“Yes, we have,” Ella said. “Sydney told me Jessie asked if we could come.”
“I don’t know, Ella. You may still be in the hospital, and I doubt Jessie asked her dad if we could come.”
“Come where?” Reid asked.
Megan held her hand over the phone. “Jessie asked us to come to the lodge for Christmas.”
He smiled a sweet, crooked little grin. “Consider it an official invitation.”
Megan returned her attention to the call. “We can talk about this when I get there. Okay, Ella?”
“’K. But how long before you do?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, sweetie. I love you.” Megan disconnected and handed the phone to Reid.
His lips were pressed tight, and the intense desire to gently swipe away whatever was bothering him surprised her. She wanted to be angry with him for leaving. Or at least wary of him, but he took her hand and bent close, his gaze heating up as he drew near, and she lost the resolve.
“I really want to be mad at you for walking out on us,” she said firmly.
“But?”
“For the first time in a long time, I’m seeing clearly. Maybe my renewed faith is helping me take risks I might not have taken before. It hurt so much when you left me the first time and even more when you took off from the hospital. But it wouldn’t hurt so much if I didn’t love you.” The warmth of his hand cut through the cold, and she knew everything between them would work out. “If I learned anything in the past few days, it’s that risking it all for love is so much better than living in fear of rejection.”
“Does this mean you’ll give me a chance to prove I’ll never leave you again?” His intense gaze left her breathless.
She watched him carefully. “How do you propose to do that?”
He sat up taller. “By standing by your side from this day forward, no matter what happens, until you know I’m in this for the long haul.”
His commitment lifted her spirits even more, but could she buy into it? “That could take a long time.”
“I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll be there if you let me.” He caressed the side of her face, and his warm gaze further thawed her resolve.
“My heart tells me to trust you,” she admitted.
“But?”
“But my head says I can’t.”
“Then think with your heart. That’s what I’m doing.” He paused as if trying to compose his words. “I knew the minute I kissed you last night that I was in love with you and wanted you in my life forever. But I let seeing Ella so sick scare me. It took Smith kidnapping you for me to realize I want nothing more than the chance to be with you. No matter the risks. I love you and want to be with you forever.” He bent forward and settled his lips over hers before she could speak at all, much less protest.
But she didn’t want to. She drew his head closer and lost herself in the kiss. His lips were warm, strong, and tender all at the same time. She didn’t want him to let her go. She’d always loved this man and had never stopped. This kiss proved it.
“The medics are here,” Jack called from above.
Reid groaned and pulled back. “He needs to stop interrupting us.”
Happiness flooded her heart, and it escaped in a grin. “We’ll have plenty of time without him around.”
Reid blinked rapidly and stared at her. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Yes. I love you too, and want to give us a chance away from all of this mess to see if we work in the real world.”
He softly stroked her hair. “Oh, we’ll work all right. Better than you could ever imagine.”
She smiled at him and knew he spoke the truth. She never imagined a future with him and two sweet girls like Ella and Jessie. Her life with Reid had started out when she witnessed something terrible, but now that Fowler and Smith were out of their lives, she could imagine the four of them together forever, starting this week with their very first perfect Christmas at the lodge.
Epilogue
