set.'

He had to smile. 'You're sounding like a parrot. Tell me this is good news. Tell me you meant what you said to your mom. That you know we can do this.'

She only stared at him.

'Tell me something. Anything.'

'You love me.'

'Yes.'

'You want to get married.'

'Yes. Wait, I didn't do that right at all.' He dropped to one knee, then reached for her hand.

'Corrine.' His heart was in his throat. 'You waltzed into my life and changed it forever with your incredible smile and fierce passion. You-'

'My, God. Are you…proposing?'

'I'm trying.'

'You'd better hurry, then.' A half laugh escaped her. 'I don't think my legs are going to hold me.'

'Did I mention your bossy ways?'

'Mike-'

'Yes,' he said with a laugh, even as his throat burned. 'I'm proposing. I love you, Corrine. I want to love you forever. Will you marry me?'

'If it's just passion and a smile you're attached to, I give those to you freely. You don't have to marry me for them.'