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CONAN

I lead her over to the driver’s side and open the door.

She goes to get in, but when she looks down, she stops.

I’m already on one knee, a box open in my hand.

“Conan,” she whispers, her voice catching.

“Turn around, please, trouble.”

She does, her hands flying to cover her mouth, tears already brimming in her eyes.

“Hallie Morris,” I begin, my heart thundering, “will you please—God, I’m down on my knee begging you—please be my wife? Marry me?”

She lets out a squeal that makes my chest ache in the best way, and I stand just in time for her to jump into my arms.

I’m so fucking happy I don’t even care about the pain in my ribs. I spin us around, her laughter ringing in my ear.

“Yes!” she cries. “Beastie—one hundred times, yes!”

“Oh, thank God.” I brush my lips over hers, breathing her in.

When I finally set her down, she’s smiling so wide her cheeks flush pink.

“What happens now?” she asks quietly.

“We get married,” I murmur against her temple, “we move in here, we have our baby…and we live happily ever after.”

She grins, the kind that creases her eyes and makes me fall for her all over again.

“What about your work?” she whispers. “What if whoever it was comes back?”

I shake my head. There will always be threats in this life. But nothing we can’t stop.

“Not happening,” I promise. “We’ve sorted it. And there will come a time, soon, when we can end it all for good. But we’re safe here.”

“I trust you,” she whispers.

“Hallie…” I tip her chin up. “It sounds like you’re trying to guess what’s going to go wrong.”

Her brown eyes shine up at me.

“It’s not going to,” I tell her. “I won’t let it.”

She sighs, her lashes fluttering.

“Usually when things go so right…they tend to come crashing down.”

“Not this time.” I press my palm over her stomach.

“This is it now. A new start.”

A new life.

“I love you,” I tell her.

“I love you more.” She peppers my face with kisses until I’m laughing.

“Can we get married, like…next week?” she asks, pouting and batting her lashes.

“Hell yeah.” I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. “Vegas? Just the two of us? Party in the new house once it’s done?”

She squeals again, and God, I’d give her anything to hear that sound forever.

“Oh my God—yes! Yes! Yes! Can we spend a few days there? There’s so many things I wanna see!”

I crash my mouth over hers, swallowing her excitement.

“I have a few friends in Vegas,” I murmur against her lips. “I’ll get everything arranged. It’ll be perfect.”

“I’m joking.” She giggles, brushing her thumb over my jaw. “We aren’t doing it next week. We can do it when you’re fully recovered. Okay? I can wait a little while.”

My chest goes tight.

“I’d wait forever for you,” I whisper.

She leans back, studying my face, her smile soft.

“So…let’s say…three weeks?” She winks. “You should be okay to fly.”

“God, I am so obsessed with you,” I growl, tugging her closer.

“Good.” She nips my bottom lip. “Because I’m completely mad for you, beastie. You make me so happy. I’m glad you chased me.”

My brows rise, and I glance out over the fields stretching in every direction.

“You see how much land we’ve got?” I smirk.

“I can chase you for the rest of our lives now.”

Her body melts against mine, and that fire ignites in her eyes—just like it always does when she’s with me.

She is my purpose. My peace. My fucking everything.

And she always will be.