Page 57 of My Sexy Rival (Stars In Their Eyes 2)
The nurse’s eyes lit up and she shot me a look that said she was impressed. “That’s exactly what I was going to say. Let’s take him back to see a doctor about a possible emergency appendectomy.”
The nurse took two steps toward the patient, then stopped and spoke to Helen. “Wait. What if we need more help translating?”
“Can you work right now?” Helen said to William.
“Yes. I can. Absolutely,” he said, as the nurse offered her elbow to the man and helped him up.
“He speaks Japanese, Spanish, and Italian, too,” I said, practically bouncing on my toes.
Helen emitted a low whistle of appreciation. “Damn, girl. He’s a keeper.”
“I know.”
“And a keeper for me, too. William, any chance you can work tomorrow, the rest of the week, and into the foreseeable future?”
A wild grin erupted on his face. “Yes.”
“Then consider yourself hired.”
“That’s it?” he asked carefully. “You’re hiring me full-time? I don’t need an interview?”
“I’ve never had a more convincing job interview in my life,” Helen said.
“You know I’m on a student visa and I’d have to transfer it to a work visa if you can sponsor me for it?”
She waved a hand as if to say no big deal. “Been there. Done that. Nothing I can’t handle. I’ll get moving on all the paperwork right now.”
Some things in life were easy, if they were meant to be. Maybe William had run into such trouble with work because this was the job he was meant to have.
I turned to him. “You’re staying,” I said, and I was ready to jump into his arms, hug him, and smother him in kisses. But there was no time for that because he was clocking in.
“I’m staying,” he said, and I’d never seen him look happier in all our days together.
“And to think, I was just about to ask you to marry me so you could stay.”
His gray eyes sparkled so brightly they seemed silver. “You were?”
I nodded. “I was.”
“I’d have said yes so I could see you every day.”
“Good. Now get to work. I’m going to find some musicians to snap photos of now. I’ll see you after work,” I said.
“I’ll see you after work,” he echoed, then followed the nurse and the patient into the job that he alone could do.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Weather: 70 degrees, Sunny
* * *
Jess
* * *
I married him anyway six months later. Sometimes you just know when it’s right. Besides, when you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you’d be stupid to let a little thing like an ocean, or a passport, or a nationality stand between you.
We said I do at the L.A County Courthouse. We said it because we wanted to. Not because we had to. But because we were ready.
I wore a white sundress and carried a bouquet of daisies. He wore slacks, a white button-down, and the cuff links I’d given him. The ceremony lasted all of two minutes, and then the justice of the peace pronounced us husband and wife. We signed the marriage certificate, and then we walked out of the courthouse into another perfect day. The sun was dropping in the sky, tipping near the horizon. We were living together now. Anaka had moved into her own place, and William was working hard at the hospital. Medical school was insane, and we didn’t see each other much, but we made the most of our time together. We had time together. That was the best part of all.
“You made me an American,” he said, holding my hand as we walked down the street.
“You made me happy,” I said, squeezing his hand in emphasis, as I smiled at him.
“You’ve done the same for me.”
“There’s only one thing we haven’t figured out yet, William,” I said, as we headed to his motorcycle a few blocks away.
“What’s that?”
“Since I’m giving you the thing you want most, I’m going to insist you take my name now that I’ve made you a citizen.”
He laughed. “But that’s where you’re wrong, Jess. You’re what I want most in the world.”
“Then you’re mine forever, Mr. William Leighton.”
“Mrs. Jess Harrigan,” he fired back at me.
“We can keep this up for a long time.”
“Like, say, forever?”
“Yes, forever,” I said, looking at him and loving the playful glint in his eyes.
“Sounds good to me,” he said, then stopped walking and pulled me in close. “And now I’m going to kiss my bride.”
As the sun began to set, we kissed on the Los Angeles street for a long, long time. When we pulled apart, he smiled that boyish smile I adored. “So what happens next?” he asked.
“I think this is where they roll the credits.”
“And after the credits?”
“Nobody knows what happens then,” I said.
“We should find out.”
