Page 8

Eight

LINCOLN

W ith a slight shiver underneath me, my love smiles through trembling lips. I take off my coat and throw it over her body, then tighten the belt of her own. Gathering her hands in mine, I lift her up and walk her back to my car.

The chilly night’s air cuts across my palm as I wave it around the woods. “Was this all for me? The chase? Covering the cameras?”

Her arm tightens around my waist as we walk hip to hip. “Yes.”

Despite trying to contain it, my smile invades my lips in a broad grin. Mel’s big eyes blink up at me until her face brightens like mine. “Figured you’d like it. Do I still owe you for high school now?”

“Well, I thought you could make it up to me by marrying me.” We reach my car and I open the door for her, then lean over and kiss the tip of her cold nose. “But I’ll do the full proposal and all that. Where do you want it? A fancy restaurant? A helicopter?”

She swallows as her face drops. A tiny whisper escapes her as if she’s too shy to speak. “How about right here on our log?”

The emotion that hits me warms up my insides more than her body. “Yeah… Yes, my girl. Definitely.”

After slipping into my seat, I blast the heater for her and head toward my place. “Thought we could visit my house, since it’s close.”

She gazes out at the passing neighborhood, focusing out her passenger window. “Link…”

My hand slips under hers on her seat as I gather it in a tight squeeze. “What’s up?”

Finally, her eyes peek at my face. “Did you really switch my birth control?”

I clear my throat. “Would you be mad if I did?”

“I think, oddly, I’m not. I just needed a minute to myself to think about all this. But, you’re right. We are destined to be together. I’m thirty-six, not sixteen and I want to get started on this new life with you right away—oh my god. Where are we? Link!”

Pulling into the driveway, I smile and kiss the back of her hand as she takes in the sight before her. “Wait right there. I’ll get your door.”

She’s stunned into silence, blinking slowly as she looks up through the windshield. When I tug on her arm to help her stand, she glances at my face while tears line her bottom eyelids. “Did you buy my parent’s house?”

I shove my hands in my pockets and raise up on my toes. “Yeah. And…” with a nod toward the house next door, I continue. “My parent’s old place, too.”

As if in a trance, she follows as I lead her inside. The droplets of her emotion spill over onto her cheeks when we enter. “I didn’t think I could afford it. Although I did just get a raise.”

“And two new assistants that will be waiting to help you on Monday,” I say, looking around with her.

Her head snaps to me. “How do you know about that? I haven’t even looked.”

“Let’s just say, Jake takes my advice, and I strongly encouraged him to consider giving you a raise and promotion. And I know some very strong candidates to help you at work.” I press my lips to her temple as her jaw drops. “Work is important to you. Therefore, it’s important to me, too.”

“How did you convince Jake? He’s the most headstrong person I know.”

Lifting her arms, I pull her toward the kitchen. “Who do you think does all the security at the Lodge? Pierce Cyber Security.”

A smug grin crosses her lips, and she gives me a brief nod. “I like this setup.” She lets go of my hand and I miss the feel of her, but she twirls around the room then smacks her own cheeks with her hands. “You haven’t changed anything . This is exactly how they kept it.”

“I didn’t know if you wanted to stay here, or your place. Or even my parent’s. If you wanted to remodel or leave it just as it was.”

She slips her hand into mine and I tug her into my body. “We have time.”

And that’s all I think about as I hold her all night. For the first time. It’s everything I have ever wanted. The gift of Melody right in my arms.

The next morning, I slip out of bed early. I watch her rest deeply against the pillows she used to sleep on all those years ago. Sneaking out of the room, I get dressed and find my note cards, then scribble out several clues for her.

By the time I set everything up and make it to my last spot, the sun is high in the air. It’s a perfect spring day with the trees in bloom and birds singing. All the flowers in the meadow are waking up and the pond is trickling as the wind waves over it.

In about two hours, I pull out all the picnic items I’d packed. Her tracker shows she’s close. Such a smart woman. She always was.

Her figure comes around the bend in the trees, and she spots me there, waiting. On one knee. As she makes her way directly toward me, her hands cover her mouth and tears fall from her eyes.

“Melody, you’re the woman I’ve always wanted. The song that plays on my heart continuously. I won’t go through life another day without you. Will you marry me?”

She huffs out a loud sob and nods, then falls into my embrace, ignoring the ring I have out and presented to her. I hold her in my arms as she presses her mouth against my neck and says, “Yes! Absolutely!”

I slide the ring onto her shaky finger, then grasp her hair, pulling her lips to mine. The kiss says we're one. That she’s mine and no one else’s.

I’m not just the boy next door anymore.