Page 68 of High Country Escape

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” She cradled his face in her hands and smiled at his blurry image, still blinking back tears. “You did everything so right. I’m just...overwhelmed with how wonderful it is.”

He pulled her close and held her so tightly she could scarcely breathe. But she didn’t pull away. She wanted to be this close to him.

After a few moments, he began to move against her, his hands tracing patterns across her hip and lower back, his erection nudging at her entrance. She lifted one leg and invited him in.

But instead of accepting the invitation, he leaned back and groped at something on his bedside table. A second later, he held up a condom packet. “Bet you thought I forgot.”

She laughed and held out her hand. “Allow me to do the honors.”

She loved the feel of him, hard and hot in her hand. But she loved even more the glazed look in his eyes as she fit the condom to him, the little gasp that escaped him when she squeezed him.

Their eyes met and that overwhelming feeling of being so cherished and cared for—and of wanting to cherish and care for him—returned. She pulled him to her once more and this time they fit together easily and began to move in a rhythm that seemed to light up every nerve ending in her body.

They kept their eyes open, reading the passion in each other’s eyes, moving faster, then slower, then deeper, until they were both panting and trembling. He bent his head, focused now,thrusting harder. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the sensation. His body tensed and his climax shuddered through them both. She wrapped arms and legs around him and rocked with him until he was spent.

He got up and went into the bathroom, and emerged smelling of mint toothpaste. He slid into bed and lay beside her, cradling her head on his shoulder.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had been this happy. She thought he was asleep and started to slip from beneath his arm, but he clutched at her. “It’s all right,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

She went to the bathroom, cleaned herself and brushed her teeth and her hair and returned to find him awake, hands behind his head, watching her as she walked, naked, to the bed. “I could get used to this,” he said.

“Hmm.” She pulled back the covers and nestled in beside him. He put his arm around her.

“I love you,” he said. “I’ve loved you for weeks now.”

“I’ve known it for weeks, too,” she said. “I was just afraid to say it. Love seems so fragile.”

“It isn’t fragile,” he said. “It might be the strongest thing there is. At least that’s what it feels like to me.”

“Can you deal with someone with so much baggage?” she asked. “I’ve had a lot of therapy over the years but there are still things that live in my head that come out sometimes.”

He raised himself up to look her in the eye. “I love you. That means all of you.” He shaped one hand to her breast. “Not just the sexy parts or the smart parts or the funny parts or the talented parts. All the parts make youyou—that includes your baggage. And I’ve got plenty of faults of my own. Can you put up with those?”

“I want to try.”

“Then let’s try.” They kissed to seal the promise, a simple kiss full of tenderness tempered with passion. A promise she hoped to keep.

Her phone jangled from the table beside the bed. She picked it up. “It’s the sheriff,” she said, reading the screen.

Dalton sat up again and watched as she answered the call. “Hello?”

“Roxanne, this is Sheriff Walker. I wanted to let you know we found Sarah Michaelson at Kara’s tiny house. She was locked in a closet, but she’s alive and with her parents right now. She’s going to be okay.”

The tears flooded back. Dalton had to take the phone from her and tell the sheriff they were thrilled to hear about Sarah and would be in touch so Roxanne could give her statement about everything that had happened with Ledger and Kara. Then he held her while she sobbed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said. “I’m just...so overwhelmed.”

He stroked her hair. “Maybe you’re remembering another little girl,” he said. “Another girl who escaped Ledger and went on to survive and grow into a wonderful woman.”

She sobbed harder at his words, and held on tighter. She was never going to let him go. Never.

Epilogue

An organ fanfare played the opening strains of the “Bridal Chorus” and the crowd in the open-air chapel shuffled to its feet. Dalton turned to watch his sister progress up the aisle on the arm of their father while, in the row ahead of them, his mother began to softly weep.

“She’s so beautiful.” Roxanne squeezed Dalton’s arm and dabbed at her own eyes. Next to her, Mira stood with Carter and Aaron had his arm around Willa. Much of the rest of the chapel was filled with various cousins, aunts, uncles and other friends and family members.

At the front of the chapel the groom, Ian Seabrook, wearing a suit that probably cost more than Dalton made in a month, beamed at his bride, the huge grin a little goofy on a man who was usually so serious. He shook Mr. Ames’s hand, then took both of Bethany’s in his own. The two stared at each other, entranced. The officiant had to clear her throat to get their attention, and the crowd chuckled, then settled once more into their seats.

The vows elicited more tears from the Ames women—or those who would soon be part of the family. And then the organ trumpeted again and they rose to watch the bride and groom recess to the Wedding March.