Page 9 of Her Protector (Ember Heart Ridge Search and Rescue #4)

One year later

The sound of laughter carries across the backyard of our new house, mixing with the splash of water and Risky's excited barking. From my spot on the deck, I watch Marcus trying to wrestle the garden hose away from my nephew.

“Uncle Marcus is getting soaked!” Tommy shrieks with delight, aiming the hose with the precision only a kid can manage.

“That's what he gets for challenging you to a water fight,” I call out, taking a sip of my lemonade.

Marcus shoots me a look that promises payback later, his shirt clinging to his chest in ways that make my pulse quicken even after a year of living together. Some things never get old.

“Whose side are you on?” he yells back, finally managing to grab the hose and redirecting it toward the flower beds.

“Mine,” I say sweetly, which earns me a grin that still makes my knees weak.

A year. A whole year has passed since we found the treasure, since Darrell Varjek was arrested, and since our lives changed completely. It feels like yesterday.

Mom's treatment was a success, funded by the sale of the diamond. The leftover money was used to set up the mine according to Grandpa’s wishes.

Profits from the mine will be used for the Jasper Brooks Medical Fund, which helps families in need to access treatment not covered by their insurance.

It also secured the future of Ember Heart SAR for the next thirty years.

Later, after Josh picks Tommy up, Marcus and I sit together on the porch swing. Risky’s playing with the new rescue pup in the garden as the sun sets over the mountain.

Marcus’s phone buzzes with a text. He reads it and then passes it to me.

Troy: Need to see you. I’ve just met the girl of my dreams and I want some background intel. I’ve agreed to be her fake fiance. Tell you everything tomorrow.

I shake my head as I pass the phone back. “That does not sound like Doctor Troy.”

“You’re right. This girl must have seriously disrupted his cool professional demeanor. Fake fiancé?”

“I want to hear all about it!”

“Of course. It’s a beautiful evening,” Marcus says, but there's something nervous in his voice that makes me look at him more closely.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just…” He runs a hand through his hair, and I recognize the gesture from when he's working up courage for something. “Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about.”

My heart starts beating faster. “What is it?”

Marcus stands up suddenly, then kneels down in front of the swing. When he pulls a small velvet box from his pocket, I think my heart might stop altogether.

“Abby Brooks,” he says, his voice soft but steady. “A year ago, you came back to Ember Heart and turned my whole world upside down. Again.”

I can barely breathe as he opens the box, revealing a beautiful heart-shaped ring that catches the last rays of sunlight.

“I've been in love with you since we were seventeen years old. I've spent so many years regretting that I let you go without telling you how I felt.” His green eyes are intense, focused completely on mine. “I don't want to waste another day without you knowing exactly how much you mean to me.”

Tears are streaming down my face now, but I can't make any words come out.

“Will you marry me, Trouble?”

“Yes,” I finally manage to whisper, then louder, “Yes! Of course, yes!”

He slides the ring onto my finger with shaking hands, then stands to kiss me while Risky barks excitedly in the background like he knows something wonderful just happened.

“I love you,” Marcus murmurs against my lips.

“I love you too,” I say back, admiring the way the ring looks on my hand. “Now, how long have you been planning this?”

“Months. Your mom may have helped pick out the ring.”

“She knew?”

“She knew. Josh knew. Logan knew. Pretty much everyone knew except you.” He grins sheepishly. “I'm not as subtle as I thought I was.”

I laugh, wiping tears from my cheeks. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

“Good,” he says, settling back onto the swing and pulling me against his side. “Because I plan on spending the rest of my life making you happy.”

I look out at the mountain where it all started, where we found treasure and each other and our future.

“I'm counting on it,” I tell him, and seal the promise with a kiss.