A Better Reason to Fall in Love (30 page)
Read A Better Reason to Fall in Love Online
Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure
Tags: #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Fiction
The crowd cheered, quickly hushing, however, as Jagger continued. “
You might think I’m crazy…and that is just fine…
” Taking hold of the mike, Jagger’s eyes narrowed as his gravelly voice sang, “
But pretty Tabby Flanders, I gotta make-a you mine. I got it bad, Tabby Flanders…got it bad for you.
”
Tabby put her hands to her cheeks in an effort to cool her blush, but it was no use. And in that very moment, the true realization of why she’d had such a hard time at work hit her. How on earth could a woman concentrate on anything when a man like Jagger Brodie was waiting in the break room to kiss her—to tell her he loved her?
“
Tonight I’ve been using…this here diamond guitar pick
,” Jagger sang. “
Just wait there, Tabby Flanders, ’til I finish this lick. I got it bad, Tabby Flanders…got it bad for you.
”
Tabby frowned as her heart began to pound almost painfully in her chest—as goose bumps began racing over her body—as understanding, or at least hope in understanding, began to flood her entire soul!
She watched—awed as Rhett stepped up to take Jagger’s guitar as he handed it to him—watched as Jagger removed the mike from the mike stand and stepped down off the stage.
“
In just a minute now I’ll be…droppin’ down to one knee
,” Jagger sang as he swaggered toward her—as the crowd began to whistle. “
Oh pretty Tabby Flanders, won’t you marry me?
” he growled as he dropped to one knee before her, opening his free hand to reveal a diamond solitaire ring lying in his palm. “
’Cause I got the marry me, Tabby…marry me, Tabby, blues.
”
As Tabby gasped and covered her mouth with her hands to hold back the sobbing begging for release, the crowd whistled and applauded as Jagger’s guttural vocals ripped, “
Oh yeah, people, now! I got the marry me, Tabby…please, Tabby, say I do!
”
Tabby collapsed then—collapsed into his waiting arms in a mess of sobbing and tears of joy.
“Baby,” Jagger breathed into her hair, “will you marry me? Will you marry me, Tabby?”
She couldn’t speak—couldn’t rein in her joyous sobbing. She could only nod—only cling to him—disbelieving and believing at the same time. She felt him take hold of her trembling left hand and slip the ring he’d been using as a guitar pick onto her ring finger.
“Marry me?” he asked again.
She nodded, still clinging to him. “Y-yes!” she managed to breathe.
As Jagger wrapped her in his arms, he shouted, “She said yes!” and the crowd erupted with approval and well wishes.
“I love you, Tabby,” he said as his mouth hovered just over hers. “I love you, I love you, I love you! Marry me, and I swear I’ll make as many of your dreams come true as I can.”
“I love you, Jagger,” she sobbed as he kissed her. “I love you!” She looked up to him then—gazed into his eyes. “And you already are all my dreams come true.”
Jagger kissed her, and everyone applauded again.
“May I have your attention, please?” Rhett said from the stage. “Thank you. Thank you. Jagger has asked me to do him one little favor—to play his and Tabby’s song through the restaurant sound system…so here we go!”
As everyone quieted down, Tabby brushed the tears from her cheeks and asked Jagger, “We have a song?”
“Baby!” he said, feigning astonishment. “Are you kidding me? Our song? You don’t know our song?”
As the first few familiar measures began shaking Sweet Genevieve’s, Tabby laughed—cried and laughed at the same time! As Kenny Loggins began singing “Footloose,” Tabby melted against Jagger. The restaurant and club patrons cheered and fairly leapt to their feet.
“And I have one more surprise for you,” Jagger shouted above the music and cheering.
“What?” Tabby asked, wondering what could possibly make this moment more perfect.
“Watch this,” he said, turning her in his arms. “Look.” He pointed across the room, and Tabby gasped.
Emmy had her back to the door. She hadn’t seen him approaching—him—the soldier dressed in digital camouflage—Luke.
“Jagger!” Tabby breathed as she watched Luke stride toward Emmy. More tears spilled over her cheeks.
“I got lucky,” Jagger explained. “Luke called your cell the other day when you were in the ladies’ room at work, and I answered it. He wanted you to help him surprise Emmy. He fibbed to her…told her wasn’t coming home until late June…but…there he is. Surprise!”
Tabby watched as Luke tapped Emmy on the shoulder—as she turned around, squealed with delight, and leapt into his arms. Almost instantly, the soldier dropped to one knee, pulled a small box out of his pocket, and held it up, offering it to her. Emmy squealed again, wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck, and began kissing him on every inch of the surface of his face.
The place was hopping! Sweet Genevieve’s was literally alive with cheering, whistling, dancing patrons.
Turning in his arms, Tabby raised herself on her toes and passionately kissed Jagger on the mouth.
“I love you, Jagger. You have no idea how much!” she told him. “And you’ve taught me something.”
“What’s that, sugar petals?” he asked.
She smiled and brushed more tears from her cheeks. Gazing up into his eyes, she answered, “That if I’ve actually won the heart of His Royal Hineyness…then anything…absolutely anything really is possible.”
“I believe it,” Jagger mumbled against her mouth. “I absolutely believe it.”
Author’s Note
Sometimes the thing I need most is just a little lighthearted escape. I know the same is true for you too! Therefore, being that
A Better Reason to Fall in Love
was exactly that for me while I was writing it, I hope it was exactly that for you while you were reading it.
And just to add a little more fun, I thought I’d offer these four little tidbits:
1. Anything is possible! Anything can happen! So just believe!
2. No one is perfect—and that it the truth. However,
this
is just as true—that
everyone
is perfect for
someone
!
3. Concerning the theory of six degrees of separation: In December of 2009, the average separation for users of Facebook was 5.73 degrees. That means that the 5.8 million members of Facebook can individually be linked to one another in less than six degrees!
4. And finally—for trivia’s sake—currently, my “Bacon Number” is three!
Ever lightheartedly yours,
Marcia Lynn McClure
My everlasting admiration, gratitude and love…
To my husband, Kevin…
My inspiration…
My heart’s desire…
The man of my every dream!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M
arcia Lynn McClure’s intoxicating succession of novels, novellas, and e-books—including
The Visions of Ransom Lake
,
A Crimson Frost
,
The Rogue Knight
, and most recently
The Pirate Ruse
—has established her as one of the most favored and engaging authors of true romance. Her unprecedented forte in weaving captivating stories of western, medieval, regency, and contemporary amour void of brusque intimacy has earned her the title “The Queen of Kissing.”
Marcia, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has spent her life intrigued with people, history, love, and romance. A wife, mother, grandmother, family historian, poet, and author, Marcia Lynn McClure spins her tales of splendor for the sake of offering respite through the beauty, mirth, and delight of a worthwhile and wonderful story.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(By first
in print
publishing date.)
The Heavenly Surrender (2001, 2002, 2009, 2011)
The Visions of Ransom Lake (2002, 2007)
Shackles of Honor (2002, 2009)
Dusty Britches (2003, 2008)
Desert Fire (2003)
To Echo the Past (2003, 2011)
The Fragrance of her Name (2004, 2009)
An Old-Fashioned Romance (2004, 2010)
Divine Deception (2005, 2011)
The Touch of Sage (2007, 2010)
Daydreams (2007)
Born for Thorton’s Sake (2007)
Sudden Storms (2007, 2011)
The Whispered Kiss (2008)
The Prairie Prince (2008)
The Highwayman of Tanglewood (2008)
The Highwayman of Tanglewood Hardcover Edition (2011)
Love Me (2009)
The Time of Aspen Falls (2009)
A Crimson Frost (2009)
Saphyre Snow (2009)
Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (2009)
Weathered Too Young (2010)
The Windswept Flame (2010)
The Anthology of Premiere Novellas Romantic Vignettes (2010)
The Pirate Ruse (2010)
The Rogue Knight (2010)
The Heavenly Surrender 10
th
Anniversary Special Edition (2011)
The Heavenly Surrender Hardcover Edition (2011)
Kissing Cousins (2011)
The Trove of the Passion Room (2011)
Sweet Cherry Ray (2011)
Midnight Masquerade (2011)
The Light of the Lovers’ Moon (2011)
Kiss in the Dark (2011)
The Tide of the Mermaid Tears (2011)
A Better Reason to Fall in Love (2011)
Take a Walk With Me (2011)
The Pirate Ruse
Historical Romance
Abducted! Forcibly taken from her home in New Orleans, Cristabel Albay found herself a prisoner aboard an enemy ship—and soon thereafter, transferred into the vile hands of blood-thirsty pirates! War waged between the newly liberated United States and King George. Still, Cristabel would soon discover that British sailors were the very least of her worries—for the pirate captain, Bully Booth, owned no loyalty—no sympathy for those he captured.
Yet hope was not entirely lost—for where there was found one crew of pirates—there was ever found another. Though Cristabel Albay would never have dreamed that she may find fortune in being captured by one pirate captain only to be taken by another—she did! Bully Booth took no man alive—let no woman live long. But the pirate Navarrone was known for his clemency. Thus, Cristabel’s hope in knowing her life’s continuance was restored.