Chapter 23

"I don't know To…Clay…it's really hard not to call you Tony," Laurel told him.

"You can keep calling me that if you like, but even when we were together I hated to not hear my real name on your lips."

"Then I will try hard to get used to calling you Clay."

"And the baby?"

"Well it might be confusing to call him or her Clay too, but…no really I still like the idea of Anthony or Antonia, it would remind us…me of our time together."

"I want there to be an 'us' if that is something you didn't know. I love you…should I call you Laurel or Shane?"

"Everyone here calls me Laurel, it might be weird if you were the only one that didn't."

"Alright then…I love you Laurel, and I want us to have a future together. How do you feel about that?"

"I love you too and as long as you aren't just saying that because of the baby, I want us to be together too."

"Baby or not I do. Even back in Italy I wanted to bring you to meet Mother. I was going to get the family engagement ring from her so I could propose properly."

"Really?" she sighed.

"Yes Laurel, I would never lie to you even though I had to when we first met, I was under cover and I hated every minute of it."

"I understand about that, in a way I was doing the same sort of thing. As long as we are honest with each other in the future," she said with a smile.

"I promise," he vowed.

"So what now?"

"Well I would get down on one knee, but I honestly don't know if I could get back up again. Would you forgive me if I proposed from this chair instead?"

"Don't you need your mother's approval and the family ring to do that?" she asked a bit nervously.

"There is no way that I am taking any chance on something else happening before I get an answer from you. The ring can come later if your answer is yes, and both our mothers already approve. Remember they were the ones trying to get us together all these years."

"In that case, you can propose to me from anywhere you like Clayton Webb."

Taking both of her hands in his, he asked, "Laurel Shane Harvester, will you make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife?"

"Yes I will Clay."

Leaning forward he kissed her to seal the promise.

The kissing might have gone on for some time, but Laurel's tummy loudly protested the fact that she was missing dinner. She gave an embarrassed laugh as Clay said, "It sounds like you and the baby are hungry."

"We are," she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Well then we should head into dinner and tell our families the news at the same time."

"Will your date be terribly upset?" Laurel wanted to know.

"Sarah? No, she is just a friend. Well, honestly an ex-girlfriend, but that has long been water under the bridge."

"Good, I wouldn't want to see anyone hurt, but I don't intend to share you!" she told him as she linked her arm with his and they headed back to the ballroom.

Mac spotted them the moment they entered the room and knew from their body language that they had smoothed things over and would most likely be moving forward together from this point on. She called Giraldo's attention to them as they approached.

Wanting to tell their families first, they still needed to say something to Sarah and Giraldo, or they would be stuck at separate tables throughout the meal. Surprisingly it was Mac that suggested an easy solution, "It looks like the two of you would like to be together. Why don't Laurel and I change places for dinner?"

Laurel beamed a smile at her, but asked, "Giraldo, would you mind that?"

"Why would I mind having a chance to get to know this lovely, intelligent woman better?"

"Thank you," Clay told him extending his hand to the other man.

Giraldo shook the hand and replied, "I will also see that she gets home safely if Sarah will trust me to do so."

"Sarah is Colonel Sarah Mackenzie of the US Marine Corps, she is perfectly capable of defending her self if you did try to take advantage of her," Clay informed him.

"This is something I would never do, but I look forward to hearing the story of how such a beautiful woman decided to become a Marine. I hope you will tell me over dinner, Sarah?"

"I'd be happy to tell you what little story there is," Mac answered.

The two couples went their separate ways as the waiters began to serve dinner.

To be continued…