Page 158 of The Defiant Curse

That it was.

He found her, and she felt seen.

Lovingly, he put his hand over hers on his abs, connecting them even more.

Over their almost sixteen years together, they’d played many roles, but this one…this might be his favorite.

She was giving him a chance to start all over again, and this time, do it right.

For that, he was grateful.

“Thank you for finding me.”

He didn’t want her to ever thank him for something she deserved. There was no doubt if the roles were reversed, she’d move Heaven and Hell to get to him.

“I’d die looking for you, Elizabeth. You’re my girl.”

That made her feel all the emotions she needed to help heal that hole in her soul. Part of it was made by what happened, what she’d had to do, and the hurt of doing it alone.

“I should have demanded to come with you when you went after him. I’m sorry I didn’t. I hope you forgive me one day for letting you carry that alone.”

She turned her hand, so their fingers linked.

“It was best you didn’t see it. Not what I did to him, but what it did to me. It’s not my proudest moment.”

He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them.

“You saved our whole family. It’s my proudest moment being married to you. I hope I can prove that to you, and that you want to stay married to me.”

She didn’t hesitate.

“Of course, I do. I was angry. I love each one of you more than myself, and loving you for the last sixteen years has been a gift. I’m blessed. Look at the world we created. We’re in castle land in Scotland.”

Ethan knew who was to thank for that.

“When Callen and Chris were buying this place, they asked me if I wanted to join them in the venture. I told them no, and I regret that. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give you this. I laughed thinking you’d hate it, and I didn’t want to be tied to that. I now know I didn’t because I was a coward. I forgot that I still know what’s best for you—like you know what’s best for me.”

She wasn’t angry.

“I mean, they gave me a haunted castle. That’s risky.”

He laughed, and that whiskey-warm sound cascaded over her battered, broken soul and helped heal it.

Little.

By.

Little.

“So, I didn’t give you that, but I want to give you this,” he said.

As they made the clearing, that’s when she saw it. Up ahead, there was the field.

It stole her breath.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she said,

On that, he agreed.