felt in a very long time. He put his hands on her waist and held on, wanting to keep the kiss going for as long as possible.
Then the elevator dinged, and she broke away with a breathless smile. "Just as I thought," she said. "That mouth of yours is good for a lot more than talking."
He grinned. "Yours, too. That was hot. I'm going to call you tomorrow. You better answer."
Hallie stepped into the elevator. "I will," she said.
The elevator doors closed, and he walked back down the hall, feeling light on his feet and happier than he'd been in a decade.
The rest of his life was about to begin. He was closing the book on his past for good, and he was looking forward to a future—a future that was going to include one beautiful, gutsy redhead.
* * *
Emma sat by Max's side until dawn. The sun was just creeping through the slit in the curtains when Max began to stir. She got to her feet as his eyelids flickered and then slowly opened. She put her hand on his arm as he tried to focus. His skin was warm now, and it was so much better than the icy cold she'd felt the night before.
His gaze finally met hers.
"Max," she whispered.
His lips parted, but his voice was hoarse and rough when he said, "Emma."
"Don't try to talk," she said quickly. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she added, "You're in the hospital. You were shot, but you're going to be all right." She gave him a smile, wanting to reassure him, wanting to take the sudden flash of fear out of his eyes. She suddenly realized where it was coming from. "Spencer is all right, too."
Relief moved across his face. He took several deeper breaths and then said, "I'm sorry."
Her heart tore at his words. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"The wedding—"
"Will happen another day. Don't worry about it."
"All the money your parents spent—"
"Stop. It's going to be fine," she said firmly. "The only thing that matters is you. You're going to be all right. That's all I care about."
"You look so pretty."
She gave him a teary smile. "That's the drugs talking. I'm a mess."
"You have blood on your dress." He frowned. "How did you get blood on your clothes?"
"I hugged you," she said. "Right before they put you in the ambulance."
"How did I get out of the bank?"
"It's a long story. Spencer will tell you everything."
"Did anyone else get hurt?"
"You're the only one. Luckily there was a nurse in the bank. She helped Spencer take care of you."
"Did she have red hair?"
"She did."
"Spencer was hitting on her in line."
"I think he's still doing that," she said with a smile. "She spent half the night in the waiting room with him."
"Good for him."
"You should rest now." Her hand slid down his arm and she put her fingers around his.
He looked into her eyes. "Are you still going to marry me, Emma?"
"Try and stop me," she said. "Third time will be the charm. And I really don't care about any more wedding planning, Max. We can get married wherever. It's the marriage part I want, the having children and growing old together that's important. I want what my grandparents' have—the next sixty years with you."
"Only sixty?"
"Make that a hundred. Try to rest now."
"Kiss me first," he said.
She lowered her head and kissed him on the lips, infusing every bit of her love and passion for him in that one long kiss. "Sleep now."
"Now? After that?" he said. "I want another kiss."
"Tomorrow," she said with a laugh.
Despite his protest, his eyes were already drifting closed. She sat back down in the chair and then leaned back and closed her eyes, letting exhaustion sweep her into a happy dream of many more tomorrows with the man she loved.
Epilogue
Two weeks later – Christmas Eve
"I thought you were taking me out to dinner," Hallie said as Spencer ushered her up the steps of the San Francisco Courthouse.
He smiled. "You'll get dinner—eventually."
"That sounds ominous. What's going on?"
"It's a surprise."
Spencer had been surprising her a
Then the elevator dinged, and she broke away with a breathless smile. "Just as I thought," she said. "That mouth of yours is good for a lot more than talking."
He grinned. "Yours, too. That was hot. I'm going to call you tomorrow. You better answer."
Hallie stepped into the elevator. "I will," she said.
The elevator doors closed, and he walked back down the hall, feeling light on his feet and happier than he'd been in a decade.
The rest of his life was about to begin. He was closing the book on his past for good, and he was looking forward to a future—a future that was going to include one beautiful, gutsy redhead.
* * *
Emma sat by Max's side until dawn. The sun was just creeping through the slit in the curtains when Max began to stir. She got to her feet as his eyelids flickered and then slowly opened. She put her hand on his arm as he tried to focus. His skin was warm now, and it was so much better than the icy cold she'd felt the night before.
His gaze finally met hers.
"Max," she whispered.
His lips parted, but his voice was hoarse and rough when he said, "Emma."
"Don't try to talk," she said quickly. Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she added, "You're in the hospital. You were shot, but you're going to be all right." She gave him a smile, wanting to reassure him, wanting to take the sudden flash of fear out of his eyes. She suddenly realized where it was coming from. "Spencer is all right, too."
Relief moved across his face. He took several deeper breaths and then said, "I'm sorry."
Her heart tore at his words. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"The wedding—"
"Will happen another day. Don't worry about it."
"All the money your parents spent—"
"Stop. It's going to be fine," she said firmly. "The only thing that matters is you. You're going to be all right. That's all I care about."
"You look so pretty."
She gave him a teary smile. "That's the drugs talking. I'm a mess."
"You have blood on your dress." He frowned. "How did you get blood on your clothes?"
"I hugged you," she said. "Right before they put you in the ambulance."
"How did I get out of the bank?"
"It's a long story. Spencer will tell you everything."
"Did anyone else get hurt?"
"You're the only one. Luckily there was a nurse in the bank. She helped Spencer take care of you."
"Did she have red hair?"
"She did."
"Spencer was hitting on her in line."
"I think he's still doing that," she said with a smile. "She spent half the night in the waiting room with him."
"Good for him."
"You should rest now." Her hand slid down his arm and she put her fingers around his.
He looked into her eyes. "Are you still going to marry me, Emma?"
"Try and stop me," she said. "Third time will be the charm. And I really don't care about any more wedding planning, Max. We can get married wherever. It's the marriage part I want, the having children and growing old together that's important. I want what my grandparents' have—the next sixty years with you."
"Only sixty?"
"Make that a hundred. Try to rest now."
"Kiss me first," he said.
She lowered her head and kissed him on the lips, infusing every bit of her love and passion for him in that one long kiss. "Sleep now."
"Now? After that?" he said. "I want another kiss."
"Tomorrow," she said with a laugh.
Despite his protest, his eyes were already drifting closed. She sat back down in the chair and then leaned back and closed her eyes, letting exhaustion sweep her into a happy dream of many more tomorrows with the man she loved.
Epilogue
Two weeks later – Christmas Eve
"I thought you were taking me out to dinner," Hallie said as Spencer ushered her up the steps of the San Francisco Courthouse.
He smiled. "You'll get dinner—eventually."
"That sounds ominous. What's going on?"
"It's a surprise."
Spencer had been surprising her a
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