Page 41 of Ripple Effect

“Cal,” I try to speak, but he shakes his head.

“Libby, my time in foster care…” he begins. “It was cold. It was harsh. If that’s my example, what do I do?”

“You trust in your family.”

His head pulls back. “My family?”

“Mine,” I remind him simply. Because over the last six months, Cal’s managed to win over my parents, Josh, and even Sydney, who—as Cal put it—was determined to maim him the first time they met. Despite the fact Cal claims he has no idea what a family’s supposed to be, he’s seamlessly blended into mine.

He goes on. “I was left on the doorstep of a garage in Calhoun, Georgia. Sullivan’s garage, to be exact, before I was taken in by the Bauers. I only have a name because it was pieced together. I don’t want to taint the beauty of you by asking you to take my name, let alone pass that along to a child.”

“Will you abandon me?” I stop him before he can continue. “Will you disgrace our family, whatever it ends up being? Will you betray me?”

“Never!” The vow is spoken roughly.

I curl up and grip his face. “Then I will take your name. If we’re blessed with them, our children will carry your name. With the man you are, how could you not think I wouldn’t want them, or that they wouldn’t be proud of their father when I’m going to be proud to be his wife?”

The vulnerability on his face undoes me. “What kind of man is that?”

“Strong. Loving. Committed. And all of those things made me fall in love with you, Calhoun. More importantly, they’re what made me say yes.”

Cal’s words rush out. “I want us to have the same kind of life you did, Libby. I want there to be love.” He takes in my room. “You have that here.”

I sweep my fingers over his cheek. “And we’ll recreate it somewhere else. Love isn’t a place, Cal. It’s each other. And we’ll always have that.”

Pulling my hand to his lips, he kisses right above the diamond he slid on the night before. “Yeah, we will.”

We talk about the big and little decisions over the rest of the day and well into the night, leaving the bed only for food and to use the bathroom. Otherwise, we’re wrapped around each other, planning for our future together as husband and wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. When I take my vows to love, honor, and cherish this man above all others, I will become Elizabeth Sullivan.

And in the dark, I feel like I won a major war when he whispers, “Elizabeth Akin Sullivan,” just before he slips inside me again, his hands memorizing every inch of my skin in the moonlight.

25

Calhoun

Twelve Years Ago from Present Day

An overwhelming sense of pride washes over me as the FBI reunites the missing child with her parents.

“Nice work on the intel,” an unexpected voice comes from next to me. A masked member of the private firm used to locate the daughter of the wealthy Connecticut family murmurs, “If you’re ever looking for a job, look us up.”

“Not that I need a job, but aren’t you making that kinda hard?” I flick my finger to indicate the ski mask he’s wearing. “No clue who you are, man.”

Amusement sparks in eyes as green as Libby’s. “Not really. You’re good at what you do. If you want to, you’ll find us.” And with that, he turns away and pulls a hoodie up before dislodging the cover that’s permitted us both to observe the reunion between Charlotte Collins and her family from an unused hospital room across the hall.

Shaking my head at the arrogance, I catch sight of the clock. “Shit.” I have twenty minutes to be downstairs so I can get the helo out of Danbury to La Guardia. Then, it’s a straight shot home to Libby.

I hope she’s not too sleepy. I grin at one of the pretty nurses as I make my way down the hall.

I feel an all-night celebration coming on.

26

Present Day

Elizabeth