Page 42 of Saving Salem
“I agree. We’ve been through a lot in the last few days. It’s been nonstop drama.”
“It’s been far more than either of us expected, that’s for sure. I know when you first suggested we get married, neither of us thought the situation with the Amirs would be handled so fast. I’m not sure—”
“I told you right from the start I was here for the long haul. That I’d stick around for as long as you wanted me to.”
“What if I want you to stick around forever?”
He stiffened beside her, and she knew she’d said the wrong thing. He didn’t feel the same way she did, and now he’d stay out of guilt because he was a stand-up guy who always kept his word.
“Forever sounds far too short a time to be with you, sweetheart.” Shaking his head, he looked up to meet her eyes. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you I want to be with you until I take my last breath. You are everything I’ve ever wanted, Salem. From the moment I saw you in that cabin in Shiloh Springs in the middle of a downpour, pregnant and still standing up to a madman with a gun, I wanted you. If I knew you were coming to visit Douglas and Ms. Patti, I’d make up excuses to be in Shiloh Springs just so I could see you. Salem, we didn’t have to get married. I could have still moved here, watched over you and Chloe. But I wanted that tie to you, a bond that nobody could break. I was being selfish, I know, but even if it was for a little while, I wanted ties between us, vows that I have never spoken to another woman. And I never will again. You are it for me, Salem. I’ve always known I was waiting for the right woman, the perfect woman. That’s you.”
She couldn’t breathe. The words he spoke flooded her with hope of a future she’d only dreamed of.
“I’m not perfect.” It was all she could manage to get out.
“You are perfect to me. Perfectforme. I have to say this at least once, and if you never want to hear it again, I’ll understand. I love you. I love your smile. I love your strength. I love your fortitude and your willingness to stand up and face your battles instead of running. I love the way you nibble on the end of your pen when you’re thinking. And I love the way you protect and defend your daughter. You are an amazing woman, Salem. You are and always will be the love of my life and if you want this marriage to end, I won’t stand in your way. But I want you to know, no matter what, I will always love you and I will always be there if you need me.”
Tears streamed down her face, and she didn’t care. Every word he spoke echoed how she felt about him. Hope blossomed inside her, the vision of a future she hadn’t dared dream of within her grasp, if she was only strong enough to reach out and grab it.
“Jack Sutton, I didn’t expect you. I don’t trust easily, especially men, but it seemed like every time I turned around, there you were. Kind, giving, caring. I didn’t want to like you.” She gave a watery laugh at the expression on his face. “When you asked me to marry you, I was shocked and appalled. It seemed like the craziest idea I’d ever heard. But you were so sincere, willing to help somebody you barely knew. Jack, you gave up your home, your job, everything, and moved to another state to help me. You are so good with Chloe, and she adores you. How could I not fall head over heels in love with you, you big, dumb, loveable goof?”
She threw herself into his arms, tilting her head back for his kiss. His lips crashed against hers, and it felt like she was coming home. A thrill of excitement raced through her as his lips parted, deepening the kiss. After long moments, he pulled back, brushing kisses in a long line across her jaw before spreading light, teasing kisses against the scar on her cheek. She breathed deeply, letting the sweetness of his kisses roll over her, desire for this man—her husband—making her feel giddy.
Though they had a long road before them, and it probably wouldn’t all be smooth sailing, Salem knew with Jack by her side, they’d make it through. Together.