“Sydney, can you make sure the Devereuxes’ luggage gets delivered to their house?” Gabriel asked. “We’re taking off.”
“I got you,” Sydney said. “Congrats on saving the country.”
Gabriel laughed as they said their goodbyes and were escorted out.
As the Secret Service drove them to Hotel Dillinger, Gabriel said, “It’s a normal day for everyone in the nation’s capital.”
“They have no idea what could have happened.” Halston clasped his hand. “We did a good thing.”
“Gotta balance out the bad, right?”
“What’s our plan today?” she asked.
“Back to the hotel to celebrate our big win.”
She smiled. “I love that.”
“Then, house shopping… ring shopping.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “House shopping?”
“We need to live somewhere when we’re here,” he said. “I called Sin’s twin brother, Dakota Luck. He runs Goode-Luck Real Estate, and he’s got someone taking us around.”
“Where?”
“Wherever you want,” Gabriel replied. “If my Barbi is happy, I’m happy.”
In the back seat of the SUV, she clasped his hand. “Thank you.” After a pause, she added, “I’m going to wait on getting another ring.”
Up went his eyebrows. “Why?”
She held up her right hand, the one with the diamond eternity band. “I want to enjoy this one. We have time to shop for an engagement ring.”
The Secret Service SUV stopped at the front entrance of Hotel Dillinger. After thanking the agents for their protection, they went inside.
Halston was both tired and wired. She was relieved the national crisis had been averted, thrilled to be officially engaged, and excited to have a few days off. A whirlwind of emotions flitted through her, but for now, she was happy to be spending a normal day with her forever man.
Once in their hotel suite, they held each other as if the end of the world was still coming.
“That was intense,” she said.
“I believed we’d figure it out,” he replied as he held her tightly in his arms.
She pulled back, peered into his eyes. “How can you be so confident all the time?”
“I knew this was the beginning of our love story and our life together… not the end.” He ran the back of his finger down her cheek. “We make a crazy-good team.”
She smiled. “Yes, we do.”
In the bedroom, they made slow, tender love…building to a crescendo that left her wanting more.
“Let’s skip house hunting and stay in bed all day,” she said as she snuggled close.
“Whatever the future Mrs. Santini wants, she gets.”
Halston smiled. “So, you think I’m changing my name, huh?”
“Even if you keep Devereux—which is fine by me—you will still be Mrs. Santini to me.”
