She raised her voice again, so that the crowd could hear and understand that this was a man who still had everything-could father a child, could hold his head up among other men.
‘I’m pregnant, Jared. It didn’t take you long, did it? Just a few weeks and here we go again. Well, this time you have to make an honest woman of me. Or I’m going to make an honest man of you. Whichever is the easier.’
Cheers and applause from the mechanics. She dropped her voice again.
‘I won’t take no for an answer. I know you don’t love me, but-’
‘Don’t be so damned ridiculous,’ he roared. ‘Of course I love you. I’m mad about you. How could you be blind enough not to know that?’
‘Well, I didn’t,’ she yelled back. ‘You’ve kept it a mighty secret.’
‘Nonsense. I’ve given myself away at every turn. Everyone else knows I’m crazy about you. Why don’t you?’
‘Maybe because you didn’t want me to know?’ she accused.
‘You are one infuriating woman!’
‘I need to be to put up with you. I never know where I am.’
‘Then let’s settle it,’ he growled, and yanked her into his arms.
More cheers and applause, but neither of them heard, so totally absorbed were they in enjoying each other as they had thought never to do again. It was like being kissed for the first time, and yet being kissed by a man whose kisses she knew with every fibre of her being, and wanted to know for their rest of her life.
When they became aware of the joyful audience Jared pulled her aside into a tiny room.
‘Are you sure?’ he said urgently.
‘Quite sure. You read that strip.’
‘I don’t mean that. Are you sure I won’t harm you if-?’
‘If you marry me? You’re going to marry me. Haven’t you understood that yet? You’re mine. I claim possession. No argument. Now I’m in the driving seat-my foot on the accelerator, my hands on the wheel.’
‘We go wherever you say,’ he agreed.
‘Think you can live with that?’
‘I think it sounds wonderful,’ he said fervently, discovering to his own surprise that he meant it.
He could have trusted no other woman in the world like this. But she knew everything about him: the best-his strengths, his determination, the power of his heart-and the worst-his weaknesses, the things he feared, the things he couldn’t say and relied on her to know without words.
That knowledge gave her power over him, and he was content to have it so.
‘Love, honour and obey,’ he said, smiling faintly.
‘Think you can manage all three?’ she challenged.
‘I guess I’ll have to.’
‘Let’s call Mike.’
‘Yes, let’s. Then we’ll talk to Sam and Ethel-ask them to start looking for a house big enough for all five of us.’
She gave him a joyful kiss, and made the call. From outside came cries of ‘Why are we waiting?’ and they went out to be smothered with cheers and embraces.
It was time for the race. Jared took off around the track, driving the race of his life, and when he sped triumphantly across the finishing line he knew that his family were with him, as now they would always be.
For the first time in years he was not alone, and he would never be alone again. It was his greatest victory.
