Adelaide. If you’d just listen to us you’d realize we can see through those skanks in a heartbeat.”
“Just because you all,” Mozart gestured around the table at his teammates with their women, “have found each other doesn’t mean the rest of us are all fired up to do the same.”
“Bullshit.” Caroline said matter-of-factly. “I think you all want what we have, and that’s okay because you all deserve it. But if you continue to only look at women you meet in this bar and who only want to spend a night with a Navy SEAL, you’ll never find it. You have to open your eyes and see the other women around you. The good women. Take a look at the ones who you might never ‘see’ otherwise.”
Just as Caroline finished her impassioned speech, Jess came up to the table with a tray loaded down with food. “Hope I’m not interrupting…” she said hesitantly.
“Of course not,” Benny told her gruffly, obviously glad for the break in the conversation.
Food was passed around the table and everyone dug in. After thirty minutes of good food and good conversation, everyone was relaxed against their chairs.
“So no one ever answered me. Is tonight a special occasion or what?” Caroline smiled at her friends. She didn’t really care why they were there, she was happy being around her friends. She turned to look at Matthew as he stood up from the table. His hand had been on her leg throughout dinner. Of course he hadn’t been still either. His thumb had caressed her thigh rhythmically and had Caroline squirming in her seat.
Caroline watched in surprise as Matthew went to his knees next to her chair.
“What the hell, Matthew? Get up.”
Wolf swallowed hard. He shouldn’t be as nervous as he was, but he couldn’t help it. “I love you, Caroline Martin. More than anything in my life.” He took both her hands in his and brought them up to his mouth. He kissed the back of both hands before putting them back in her lap. He didn’t let go, and could feel Caroline trembling.
“I love you too, Matthew, but what…”
Wolf cut her off. “I’ve had great role models in my life. You know my parents are still together after forty years of marriage. I’ve seen how important it is to find the right person to spend the rest of your life with.”
Caroline gasped, suddenly realizing what was happening. “Matthew…”
Wolf powered on. “I’ve been in a lot of shitty places. I’ve seen horrible things. I’ve done some awful things. Deep in my heart, I know you’re too good for me, but I don’t give a shit. You make me a better person. Every day. Every single day I think to myself, ‘Would this make Caroline proud of me?’ If the answer is yes, I carry on, if it’s no, I try to analyze how else to get through the situation.”
Caroline was opening crying now. “Matthew, seriously…”
Wolf let go of Caroline’s hands and brought his hands up to either side of her neck. He caressed her jawbone with his thumbs and lowered his voice, so he was talking just to Caroline. “I love you, Ice. I love you with everything I am. The best day of my life was being seated next to you on that plane. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I don’t want to. I brought you here tonight to ask you to be my wife. My partner. My everything. I wanted you to be surrounded by all your friends, and my friends. I want to see my ring on your finger so every other man knows you’re taken. That you’re mine . Will you marry me, Caroline?”
Sniffing, and holding on to Matthew with a death grip on his T-shirt at his side, Caroline said, “Can I talk now?”
Wolf chuckled and leaned in and kissed her once, briefly, then leaned back. “Yes, Ice, you can talk, but the only word I want to hear is, ‘Yes.’”
“Yes.” The word was soft, but everyone at the table could feel the emotion behind it.
Wolf tightened his hands and leaned in to seal the deal, but Caroline put a hand on his chest and stopped him.
“Yes,
“Just because you all,” Mozart gestured around the table at his teammates with their women, “have found each other doesn’t mean the rest of us are all fired up to do the same.”
“Bullshit.” Caroline said matter-of-factly. “I think you all want what we have, and that’s okay because you all deserve it. But if you continue to only look at women you meet in this bar and who only want to spend a night with a Navy SEAL, you’ll never find it. You have to open your eyes and see the other women around you. The good women. Take a look at the ones who you might never ‘see’ otherwise.”
Just as Caroline finished her impassioned speech, Jess came up to the table with a tray loaded down with food. “Hope I’m not interrupting…” she said hesitantly.
“Of course not,” Benny told her gruffly, obviously glad for the break in the conversation.
Food was passed around the table and everyone dug in. After thirty minutes of good food and good conversation, everyone was relaxed against their chairs.
“So no one ever answered me. Is tonight a special occasion or what?” Caroline smiled at her friends. She didn’t really care why they were there, she was happy being around her friends. She turned to look at Matthew as he stood up from the table. His hand had been on her leg throughout dinner. Of course he hadn’t been still either. His thumb had caressed her thigh rhythmically and had Caroline squirming in her seat.
Caroline watched in surprise as Matthew went to his knees next to her chair.
“What the hell, Matthew? Get up.”
Wolf swallowed hard. He shouldn’t be as nervous as he was, but he couldn’t help it. “I love you, Caroline Martin. More than anything in my life.” He took both her hands in his and brought them up to his mouth. He kissed the back of both hands before putting them back in her lap. He didn’t let go, and could feel Caroline trembling.
“I love you too, Matthew, but what…”
Wolf cut her off. “I’ve had great role models in my life. You know my parents are still together after forty years of marriage. I’ve seen how important it is to find the right person to spend the rest of your life with.”
Caroline gasped, suddenly realizing what was happening. “Matthew…”
Wolf powered on. “I’ve been in a lot of shitty places. I’ve seen horrible things. I’ve done some awful things. Deep in my heart, I know you’re too good for me, but I don’t give a shit. You make me a better person. Every day. Every single day I think to myself, ‘Would this make Caroline proud of me?’ If the answer is yes, I carry on, if it’s no, I try to analyze how else to get through the situation.”
Caroline was opening crying now. “Matthew, seriously…”
Wolf let go of Caroline’s hands and brought his hands up to either side of her neck. He caressed her jawbone with his thumbs and lowered his voice, so he was talking just to Caroline. “I love you, Ice. I love you with everything I am. The best day of my life was being seated next to you on that plane. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I don’t want to. I brought you here tonight to ask you to be my wife. My partner. My everything. I wanted you to be surrounded by all your friends, and my friends. I want to see my ring on your finger so every other man knows you’re taken. That you’re mine . Will you marry me, Caroline?”
Sniffing, and holding on to Matthew with a death grip on his T-shirt at his side, Caroline said, “Can I talk now?”
Wolf chuckled and leaned in and kissed her once, briefly, then leaned back. “Yes, Ice, you can talk, but the only word I want to hear is, ‘Yes.’”
“Yes.” The word was soft, but everyone at the table could feel the emotion behind it.
Wolf tightened his hands and leaned in to seal the deal, but Caroline put a hand on his chest and stopped him.
“Yes,
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