Big Girls Don’t Cry (Dundee, Idaho #6)(79)
Author: Brenda Novak

Laughing, Reenie let him twirl her around. He felt so solid, so warm and wonderful in her grasp. She even liked the scratch of his whiskers as he kissed her neck. But was he serious? Would she get to wake up with him for the rest of her life? She wanted that more than anything, but she hated the thought that he might regret his decision and feel deprived later on.

“Isaac,” she said, breathless from the spinning and the sudden excitement.

He let her feet touch the floor. “What?”

“He loves Mommy,” she heard Isabella loudly whisper to her awed sisters.

“Are you going to get married?” Jennifer asked.

Isaac’s gaze was still locked with Reenie’s, but he answered. “Yes.”

“Goody!” Angela clapped her hands. “Does Mica know?”

“No one knows yet,” he said. “I’m sill waiting for your mother to say yes.”

Reenie caught his face between her hands. “What about Africa?” she asked. “You know I want you here with us, but…”

“I would’ve been miserable without you, Reenie. Since I met you everything’s changed.”

“But the forest elephant, and your work—”

He silenced her with a kiss. “Don’t worry about that. I’m going to write a book incorporating my research and ideas. And when the girls are older, we’ll all go there together. As a family.”

“A family,” one of the girls echoed, sighing, as though what she’d just witnessed was the most romantic thing in the world.

“Tell him yes, Mom,” Jennifer said.

“Tell him you love him,” Isabella added passionately, and Angela giggled.

“Will you marry me, Reenie? We might have to some juggling while I write and teach. We might not have much money for a while. But I’ll always be faithful to you, I’ll always love you and I’ll be a good stepfather to your children.”

Tears welled in Reenie’s eyes. She couldn’t remember ever being so happy. “Then how could we be any richer?” she said.

He grinned at their small observers. “That’s a yes,” he told them.

“That’s a yes,” she confirmed and felt Jennifer, Angela and Isabella crowd close as Isaac gave them all a hug.