EPILOGUE
Mark walked down a flagstone path into the woods behind the spa. His heart pounded in his chest, and adrenaline flooded his body, leaving him jittery. He’d faced down armed mercenaries in some of the most dangerous places in the world without breaking a sweat, but right now, he was so nervous he was about to jump out of his own skin.
A cabin came into view ahead, wood-paneled with lots of windows. Brightly colored flowers bloomed along the walkway. Jess’s new spa cabins didn’t officially open until next week, but he was staying here with her tonight, a reward for all their hard work over the last six months as they got her spa resort and Off-the-Grid’s mountain bike course completed and ready to open for business.
And Jess was inside that cabin right now, waiting for him. He quickened his pace. Last month, they’d driven to South Carolina together to visit Sharlene. The three of them had sat and talked. It had been awkward and painful, but good too somehow. He didn’t know what the future held, but if it brought Sharlene back into his life, he was okay with that now.
Life was short. Family was precious. And love was something never to be wasted.
When he reached the cabin’s front door, he paused, drew a deep breath, and then knocked. Jess pulled it open, wearing a purple sundress. Her cheeks were flushed, and her brown eyes sparkled with health. She still had bad days when the Lyme disease flared up, but for the most part, she was as good as new. Better, because now she was his.
“I’m spending the night at the spa. You know what this means, right?” He pulled her into his arms.
“What?” she asked with a smile.
“It means I’m totally whipped.”
She laughed, pressing her lips to his. “It means you’re a smart man who realizes he gets to do all kinds of naughty things to christen this place tonight with the woman he loves.”
His dick stirred in his pants. “Well, in that case…”
“Come on in. Dinner’s being delivered in a little while, and I’ve got champagne for later.” She stepped back, tugging him inside with her.
“That so?” He closed the door behind them and looked around. He’d seen the place a few times during construction but not since it was finished. There was a bedroom to the left and a lounge area to the right, but he followed Jess through a doorway into the open-air atrium at its center. A hammock was strung between two trees, and behind it the private hot tub beckoned. He’d had all kinds of plans for tonight, rehearsed how to do this right, but he blanked on all of it as he stood in the courtyard with Jess.
The sun shone down on them, warm and bright. A robin landed in the tree beside them, hopping from branch to branch and twittering happily.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” she said.
“It really is. Jess?” His stomach tightened, and his palms grew damp.
Her smile faded. “Are you okay? You look…”
Like he was about to hurl? Because that’s how he felt. “Yeah, I just…” He paused and drew a deep breath. “I have something to say, and I’m afraid I’m going to mess it up.”
She took his hands, giving him an encouraging smile. “What is it?”
Here goes nothing.“For a long time, I thought I wasn’t cut out for anything but a life in the military. The Special Forces gave me a purpose, a reason to keep getting up every day. And I was damn good at my job. After the explosion, I thought I’d lost the only worthwhile thing in my life, but I was wrong.”
Jess’s eyes widened.
“I’m happier now than I’ve ever been before, and it’s all thanks to you. I never really knew what love was until I met you, Jess. And then I fucked it up…several times.” He grimaced, and she laughed softly. “Thank God you kept giving me second chances.”
“There’s a learning curve for everything,” she said, reaching out to touch his cheek. “Even love.”
“Well, I hope I’ve mastered it this time because, Jess, I need to ask you something really important.”
“Okay,” she whispered, her eyes locked on his.
“I’ve always known I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but…well, what I’m trying to say is…Jess, will you marry me?” The words just tumbled out of him, and his heart was beating so fast he could hardly breathe.
Jess was already nodding as tears spilled over her cheeks. “Yes.”
A funny lightness spread through his chest.She said yes!He must be the luckiest sonofabitch in the whole world because the most amazing, gorgeous woman had just agreed to marry him. But…fuck. “Wait. I forgot…”
“No, you didn’t. It was perfect.” She flung her arms around him, kissing him through her tears. “I’m so happy.”
Hooah!“Me too, baby. Me too. But I forgot the most important part.”
