Page 61 of The Proposal (Brides of Beaufort 1)

I wasn’t sure what she was going to say, but dread swelled to tsunami heights within me. If she ended us now, I’d be done. “Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Shel.”

“Does that offer still stand for you to take leave and help me recover? I think I’m going to need it.”

This time, there was nothing I could do to stop the lone tear that slipped down my cheek. I quickly brushed it away and nodded, so happy she didn’t want to push me back out. “Yeah, of course.”

“Good.”

I reached forward and brushed a piece of hair off her pretty face, leaning in to give her a brief kiss. When I pulled back, a little bit of our familiar ease seeped into me, and I quirked my lips up. “Are you reconsidering that sponge bath idea? I promise I’ll do a really good job.”

A breathy laugh escaped her as she rolled her eyes, then winced like the whole thing hurt. The doctors had told us that her body had been through a lot of trauma, and she’d be in rough shape for a few weeks. I hoped it wouldn’t take too long, for her sake. And for mine. Watching her like this ate me up. Not enough that I wouldn’t want to do it, but enough to reveal the depth of my love for her, that was for sure.

And like Aria said, Shelby would get through this—we both would—and then I’d propose. Because everything Shelby was afraid of had confronted us last night, and I was still here. This was it. No matter what came next, we’d face it together.