Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Me too.” Her lip quivered, and then she cleared her throat. “Anything interesting happen here?”
“Not really. Except…” I paused dramatically, wanting to make her smile. “Chris.”
Her eyes went round. “What?”
“He took another date to pasta night.”
“Oh no.”
“Me, Mark, Linda, and a couple of the other guys were there for supper. The pasta is pretty good,” I added with a wink. “I might take you.”
She laughed and smacked my arm. “And?”
“And another girl was there who he had taken out a few weeks prior. Same old, same old for Chris. She took exception and confronted him and his date for the evening. And this time, he insulted them both with some crap line about lots to share, meaning himself, and he got the spaghetti dumped on his head, followed by a glass of wine. Red.”
“Oh my,” she breathed.
“He’s been banned from Dusty’s.”
“What is he gonna do on Monday nights?” Casey wailed theatrically. “He has nowhere else to go!”
I laughed and stood, pulling her from the sofa. “How about I show you where you need to go?”
“Hopefully to bed.”
I swung her up into my arms. “You know it.”
She sighed and laid her head on my chest. “My hero.”
I pressed a kiss to her head.
She rested her hand on my heart. “My favorite hero.”
I was good with that.
Epilogue
JESSE
ALMOST A YEAR LATER
The house was empty when I walked in, the only sounds the wind chimes on the porch behind me. The scent of lemon hung in the air, and I knew Casey had been cleaning. The wood of our central staircase gleamed in the diffused light. The thick-planked hardwood sparkled.
She’d been busy while I was gone.
Miller and Barney were asleep on one of the oversized sofas in the living room. They liked the one closest to the fireplace we’d installed during the renovations. It was a great addition, especially during cooler fall nights and the cold winters. Casey was already planning where to put the Christmas tree this year.
The house was complete on the main floor, the kitchen with its overload of cupboards and long lengths of counter well used and loved by Casey.
I loved eating the food she prepared there.
Upstairs, our room was done, and we were slowly finishing the rest of the spaces. One room was an office/guest room. The other bedrooms were for our future.
Our family.
I tapped my pocket, ensuring the box I had picked up was still there.
Then I went to find Casey, certain where she would be.
I walked through the trees, coming to the clearing. She sat on the log, her face lifted to the sunshine. She loved to sit out here, sharing her life with Lou, weeding the little garden that was thriving under her care.
A twig snapped under my foot, and her eyes flew open, her smile welcoming. She held out her hand, and I took it, bending to kiss her.
“Hey, Pix.”
“Thorne.”
I chuckled. “Am I scowling?”
“Your resting face always scowls.”
“I see. I was unaware.”
“Well, now you know,” she teased.
I sat beside her, our fingers entwined.
“How was Mark?”
“Great. I miss working with him. But he loves days only, and so does Linda.”
She hummed.
“Chief told me I could go to days if I want at the next opportunity.” I smirked. “That could be a few years, though.”
“Something to look forward to.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Do you know what today is?”
I pressed a kiss to her head. “Yep. A year ago today, you broke in to my house.”
“Our house. And I didn’t break in.”
I laughed. “I will never forget that sweet ass hanging from the window. My first instinct was to give it a squeeze.”
She nudged me. “Pervert.”
“We’ve come a long way.”
She sighed. “We have.”
In a fast move, I turned and hit the ground, one knee bent. I held out the box I’d taken from my pocket. “How about we go a little further?”
She looked at the box, then at me. “Thorne?” she whispered.
I opened the box, the diamond catching the light. It was nestled between two sapphires that gleamed brightly. “Marry me, Pix. Please.”
Tears filled her eyes. “It’s so beautiful.”
“The sapphires reminded me of your eyes.”
I took it from its mooring and slid it on her finger, bending to kiss her knuckles. “Please,” I repeated.
“Yes,” she sobbed and flung herself into my arms.
I held her tight and sat back on the log. I let her cry for a moment. She always cried when happy. Or sad. And sometimes when she felt overwhelmed. I liked being there for her and helping her smile again.
She wiped her eyes and held out her hand, twisting it in the sun. The ring twinkled and gleamed, looking so right on her finger. I couldn’t wait to add a band and call her my wife.
She looked up, startled, and I realized I’d said that out loud.
“Soon?” I asked.
She nodded, still looking at her ring.