CHAPTER EIGHT

When Freddie got off the plane in New York, she was carrying all her worldly possessions in her two suitcases. She felt like she was coming home, and she hoped that she was coming home to stay. King and Alexander had told her that they would meet her at King's motel, so she wasn't expecting anyone to be at the airport waiting for her. When she heard someone calling her name, she was quiet surprised. She turned around to find the person and was thrilled to see a very pregnant Jessica headed toward her, waving.

Freddie rushed over to Jessica and hugged her. Ryan was with her and he leaned down and kissed Freddie on the cheek. Jessica said, "I'm so glad you're back! I can't tell you how much we have all been praying that you would come home!" Freddie was surprised by Jessica's words, but they made her feel wonderful. It was nice to think she had been missed, especially by someone that she cared for too.

Ryan grabbed Freddie's bags and led the two women out to his sport utility vehicle. Once Jessica was comfortable in the front, he checked on Freddie in the back, then headed around to the driver's door. Freddie asked, "What are the two of you doing here? I could have found my way to the motel. It's wonderful to see you, but you didn't have to go to so much trouble."

Ryan and Jessica shared a look, then Jessica said, "Freddie, we have all been so anxious about you coming back to the motel, we weren't taking any chances on you not getting there."

Freddie shook her head, and said, "Why wouldn't I have gotten there? I told King and Alexander that I would come."

Jessica turned in the seat so she could look Freddie in the eye. She said, "Freddie, you left once before. I don't think King could stand to lose you again."

Freddie's brow wrinkled in confusion. Finally, she asked, "King missed me?"

Jessica gave Freddie a look that suggested that she didn't think Freddie was all that smart. Ryan was the one who answered Freddie this time. He said, "Let's just say that none of us want to deal with King if you leave him again."

Freddie's heart was beating double time. Could they possibly be telling her that King had cared for her? Could he still care for her, even after two years?

It didn't take long for them to arrive at King's motel. King himself came out the door as soon as Ryan's vehicle stopped. Through the tinted windows, Freddie caught the look of expectation on KIng's face. It made her breath catch in her throat. However, as soon as Ryan stepped out and announced that he had Freddie, King's face became expressionless. But Freddie knew what she had seen. And what she had seen gave her hope for the future.

King took Freddie's bags and led her into the motel. "You'll be living here," King announced. Freddie started to protest, but he stopped her by saying, "We have been over this before. You WILL live here." Freddie just rolled her eyes and followed King onto the elevator. When he handed her a set of keys, she wasn't surprised to see that they were the ones for the tenth floor set of rooms.

Freddie and King were alone in the elevator, so Freddie took the chance to make sure King still wanted her there. "King?" Freddie asked in a quiet voice, "Are you sure?"

King just looked at her with an unreadable expression and finally said, "Yeah, I'm sure." She had hoped he would say more, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to fulfill that wish.

When they got to the tenth floor, King carried her suitcases over to her door. Freddie laughed and said, "Seems like we've done this before." She saw the shadow flicker in King's eyes and she realized that the last time they had stood before this door, they had been headed to her bed. She felt the blush on her cheeks and dropped her eyes. King opened her door and took in her cases.

Freddie followed. She was shocked to see that the room hadn't changed any. In fact, several of the small knick knacks that she had left were still in their places. She looked over at King and said, "King? Has no one used this room since I left?"

In a voice that Freddie thought sounded rather dejected, King answered her with a simple, "No."

King walked back toward Freddie's door and said, "Please be downstairs in thirty minutes and we will go to the restaurant. You might want to wear some comfortable clothes." Freddie sighed as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

Freddie managed to get ready early and went back downstairs to see if she recognized anyone. She was pleased to see Joanna still working the front desk. After hugging her, Freddie dropped into the restaurant. It was mid afternoon, but several of the wait staff were already preparing for the evening meal. Jake was the first to recognize her as she stood in the door way. He gave her a huge hug and pulled her over to see the others. Freddie was thrilled to see so many people from her past - especially from a piece of her past that had meant so much to her. It made her feel good to think that she was going to be in the company of so many friends.

Freddie was surprised to see Ryan, Alexander and King all three waiting for her in the lobby when she made her way back out of the restaurant.

Ryan said, "Jessica went home, but I wanted to go with you and help King show you around."

Alexander added, "I'm afraid that I won't be able to join you this afternoon, my dear. But, rest assured, these two scoundrels can show you the place better than I can anyway. After all, it is all their own." Before he turned to leave, Alexander bent and kissed Freddie on the cheek. She wondered if she was ever going to get used to this family being so comfortable with her. And would King ever be that comfortable with her again?

When the three of them went outside, Ryan headed toward his sport utility vehicle, but King stopped him. King said, "I think we should take the truck." Ryan gave him a strange look and Freddie grimaced. She knew what King was up to and that, once again, he was taking pleasure in torturing her.

King drove his pick up which meant that Freddie was in the middle, sandwiched between the two men. Although she was touching both of them from hip to knee, only the side where King was sitting was giving her any problems. That side seemed to be on fire, tingling from the contact with King. His arm kept brushing over her breast as he shifted gears and his hand kept resting on the gear shift just inside her thighs. Even though she was certain that King was enjoying her discomfort, she didn't know what she could do to stop it. She was a nervous wreck by the time they arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.

"King, why are we stopping here?" she asked. King and Ryan exchanged an amused look over the top of Freddie's head. Neither one of them answered, though, as they headed for a padlocked door. After he unlocked it, King motioned for her to follow him inside. Ryan brought up the rear and threw a switch that lit up the room. Freddie gasped when she saw the empty, dusty space in front of her. With wide eyes, she spun around to face King and said, "Are you serious?"

King and Ryan both burst into laughter. Finally King said, "Yeah, we're serious. This is the restaurant. It needs a little more work-"

"A little more work!" Freddie shouted, echoing in the emptiness, "Have you lost your mind? This place barely has sheetrock on the walls."

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Yeah, well, I've been working on that. I only have a few more sheets to put up, then it'll all be covered."

Freddie's mouth was hanging open as she stared at the brothers. She said, "Where's the kitchen? Where is the whole blooming steak house, for pete's sake?"

King answered this time, "Freddie, we wanted to bring in a chef who would help us put the whole thing together. Someone who wouldn't just be a cook, but would also have a stake in the place - you know, from the ground up."

Freddie was still fuming, "King, why didn't you tell me this in D.C.? You led me to believe that this place was ready to have its grand opening!"

Again, Ryan and King laughed. "Well," Ryan said, "If we have a grand opening anytime soon, maybe we could get the customers to help us put up the wallpaper!" King joined his brother in laughter.

But Freddie still wasn't amused. She said, "King, what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Where am I going to work?"

Suddenly, King's face got serious. "According to my dad," he said, "you don't need to work. But, for your information, what I want is for you to work here. I hired you for the job. What's the matter? Don't think you can handle getting your hands dirty?"

Freddie's face flushed in anger. "How dare you?" she asked. "How dare you assume that you can manipulate me like this. You tricked me into coming here. You said that I would be a chef - not some flunky helping you scrub floors. You must really hate me to do something this underhanded. Was it so bad that I left without working a notice? What did I do that deserved this? I hope you have had your little laugh, King. I'll just get my bags from the motel and head back to Atlanta. Maybe one of the other restaurants will still interview me for the job of chef."

King's face was a mask of anger as he turned his back toward her. Ryan looked from one of them to the other, waiting for one of them to speak. When it became apparent that neither one was going to, Ryan burst out, "No! Freddie is not going to leave again! Look, Freddie, King didn't tell you the whole story because he was afraid you wouldn't take on a project this big as your first job out of school. But he knew that you could do it, that's why he offered you the job. We want you to work alongside us as we put this place together, Freddie We want you to help us design the place. We want it to be the perfect Texas steak house when we are finished. But we need you. We need your help. We're serious about this place. King and I bought it together, but we both know that you are an integral ingredient in its success. You belong here, Freddie. You can't go. We really need you."

Freddie looked from Ryan's earnest face to King's rigid back. She said, "King, is that true?" King didn't answer her. She continued, "King, if it is true, if this wasn't some cruel trick, you need to tell me yourself."

With his back still toward her, King said, "I've already told you. You just didn't seem to believe me."

Freddie sighed in frustration. She said, "King, you were way less than honest with me about this. Your logic escapes me right now. But if you really want my help with this, I am listening."

King finally turned to look at her. His face was a fierce mask. He said, "You have already left once because you didn't take the time to listen to me. If you are going to leave or even threaten to leave every time it strikes your fancy, we are better off if you go ahead and leave right now."

Ryan's eyes widened as he stared at his brother. Before he could say anything, though, Freddie stomped her foot and angrily said, "King, we might as well get this out in the open now. You seem to have a pretty clear idea about why I left New York. But you haven't asked me. Do you want to know why I left? I left because your fiancee told me that you found me to be an embarrassment. She said that you were too nice of a guy to tell me yourself. She even knew that we had slept together. Why did you tell her that? Didn't it matter to you? Didn't I matter to you? Not at all?"

King's voice was also filled with anger as he said, "Do you think I am so low that I would send you flowers at the same time that I was telling Leona that we slept together? Of course I didn't tell her. She made a lucky guess. I imagine that she could see how happy I was and then she saw the flowers and put two and two together. Couldn't you have asked me how I felt about you? Couldn't you have waited until I got home that afternoon?"

Freddie bit her bottom lip to keep from snapping back at him. She took a moment to consider his words. Maybe he was telling the truth. Why wouldn't he? Finally, she quietly said, "King, you've got to believe that I didn't think I had that option. I should have asked you. But when she told me that she was marrying you, and she knew we had slept together, I'm afraid that I gave her more credit than you seem to think she deserved. I thought you were going to tell me that the two of you were engaged. I thought that was the important thing that you wanted to tell me that afternoon. I'm sorry that I didn't give you the chance to explain. But I was afraid that I would die of embarrassment if what she said was true. And I had no reason to doubt her."

Ryan had stood by, watching the exchange between Freddie and King. He hadn't said a word. Now, King looked over at his brother and sighed loudly. Then King said, "Well, Ryan, I guess you know more than you ever wanted to know about Freddie and me."

Ryan gave a brief laugh and said, "Yeah, that thought was going through my mind. So are you two going to be able to work together?"

King turned back to look at Freddie. This time his face was softer and his eyes were kinder. He said, "Freddie? Can you work with me? I didn't know what Leona had told you. But I do know that we can make this restaurant work. Ryan and I went out on a limb when we bought this place and we really do need you. Will you help us? I know I haven't been on my best behavior since I saw you again in D.C., but if you'll stay, I promise to do better. "

Freddie couldn't have said no to King if her life had depended on it. He was the love of her life and he had just asked for her help. She would do whatever it took to make this restaurant work for him. If he needed her, she would be his for as long as he wanted her.

Freddie nodded her head and said, "Yeah, I'll help." Then, shaking her head and looking around at the barren room, she said, "What do you have in mind?"

CHAPTER NINE

The next few weeks were filled with picking out tables and chairs with a western flair, learning painting techniques to make the walls look like worn leather, and choosing wagon wheel fixtures for the overhead lights. Ryan and King had wanted the floor to look rustic, so they had suggested leaving it concrete. But Freddie insisted on hardwoods, saying, "You want it to look rustic, not cheap!" Ryan, King and Freddie worked along side each other, doing everything from hanging wallpaper in the bathrooms to sanding down the antique bar stools that Freddie had found at one of the local auctions. As the weeks passed, what was once an empty warehouse began to take on the look of a classic Texas steak house.

Even with all of the required interactions between King and Freddie, King was true to his word about being on his best behavior. He asked her opinion and discussed their options, but he didn't flirt with her. He was also careful about not touching her. When the three of them had to go places for supplies, King never took the pick up. He always insisted on the Sport Ute, which meant that Freddie didn't have to be squeezed in between him and Ryan. Freddie wished he wasn't so strict about it all, but she appreciated that he was trying to make their working relationship comfortable for her.

Ryan and Jessica invited Freddie and King over to their house for dinner every night. Since Jessica was in her last trimester, Ryan refused to let her do anything except help Freddie shop for various things that they needed for the restaurant. But Jessica didn't let that stop her from doing all that she could. She declared that her contribution would be to have supper ready for them each evening at 6:00. Jessica told the three of them that they were welcomed to work all day long, but the evenings were her time for family, and she expected them all to be there for her!

After supper each night, Ryan and King did the dishes together, letting Freddie and Jessica spend time comparing thoughts about various aspects of the restaurant. The arrangement was just one more way that King took pains to separate himself from Freddie. It hurt Freddie's feelings to know the lengths that King would go to in order to remind her that he only wanted a professional relationship with her. Freddie tried to take comfort in the fact that she was still able to spend time with him, even if it wasn't exactly how she pictured it in her fantasies.

It was late each evening when Freddie and King made their way up to their rooms. King never attempted to come into Freddie's apartment. Freddie wished that she had the energy to invite him in, but she was putting all that she had into getting the restaurant ready. And she realized that King was doing the same. Freddie knew that there was a strong possibility that maybe they were both working to the point of exhaustion just to keep from having to deal with their feelings toward one another. But there was nothing she was going to do to change that.

Freddie wondered if it would have been different if she hadn't left. Jessica told Freddie that King had shut everybody out of his life after she had left. He had even been talking about selling his motel and moving away. Ryan had managed to get him interested in the Texas steak house idea, but both Ryan and Jessica had been afraid King would leave after they got the restaurant opened. That was why Ryan had chosen the warehouse. It needed so much work that it would require King to stay while they tried to think of another reason for him not to leave. Jessica assured Freddie that her return had been the answer to many family prayers. Freddie just didn't think that any of those prayers had come from King, himself.

Freddie found that King didn't take days off from work. Freddie decided that she wasn't going to do that, though. King spent most of his time at the warehouse, but at least one day each week, he had to deal with business from the motel. On those days, Freddie didn't go to the warehouse, either. She took the opportunity to go swimming, shopping and generally to rest. It was on one of those evenings, when she went down to the restaurant bar to eat dinner, that she ran into Leona.

Leona was sitting at the bar, laughing and joking with the bartender. When Freddie saw her, she almost turned and left. In fact, if Leona hadn't called out to her, she probably would have left. But Leona's voice carried across the room as she cried, "Freddie! Freddie Sommers! I can't believe you came back!" Freddie wasn't interested in making a scene, but Leona jumped up and ran toward her. Freddie was bracing herself for Leona's attack, verbal or physical, when Leona threw her arms around Freddie's neck and started hugging her.

Leona gushed, "I'm so glad you didn't let my stupid remarks keep you from coming back. I'm so sorry that I was such a pain. I just got so caught up in the idea of becoming King's wife that I let go of my common sense. I'm truly glad you're here!" With that, Leona drug Freddie over to the bar and sat down beside her.

Leona announced that she had so much to tell Freddie. Of course, the most important thing, according to Leona, was that she had managed to find the right man for herself, after all. As she went on and on about her new husband, Freddie subtly looked around the room. She wondered where Leona's husband was, and why he was so comfortable with his wife sitting at a bar.

Finally, when Leona stopped talking long enough for Freddie to get a word in, Freddie congratulated her on her happiness. Just as she was about to ask who the lucky guy was, Jake walked over and dropped his arm around Leona's shoulders. Leona beamed as she looked up into Jake's face and he dropped a quick kiss on her mouth. Freddie was certain that her mouth was hanging open - Leona was married to Jake? Who would have believed it?!?

Leona turned back to Freddie and said, "Jake helped me get back on King's good side. After Jake told me just what he thought of me and the way I had been acting, I came to my senses and apologized to King. I just wish it hadn't been too late to stop you from leaving."
Freddie told Leona that she appreciated the thought and that, in the end, the past two years had been good to her. Leona seemed pleased with that answer, and Freddie made a quick excuse to get away. She decided that, after that little scene with Leona, room service in her apartment sounded like a much better idea than eating at the bar!

CHAPTER TEN

After months of hard work, at last everything was in place in the warehouse - down to the checkered napkins that Ryan, Jessica, King and Freddie had agreed upon. The only thing that was left was choosing an opening date, getting the food ready for the opening night and making sure that everybody in Manhattan knew that the time had come to experience Texas. Freddie was as thrilled with the finished product as King and Ryan were. Jessica had even conducted interviews and lined up an entire staff during the final weeks of her pregnancy. Everyone was just waiting for the date to be chosen.

In the end, it was the baby that helped determine the opening day of the restaurant. King and Freddie decided to surprise Ryan and Jessica by choosing the restaurant opening to be six weeks after the birth. King and Freddie agreed that it wouldn't be fair for Jessica and Ryan to not be at the opening, but it also wasn't fair to ask them to bring a brand new baby out for such an event. King and Freddie reasoned that six weeks into parenthood would probably be perfect timing for Ryan and Jessica to need a night away from their bundle of joy! Ryan and Jessica had been thrilled with the plan. Now the only thing holding them up was that the baby was past its due date!

After church one Sunday, Freddie was in the restaurant with King, putting together the basic food pantry for the kitchen when the long awaited call came in from Ryan. Jessica had broken her water and they were headed to the hospital. With a happy shout, King grabbed Freddie up in a hug and swung her around the room.

For three months, Freddie and King had been careful not to touch one another, and now Freddie remembered why. King's touch made her forget everything but the feel of his hands on her waist. Even the air around her seemed to suddenly realize that King was touching her, as it grew thick with tension. By the time King sat her down, all the amusement had flown from both of their faces. King was looking at her as though he wanted to read her soul. And Freddie was past the point of caring if he saw how much she loved him. She returned his gaze and silently willed him to see into her heart.

Whatever King saw there must have assured him, because in the next moment, he was crushing her lips with his own. Freddie had thought that two years would have cooled the heat of passion that flared between the two of them, but she was wrong. King tasted even better than she remembered, and she felt like a starved woman. Her own tongue snuck into his mouth as she heard him groan out loud. Or was that her? She wasn't sure and she wasn't about to spend too much energy to figure it out. She had missed King so badly and now she had him. It felt like her whole soul was coming back to life.

When King broke the kiss and grabbed her hand, Freddie was still lost in the wonder of their passion. But as King started dragging her out of the restaurant, throwing off lights throughout the dining room and locking the doors behind them, she began focusing on what he was doing. Confused, she asked, "King what are you doing?" King just gave her a smoky look that had her blood pounding through her veins. Then he was putting her into the truck and heading back to the motel.

Like deja vu, Freddie and King didn't stop to speak to any of their friends as they hurried through the hotel lobby. Once inside the elevator, King grabbed Freddie in a tight squeeze and began raining kisses all over her face, teasing her by never touching her mouth with his lips. When the elevator opened on their floor, Freddie automatically turned toward her own door, but King stopped her. In a husky voice, he asked, "Don't you think it's about time that you saw my room?" Freddie's breath caught in her chest.

Freddie stood behind King as he opened his door and took her hand. She had a moment to register that his apartment was laid out basically the same as her's, only with lots more floor space. King was pulling her toward his bedroom, though, with a speed that prohibited her from more than a brief glance at the other rooms. Once inside King's bedroom, he sat down on the bed. With Freddie standing in between his legs, they were able to look each other in the eye. King ran his fingers through her hair as he held her head still in front of him. He said, "I've missed you so much." Then he was kissing her again.

Freddie couldn't focus on anything but King. When her mind whispered that King hadn't made any promises about tomorrow, she ignored it. She went with her heart and it was telling her that she was exactly where she belonged. She kissed King back with all the love that was inside of her.

King made short work of Freddie's shirt and jeans, just as she tugged and pulled at his clothes. Almost at the same moment, the last articles of clothing came off both of them. King pulled her down on the bed over him and held her tightly against his body. The feel of his arousal against her stomach was the most exciting thing Freddie had experienced since the last time King had held her. Freddie began shifting and moving, to position King where she wanted him. She straddled his hips and sat back to look down into his face.

King was watching Freddie with fire in his eyes. That look reminded her of the power she had with King during their lovemaking. And it was all she needed to encourage her. She ran her fingers lightly over his skin, then followed them with her lips. King was moaning beneath her and begging her to not stop. She loved the feel of his muscles tensing as she caressed his body. He was everything she would ever want, and she wanted to give him the best of who she was.

After allowing Freddie free reign for several minutes, King suddenly flipped her over and lay above her. He grabbed protection off the nightstand and quickly slipped it over himself. When he entered her, Freddie was tight and hot. In fact, she was close to exploding. She had longed for this moment for over two years. And King was thrusting into her like it was a moment he had longed for as well. With a cry ripped from her soul, Freddie climaxed as she felt King soar over the edge of his own orgasm. It was a moment of heaven touching earth, and Freddie knew she would never be the same again.

In the aftermath, King rolled onto his side and faced her. He chuckled quietly as he caressed her face. He whispered, "Wow. That was incredible." Freddie just smiled at him, hoping he could see in her eyes all that she couldn't say yet with her voice. Then she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.

The next morning, Freddie was startled when she woke up. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. Then the events of the afternoon and night before came rushing back to her. After their first bout of lovemaking the day before, King had ordered up room service. He had fed Freddie lasagna with lots of dripping cheese. Then Freddie had returned the favor. Supper was barely finished before they were back in bed, tasting and sampling one another for dessert.

About seven o'clock, Ryan had called to announce that Jessica had delivered their daughter, Summer Alexandria Solomon. They were all doing well, but they were exhausted. King promised that they would visit the next day. Then he returned to bed with Freddie. Although they had managed to get a little sleep during the night, the majority of their time together was spent rediscovering one another. Freddie might never understand King's attraction to her body, but, over and over, she was assured that she was his fantasy come to life. And King's body was everything Freddie had ever longed for and more. If she had a lifetime to touch King, Freddie wasn't sure she would ever get enough of enjoying him.

And now it was morning. Freddie heard the shower running and decided to join King. She slipped into the bathroom and pulled back the curtain. She was planning on surprising King, and she could have done it too, since his eyes were closed. But the sight of him standing naked under the spray of water was too much for Freddie. She moaned out loud and King's eyes snapped open. He reached out and pulled her into the shower with him. Then he proceeded to clean her from head to toe. She took her own sweet time soaping up King's body as well. After they rinsed off, King raced her back to the bed and kissed every place he had just cleaned. He managed to show her even more new things about her body's responses as he brought her to another shattering climax. When it was over, he held her quietly as she drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

When Freddie woke up again, King was gone. There was a note on his pillow saying that he had some unavoidable business that he had to attend to, and that he would see her later. Then, as a 'P.S.', he had added that he had something important to tell her. Freddie wondered if he had kept the note from two years ago, or if he had just managed to copy it so closely from memory. She shook her head and hoped that today went better than the last "day after" had been.

Freddie returned to her own rooms and took another shower. She got dressed and was munching on a bowl of cereal when her phone rang. "Freddie? This is Joanna from the front desk. I've got a delivery down here for you. Could you come get it?"

Freddie thought she might get physically sick, but she managed to say yes before she hung up the phone. "So help me," Freddie thought to herself, "If Leona is down at that desk, I'm going to run out the door screaming!"

When she got there, much to Freddie's joy, no one except Joanna was at the front desk. Joanna smiled and, instead of handing Freddie the flowers Freddie was both expecting and dreading, she merely handed her an envelope. With a sigh of relief, Freddie opened it and saw King's handwriting. The note said, "I can't wait until tonight to tell you. Take a cab and get to the restaurant as soon as possible."

Freddie frowned at Joanna, but Joanna just shrugged her shoulders. Freddie went back upstairs and got her handbag and went to hail a taxi.

Fifteen minutes later, Freddie pulled up in front of the old warehouse. It didn't look anything like it had three months earlier. The building looked new and loved now. It was a place where anyone could feel comfortable. Freddie smiled in satisfaction as she climbed out of the cab.

Freddie looked around for King, but she didn't see him. So she went inside the door. There was only one light in the dining room and it was a candle in the middle of one of the tables. On the table was a beautiful steak dinner, complete with salad and bread. There was even wine for the meal. From the shadows to her right, King stepped into the light. He said, "Hello Freddie. I hope you're ready for lunch."

Freddie smiled at him and joined him at the table. "King, it looks great! When did you learn to cook something other than stir fry?" she asked. King laughed and held out her chair. Freddie was still confused about what was going on, but she decided to play along with King. After they sat down, King picked up his fork and started eating, still without any explanation. So Freddie followed suit.

During lunch, Freddie noticed that there seemed to be a lot of activity going on outside. King agreed and got up to check it out. He returned to the table and assured her that it was only some workmen, doing some last minute details to the outside. After they finished, King cleared the table, then came back and sat down across from her.

Looking earnestly at her, King said, "I need to tell you something important - the same 'something important' that I needed to tell you two years ago. Two years ago, I lost you because I didn't tell you how I felt. After you left, I didn't feel like I had the right to track you down and make you come back up here. But my heart never forgot about you. I know that Ryan and Jessica and the rest of my family have all told you how hard I was to get along with during those two years. But they don't really know the half of it, Freddie. I was the only one who knew just how badly I hurt inside. I've never felt anything like that kind of pain. And I don't want to ever again."

King continued, "I didn't mean for last night to happen. I had it all planned out, and I jumped the gun. I meant for this to be perfect, but I just couldn't help myself. You looked so beautiful when I told you about Jessica that I just couldn't stop myself. But I want to make it right. I want you to understand what I needed to tell you."

Freddie was totally confused. King wasn't making any sense to her. What was it he had wanted to do right? And why had last night 'jumped the gun'? She started to voice her questions, but King put his finger over her lips. He said, "Before you say anything, I want you to know something else, too. It's about this restaurant. I picked the name of this restaurant before I ever even heard about your school's cook-off. Before I came to D.C. and before you walked into that interview, I knew what the name of this place would be. You have to know that. Ryan will back me up on it. I started this restaurant for you."

Now Freddie was beyond confused. For three months, she had just assumed that the name of the restaurant would be "The Texas Steak House". But, apparently, King was trying to tell her something different.

King took Freddie's hand and led her out the front door. Several workmen stood outside on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. One of the them shook King's hand and asked, "So, are we ready?" King just smiled down at Freddie and nodded his head. Then one of the other men pulled a rope and the cloth fell away that had been covering the new sign over the door.

Freddie gasped as she read the name. She turned back to look at King as the realization of what he had just told her hit her. He had chosen the name before she had come back. He had chosen the name because of what she had meant to him. He had chosen the name because of her! The sign read:

The Wild Rose Steak House and Saloon

Freddie's heart was in her mouth. She jumped into King's arms and hugged him with all of her strength. The workmen watched as she and King kissed on the New York sidewalk. When she pulled back, she looked into King's eyes and said, "King Griffin, I love you!" King just laughed and pulled her back for another kiss.

After King and Freddie thanked the workmen, they wondered back inside the restaurant. King had his arm around Freddie's shoulders as he guided her back over to their table. He sat her in her chair, then dropped to one knee in front of her. Freddie looked at him questioningly.

King smiled and said, "Freddie, I wanted you to see that sign so you would know that I never stopped loving you. You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me and I would never do anything to hurt you. Freddie, will you marry me?"

Freddie wasn't sure she could speak, let alone give King a coherent answer, so she nodded her head 'yes' and threw her arms around his neck. King kissed her over and over as she basked in the knowledge that he loved her. As King slipped a beautiful solitaire on her finger, Freddie whole face glowed with her love for him.

Maybe Mondays weren't so bad after all!