Page 66 of Shelter for Tanna

“Oh, I am, am I?”

“Yes. You are. In a couple of weeks.”

“And what if I don’t want to?”

“Boy, you really do need to look up the definition of ‘lie,’ because you obviously have no idea what it means,” he quipped back.

She sat there for a bit, and he could tell she was mulling things over. “Okay. How ‘bout we compromise?”

“Okay. Let’s hear it.”

“I’ll get a different job.”

“Good, because there’s an opening in the cafeteria at my mother’s school and she’s already put in a good word for you.”

“My god, Braden!”

“What else?” he asked as though she hadn’t said a word.

“I’ll sell my house, but I won’t put the money in an investment account.”

“Oh? And what do you intend to do with it?”

“I intend to spend part of it taking my boys to the big theme parks in Florida, seeing as how they’ve never been.”

“And the rest of it?”

“Taking us on a cruise for our honeymoon.”

He scooted up against her and wrapped his arms around her waist as they sat there. “Oh, is that right?”

“Yes. It is. And I want to go to St.Thomas. It’s supposed to be really pretty.”

“Well, if you insist, I guess I can suffer through it,” he said with a grin and kissed her cheek.

“Oh, and I’m not taking my boys to Florida.We’retakingourboys to Florida.”

“Tanna?” he whispered into her ear.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

She turned her face to him and he could’ve sworn those green eyes flashed. “I love you too.”

“And I can promise you I’ll never ever take you for granted.”

“You never have.”

“But I won’t start. In the future.”

“That’s a good thing. I appreciate that,” she said and gave him a peck on the lips.

He trapped her lips with his and kissed her deeply. This was his love, his home, his shelter from the storms of life. He’d set out to be shelter for her and he’d failed, and yet there she was. She had no idea what she’d brought into his life. When he pulled back, he looked down into that beautiful face. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you.”

“That’s not your fault. I didn’t tell you everything you needed to know, and I’m sorry for that. It won’t happen again.”

His palms captured her cheeks and he stared even deeper into those eyes. “It had better not. I can’t live without you.”