Jason Mesnick on Molly Malaney: This Time I'm Sure

Jason Mesnick couldn't bear the thought of guys fighting over Molly Malaney on ABC's The Bachelorette. Fortunately, she gave up that dream for him. And love.

In a new interview with Us, Jason says that a week after his ill-fated proposal to Melissa Rycroft on The Bachelor, show producers started inquiring about Molly.

"They kept asking me if I thought Molly would make a good Bachelorette," he said. "I realized I was not willing to let Molly go and have 25 guys fight over her."

Fortunately, Molly turned down that possibility, and Jason got it right the second time, receiving a second chance and ultimately a "yes" to marriage proposal.

Molly and Jason just got engaged in New Zealand.

With Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney now engaged, the controversial ending of The Bachelor last season now looks like it was for the best. As for Rycroft?

"Melissa is a great girl, but there wasn't any chemistry," Jason says of why he dumped her. "I broke up with her after Christmas, a month after we wrapped."

Don't feel too bad for Melissa, though. She made the finals of Dancing with the Stars and is now engaged herself, to Dallas insurance agent Tye Strickland!

Jason also adds that he and Melissa had already split in private, despite the appearance on the "After the Final Rose" special. But Molly Malaney wasn't aware.

Mesnick was contractually prohibited from contacting her until The Bachelor aired. "At that point, she would have started filming The Bachelorette!" he recalls.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL: Jason Mesnick's post-Bachelor switcheroo landed him in hot water with the viewing public, but everyone came out of it for the better.

Thus, it was the "After the Final Rose" taping that provided the less than ideal, but first available opportunity to rekindle things with Molly and win her back.

"Obviously, I didn't want it on TV, but I had to take the chance if it meant getting her back," Jason said. "I would rather have picked up the phone, trust me!"

Of Melissa Rycroft, Jason says she was also offered a chance to be the next Bachelorette star (Jillian Harris was ultimately chosen) and he wishes her the best.

His attention is now fully on the future with Molly and his five-year-old son Ty, however. We hope he can expect some little brothers and sisters before long.