Page 173 of Fierce-Colson

Because of Colson and counseling, the teen was healing well and back on track.

Running around and shooting hoops in the driveway now that Colson put a hoop there.

“Bella told me I had to stall. She was finishing.”

The door opened. “I’m ready,” Bella said.

“What’s going on?” she asked, the laugh escaping.

“I’ll let Bella tell you.”

He opened the door and held it wide, there were balloons hanging from the ceiling and Bella had a cake in her hand that said, “Best DA Ever.”

“Wow,” she said. “Are you going to do this every time I win a case?”

“No,” he said. “But this one was big. And Bella remembered it happened when she got hurt. She’d asked and I told her.”

“I loved how you chose me. Colson is the only one who ever has before. It meant the world to me,” Bella said.

Her eyes itched and burned, tears falling quickly.

She moved closer and put one arm around the teen for a side hug. “You mean the world to me.”

“I’ll go put this in the kitchen and we can have it after dinner.”

“Did you cook for me too?” she asked.

“No. I made this cake from scratch and it took longer than I thought. Colson is ordering dinner.”

“Your choice,” he said, pulling his phone out. “Just let me know.”

“Whatever you get is good. I’m just happy to be here.”

“Not as happy as me.” He turned his head and looked around the corner. “She’s in the kitchen, come here.”

He pulled her into the living room and nudged her on the couch in a hurry.

“Now what?”

“Now I tell you how much I love you. How much you mean to me. How this life I’ve got now is the best one imaginable.”

“Oh. Now that is the best thing ever because I feel the same way.” She leaned forward to kiss him, but he leaned back. “What now? Do I have bad breath?”

He got down on one knee. “No. But we don’t have much time before she marches back in here,” he whispered. “I wanted this between us.”

Her jaw dropped again. “Is that what I think it is?”

He reached for her hand, the diamond he was holding at the tip of her finger. “It is. I told myself years ago I didn’t think I was cut out for this. For finding my person. For having a family. For making it work.”

“Guess you were wrong,” she said, her voice on the shaky side.

“Very wrong,” Bella said, running into the room. “Oh, my god!”

“See,” he said. “Are you okay with this? With no privacy?”

“Perfectly okay with it. Ask me.”

“Yeah, Colson, ask,” Bella said, pulling her phone out. “I’m going to video it.”