the way I said them. I love you, Meri. I want you and Lily to be part of my life."
Her throat closed up.
"Do you love me, Meri? Because I’m over the moon in love with you."
"Oh, God, Ian." Meri threw her arms around his neck and clung to him, just hung on and let the tears roll down her face. "I love you. I love you so much."
She felt his muscles relax as relief slid through him. Ian eased her away enough to kiss her, then dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled a blue velvet box.
"I wish I had time to do this right. Propose to you over some fancy dinner in Seattle, but I’m afraid you’ll slip away from me, and I couldn’t stand it if that happened."
He opened the box and held it out to her. "This is my mother’s wedding ring. Dad wanted me to have it. Will you marry me, honey? I love you so damned much."
"Oh, Ian, yes! Yes, I’ll marry you." Her hand shook as Ian slipped the ring on her finger. The small, perfectly cut diamond looked just right for her hand.
Ian kissed her, a long, slow, deep, heart-shattering kiss she felt all the way to her soul.
"Meri..." he whispered, holding her in his arms as they stood there looking at each other in the moonlight over the water.
"Are you sure, Ian? Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Honey, nothing I’ve ever done has felt as right as this." Ian brought her hand up and kissed her ring finger. "Let’s go in and tell Dad and Lily." He smiled. "But don’t be surprised if they already know by now."
Meri laughed as they walked hand-in-hand back to the house.
EPILOGUE
They were living in Seattle, Ian back to work at Brodie Security. Since his main office was in Bellevue, he and Meri were looking at homes in the area.
They were married. Meri had no real family and he hadn’t seen any point in waiting. His own family had turned out in force for the wedding. Even his cousins, Dylan, Nick, and Rafe had flown down from Alaska.
Once he got his head on straight, it hadn’t taken him long to figure out what he wanted. To realize his dad was right--he was in love with Meriwether Jones, and she was the perfect woman for him. Seeing her face up to a pair vicious thugs like a lioness protecting her cub had only intensified his feelings.
As far as he was concerned, he couldn’t get the woman to the altar fast enough.
A lot had happened in the weeks since their marriage, first and foremost, Kowalski and Bandini were both in jail. Besides the kidnapping charges both men faced, turned out Kowalski was wanted for armed robbery in Los Angeles, and though Bandini had accepted a plea bargain, he wasn’t getting out of prison anytime soon.
Ian smiled. Meri was working as his bookkeeper/ receptionist/secretary, and generally running his office, which was great. She was enjoying the job and she was good at it. She could set her own hours so she had plenty of time to be with Lily.
Plenty of time to be with him. He grinned to think of the hours they’d been spending in bed, how many times he’d made her late for work in the mornings, how she would blush when he teased her about it.
He had already filed for Lily’s adoption, and though it wasn’t official, he was certain the paperwork would go through fairly quickly. Lily already called him Daddy. Daniel had insisted she call him Grandpa, which, every time she said it, made him smile.
Daniel and Heddy were an item. Heddy had insisted Daniel take down the fences between their properties so the horses, including the new ones his dad had purchased, could roam free.
As a wedding gift, she had given Sunny to Ian and Meri. Though the stallion would be staying at his dad’s place, it was one of the best gifts he’d ever received.
Everything was going smoothly. And though Ian loved his wife and being married, he was glad to be working. He ran a private security firm. In a city the size of Seattle, he had plenty of business, and
Her throat closed up.
"Do you love me, Meri? Because I’m over the moon in love with you."
"Oh, God, Ian." Meri threw her arms around his neck and clung to him, just hung on and let the tears roll down her face. "I love you. I love you so much."
She felt his muscles relax as relief slid through him. Ian eased her away enough to kiss her, then dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled a blue velvet box.
"I wish I had time to do this right. Propose to you over some fancy dinner in Seattle, but I’m afraid you’ll slip away from me, and I couldn’t stand it if that happened."
He opened the box and held it out to her. "This is my mother’s wedding ring. Dad wanted me to have it. Will you marry me, honey? I love you so damned much."
"Oh, Ian, yes! Yes, I’ll marry you." Her hand shook as Ian slipped the ring on her finger. The small, perfectly cut diamond looked just right for her hand.
Ian kissed her, a long, slow, deep, heart-shattering kiss she felt all the way to her soul.
"Meri..." he whispered, holding her in his arms as they stood there looking at each other in the moonlight over the water.
"Are you sure, Ian? Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Honey, nothing I’ve ever done has felt as right as this." Ian brought her hand up and kissed her ring finger. "Let’s go in and tell Dad and Lily." He smiled. "But don’t be surprised if they already know by now."
Meri laughed as they walked hand-in-hand back to the house.
EPILOGUE
They were living in Seattle, Ian back to work at Brodie Security. Since his main office was in Bellevue, he and Meri were looking at homes in the area.
They were married. Meri had no real family and he hadn’t seen any point in waiting. His own family had turned out in force for the wedding. Even his cousins, Dylan, Nick, and Rafe had flown down from Alaska.
Once he got his head on straight, it hadn’t taken him long to figure out what he wanted. To realize his dad was right--he was in love with Meriwether Jones, and she was the perfect woman for him. Seeing her face up to a pair vicious thugs like a lioness protecting her cub had only intensified his feelings.
As far as he was concerned, he couldn’t get the woman to the altar fast enough.
A lot had happened in the weeks since their marriage, first and foremost, Kowalski and Bandini were both in jail. Besides the kidnapping charges both men faced, turned out Kowalski was wanted for armed robbery in Los Angeles, and though Bandini had accepted a plea bargain, he wasn’t getting out of prison anytime soon.
Ian smiled. Meri was working as his bookkeeper/ receptionist/secretary, and generally running his office, which was great. She was enjoying the job and she was good at it. She could set her own hours so she had plenty of time to be with Lily.
Plenty of time to be with him. He grinned to think of the hours they’d been spending in bed, how many times he’d made her late for work in the mornings, how she would blush when he teased her about it.
He had already filed for Lily’s adoption, and though it wasn’t official, he was certain the paperwork would go through fairly quickly. Lily already called him Daddy. Daniel had insisted she call him Grandpa, which, every time she said it, made him smile.
Daniel and Heddy were an item. Heddy had insisted Daniel take down the fences between their properties so the horses, including the new ones his dad had purchased, could roam free.
As a wedding gift, she had given Sunny to Ian and Meri. Though the stallion would be staying at his dad’s place, it was one of the best gifts he’d ever received.
Everything was going smoothly. And though Ian loved his wife and being married, he was glad to be working. He ran a private security firm. In a city the size of Seattle, he had plenty of business, and
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