Bonus Chapter- Four ❤️

"Okay Dominic, I think it is your time to wear our traditional sweater," Janet announced as she brought out the said sweater.

"Oh no, no." Dominic's voice boomed across the room. "I am not putting on that hideous thing."

"But someone has to wear it every Christmas," Janet pouted as I wondered within me who on earth would wear something that smelt disaster just by looking at it.
Yes, it is that hideous.

With its really bad shade of red which in no way blended with the bright green that drew over the chest of the sweater in form of what looked like a potato. Or maybe it was Santa Claus?

As I squinted my eyes to try and figure what exactly it was, Janet asked, "Grace, do you want to put it on?"

My hands shook frantically, "No, no."

"Well, I guess no one will wear it this year," Janet sighed as she resigned from persuading the adults in the room.

"Why do we still even have that thing?" Stephen was almost shuddering as he watched his sister put the sweater away.

Mr. Powers cleared his throat, breaking his silence which he kept all the while with a smile on his face as he watched our drama as we opened gifts. "Because it reminds us of your mother."

"The one person we don't want to remember," Janet mumbled loudly. Her father shifted in his seat.

My eyes traveled to where the kids were all doing their own gift opening with smiles on their faces. At least they weren't feeling the tensed silence that was going down within our midst.

Quinten cleared his throat as his eyes left the phone in his hand. "Uhm, Dominic and Grace haven't opened their present, right?"

His wife replied in affirmative and she reached for a small box that was wrapped in purple and extended it my way. We exchanged a small smile as I collected it from her. Then, I turned my full attention to the box.

After I had gotten the wrapper off with many eyes on me, I opened the box and brought out a key.

"What's this for?" Dominic asked after we both shared glances.

"We are gifting you and Grace some alone time," said Janet.

"Pardon?"

"Don't ask questions and just go over to the log cabin and have some fun together," she replied Dominic who had a frown on his face.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Stephen got up and from the back, he nudged the both of us who were feeling like we were being set up. "Go, already."

"But..."

"Go." Stephen did not let Dominic complete his question.

A small confused frown still on his face, Dominic reached for my hand and walked us out of the house.

"What on earth are these people up to?" Dominic asked no one in particular. But as my arm went on to tuck into his, he said with a smile, "Well, at least I finally get some alone time with you."

I smiled. "It sounds great already."

He looked ahead, giving me a great view of his face. Man, my man is good looking. "Do you think we should walk there?"

"Hmmm..." I made a thinking face. "No, I am too tired for that."

"A ride for my sweetness it is."

"A ride with my lord sounds so amazing already." I played along as we walked towards Janet's car which she had given to us for use while the whole house prepared for Christmas.

"I bet you, there is another ride later and you are going to love it."

My eyes definitely turned intense. "I always love that ride."

He chuckled into the night. "I love it when you are playful and sexy."

Then I recalled something. "Dominic?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I should really go and check what the deal is with the whole Samantha issue?" I had told him about it and he had his reservations about David's discovery. Besides, he did not want me to go alone like I had suggested.

"You really want to go, don't you?" I nodded as the little turmoil David's discovery made came up again. I could deny it all I want, but I needed answers. "Well, I guess we can cut our trip short and take the next flight to Manhattan as soon as possible."

I hugged his arm. "Thank you Dom. I love you."

He looked down at me, the side of his lips tugging. "Do you want me to take you on that other ride now?"

"Dom! Let's just get going already." His sentence already made my cheeks hot. Dominic Powers just keeps doing things to me.

"Okay sweetness, " he said as he unlocked the car and drove us both to some sweet, sweet alone time.

~

The line at the checkpoint was so long, I was already regretting dragging Dom and Ruby out of our nice holiday. It had been thirty minutes already and we had not moved from our spot.

To make it worse, it was hard to tell what was going on in the front. Was there a bomb threat or was someone caught smuggling diamonds? I had no idea.

My eyes went to Ruby whose legs were already stretching and bending. I felt terrible already. I was about to scan the area for any nearby seat when a commanding voice came shouting, "Everyone stay calm!"

Everyone looked confused. As I turned in the direction of the voice, I noticed that they were dressed like SWAT officials, but it was hard to decipher if they were or not.

My eyes which were about to divert soon squinted as I noticed them approach Dominic.

"Dominic Powers?" The man who seemed to be the leader of the four men asked Dom who had just gotten off a call.

"That's me."

"You are under arrest." Those around us began to murmur.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"You have to stay..."

"Do you have a warrant?"

"Ma'am, please stay calm."

Now, I was getting pissed. "Do you have a warrant or not? I am not letting you arrest him if I don't see a warrant."

"Grace, it's fine." My eyes bulged at him as he succumbed to the hold of the other men that were drawing him to the ground.

"Fine? Fine? Dom you are not a criminal, how is this fine? Get your hands off him this instant or God so helping me, I will tear you..."

"Grace?" Ruby called from behind.

I was already trying to reason out what I would say to her, but when my eyes fell on the board she was carrying, I became lost for words. Ruby nodded towards her father.

As I turned, I was greeted by a man on a knee, with a box of ring in his hand.

"Dom..." I clutched my chest as I tried to process what was going on. My ears blocking out sounds of admiration from the crowd, I turned to look at Ruby who had the board that said MARRY ME? against her leg. She greeted me with a huge smile.

"Grace... first know that I planned to do this on New Year, but I guess I couldn't wait." My eyes went back to Dominic. "I am not a man of so many words, you know that so well. But today, that will change a bit."
Okay, my head is swirling. Dominic took a small pause before he said, "Maybe that won't change, but Grace Sands, one thing I know is that I want you by my side for a long time and that means forever. So, will you, my sweetness, stay by my side forever and be my wife?"

There was this huge smile on my lips and at the same time, tears were approaching as I recalled that I was once engaged, I was once proposed to this way. What followed was not a thing of joy. But with time, so many good things have happened. And...

"Grace? You are zoning out." I laughed softly as my eyes met Dominic. Slowly, I nodded as I tried to keep the tears from flowing. "Are you saying no?"

"No, silly!" I hit his chest playfully. "Of course, I will marry you."

"I love you." He slipped the ring into my left hand fourth finger, adding a new thing to my life.

As he got up, he scooped me up and I reached down, chuckling hard to kiss him. Extra sounds of admiration brought me back to our actual reality. As I made Dominic put me down, I threw smiles at the crowd who kept smiling at the both of us.

When my eyes fell on the uniformed men, I asked Dom, "You are not getting arrested, are you?"

"No. All of that was what Janet would call drama." I smacked him hard on his chest. "Ow. Why?"

"That's for scaring me with your stupid drama."

"Well," he chuckled. ",at least I know how fiesty you would be if anyone tried to arrest me."

"It is not funny, I was really scared."

"And... I am sorry." I was about to reply when Ruby came running and pulled us all into a huge hug.

At that moment, that was all that mattered. Our little family. A family I would do anything to protect.



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