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“Harlan?” Cora called out as she opened his front door and walked inside. She checked her watch. They were scheduled to go to his first meeting with his therapist today. Cora pinched her lips and tapped her foot. Shutting the front door, she walked farther in. “Harlan? Where are you? We gotta get going in a minute!”
The house stayed quiet and Cora frowned, grabbing her phone out of her back pocket. “Where is that stinker?” she muttered as she punched the number to call him. Her phone started to ring, but another sound caught her ear.
Pausing, Cora listened, hearing another phone ringing in time with hers. “What the...?” She pulled her phone away from her ear and walked toward the noise. It grew louder as she headed into the kitchen and she realized Harlan's phone was in the backyard. She snickered and hung up her own cell, putting it back in her pocket. “He probably fell asleep in the sun. Hopefully, he’s not too sunburnt.”
Cora stepped up to the sliding glass door and walked outside, then gasped. Daffodils covered the entire backyard. Vases, pots, and large bunches of them were scattered everywhere. She stood still and let her eyes wander around the beautiful sight. They had always been her favorite flower, but this was amazing. Like some kind of fantasy land. Taking a small step forward, she heard a crunch under her feet and it caused her to jump back.
Looking down, Cora found a trail of brown, orange, and yellow candies. She bent down and picked one up. “Reeses?” She straightened. “What in the world is going on?” she murmured. Slowly, careful not to step on any more candies, Cora made her way through the small backyard, following the trail. She giggled. This must be how Hansel and Gretel felt, she mused.
Coming around the side of the house, Cora stopped and gasped again. There, in the middle of yet more daffodils, was Harlan. He was down on bended knee, holding up something that glinted in the fairy lights that were strewn overhead. “Harlan?” she asked, her voice croaking from the tears forming.
Harlan smiled and that encouraged her to step closer. “I thought maybe we should do this right,” he said softly.
“Oh my gosh...” Cora stopped about a foot from him, her eyes glued to the diamond nestled in a box in Harlan’s large hands.
“Cora Eileen Sanderson.” Harlan smiled. “I’ve loved you for a long time, but thought the day would never come that I could have you. For one stupid reason or another, I held off, always telling myself that things wouldn’t work. My head was full of excuses.” He cleared his throat. “But all of them were lies.” His face softened. “I need you like I need air, Cora. You are the brightest and best part of my life, and I don’t think I can manage to keep going if you aren’t there to boss me around.”
Cora let an inappropriate laugh slip through her lips. Tears were slipping down her cheeks, but she tried to stay silent, not wanting to ruin the beautiful moment that Harlan had created.
“Will you help a broken man like me?” he asked. “Will you stay with me forever and let me drink of your goodness and light? Will you share a life with me that might have some dark moments but will ultimately be full of joy? Please say yes, Cora. I love you more than anything.”
Cora began nodding before she could get the words out. “You ninny,” she scolded. “I’ll marry you a hundred times over if you’ll speak to me like that for the rest of our lives.”
“Done!” Harlan stood and pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger.
Cora admired it for a moment then looked up. Unable to hold herself back, she leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck, dragging Harlan’s head down so she could kiss him until she forgot who she was. After not nearly enough time, she came up for air. “I didn’t know you knew about my favorite flower and candy,” she whispered huskily into Harlan’s neck.
Harlan tightened his hold on her. “You think you’ve been watching me?” he said in a deep tone. “I know far more than you think, sweetheart.”
Cora sighed and shivered. “I didn’t expect any of this,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
Harlan kissed the top of her head. “You deserve it. You deserve more.”
Cora shook her head and brought her face up so she could look at him. Love and joy were swirling inside of her so strongly, she was sure she had to be glowing. Everything she wanted was in her hands, and all the heartache and pain it had taken to get there was more than worth the reward. “It doesn’t matter what I deserve,” she said. “I only want you.” She reached up on tiptoe and kissed him. “Only you.”
“You got me,” Harlan said in a growly tone. “And I’m never letting you go.”
“Oh, good,” Cora breathed before their lips met again.
*****
HARLAN THOUGHT HE MIGHT burst. Everything had gone off perfectly. It had taken a long time to get all the flowers and to find enough candy to create a trail, but Cora seemed to like it, so all the time spent scouring the internet was worth it. He was holding his future in his arms and it had never been more beautiful.
“Dude! Quit smooching and bring the bride-to-be in here!” Ridge called from inside. He was standing at a window that faced the side of the house Cora and Harlan were at.
Harlan growled and let go of Cora, looking over at his brother, who grinned unrepentantly. “Little busy here,” he said in a menacing tone.
Cora snorted and buried her face in his chest. Harlan tightened his hold.
“Yeah...we noticed,” Ridge said dryly, looking pointedly over his shoulder to the rest of the crowd watching the show behind him.
Harlan rolled his eyes and looked down. “You ready to go celebrate?” he asked, caressing her cheek with his knuckle.
Cora’s eyes widened and she looked at her watch. “We have an appointment!” she gasped.
Harlan shook his head. “No. The appointment is tomorrow. I told you the wrong date so I could surprise you.”
“Harlan!” Cora slapped his chest. “You stinker!”
“Aw...” Ridge inserted from the window. “Look at the little girl thinking she can beat up the big military man.”
Cora spun, causing Harlan to let go of her. She put her hands on her hips. “Come out here and say that to my face,” Cora shouted at her future brother-in-law.
Harlan smiled wide, watching her in action. He loved it when she got all feisty, and he especially loved it when she did it to someone other than himself.
Ridge held up his hands in a show of surrender. “Don’t kill the candy guy! I helped Harlan get all this stuff in bulk.”
Cora narrowed her gaze. “Okay, maybe just this once, I’ll let it go.” She pointed a finger at him. “But don’t expect me to make a habit of it.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it!” Ridge said with a wide smile. “I’m gonna need you to babysit my kid next spring.”
“RIDGE!” Everly shouted from behind him.
Harlan’s eyes widened and he looked down at Cora as the people in the house burst into noise and shouts of congratulations.
Cora’s eyebrows shot up. “Heaven help us, the idiot is reproducing.”
“I heard that!” Ridge shouted.
Harlan nodded. “Better be nice. If we have to babysit, they’ll have to return the favor someday.”
“And we’re going to have twelve of them,” Cora said with glee, rubbing her hands together. “It’ll be perfect.”
Harlan rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah...about that. I was in a state of distress. Do you really think we need to have an even dozen?”
Cora’s face went into innocent mode and Harlan knew he was going to regret saying that. “What? You want a baker’s dozen instead?”
He looked heavenward and muttered a prayer while Cora laughed and wrapped her arms around his back.
“Don’t worry,” she said, kissing his chin. “I promise to make it worth it.”
Harlan wrapped his arms back around her. “I look forward to it,” he said before tasting her lips once more.
“DUDE!” Ridge shouted. “We’re still here!”
“Then go away!” Harlan called out before kissing Cora again.
“You better get in here.” Ridge’s voice was getting harder to hear. “They won’t leave me alone!”
Harlan and Cora looked up to see the crowd dragging Ridge into the middle of the group with Everly as everyone congratulated them on their news. Quickly, before he could think better of it, Harlan spun Cora around and backed her into the side of the house so no one could see them.
“Whew,” Cora said. “That was close.”
Harlan nuzzled her cheek. “Yeah. I’m not feeling too keen on saving him right now. In fact, I might want to thank him later.” He kissed her earlobe. “Ridge taking the spotlight off us was the best thing he could have done.” He worked his way along her jawline. “Having an engagement party was a stupid idea.”
“The worst,” Cora said breathlessly. “What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t,” Harlan answered. “Good thing I’ve got my head on straight now.”
Cora grabbed his face and brought him around to her lips. “Let me see if I can do something about that.” She leaned in and kissed him as only Cora could, sending Harlan’s head into the clouds.
Harlan let her have the lead for a minute before taking back over, using everything at his disposal to let her know how much he loved her.
Tomorrow he would take another step toward healing, with his official fiancée at his side. But right now, he was going to hold her as long as he could get away with it and let her light fill him until he couldn’t take any more.
I guess broken things can be fixed, he mused as he pulled her in even closer. And if we’re lucky, life will be better than ever before.
Whew!
We now have all the hunky bodyguards
Settled with their significant others.
Harlan’s story was such an emotional
one to write, but I’ve been so excited to
share it with you.
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swoony kisses with hunky men,
and friends that becomes families,
then you don’t want to miss this next series!
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Small town romance where friends become family.
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