“Five, four, three, two, one—happy New Year!”
A chorus of celebratory voices shouted around Kelly and Liam. Streamers and balloons cascaded down from the ceiling of the downtown Toronto community center. The lights flickered briefly.
She cast a glance at the tall and handsome man in the black tuxedo and bow tie who sat beside her on the fabric-draped chairs at the back of Mack and Iris’s wedding-reception party. His eyebrows rose. The lights stayed on. He chuckled under his breath, then reached over, grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
“It’s all over,” he said softly. “There won’t be any blackouts, the Imposters were all arrested and their network is gone. We’re safe.”
“I know.” She smiled.
The last week had been incredible. After all those months she’d spent stuck alongside Hannah in the quagmire of uncertainty, it was like everything had happened at once. Over three hundred Imposters had been arrested by local law enforcement all over the world, thanks to information Hannah and Seth had gleaned from the internet. Some had just been detained and questioned, but others, like those who’d hijacked the boat and kidnapped her, Hannah and Liam, were now behind bars awaiting their trials. Despite Liam’s reassurances that Seth didn’t need to work over Christmas, thanks to Seth and Hannah’s combined computer power, it had taken less than seventy-two hours to prove Liam’s death had been faked and restore his fingerprints to file. His welcome-back email from a superior officer had added that Liam would be facing a disciplinary panel regarding his initial relationship with Kelly, all those years ago. Rumor had it that the worst Liam was facing was a slap on the wrist. But he’d assured her that whatever the consequences, it was worth it to be able go through life with Kelly and their family by his side.
More importantly, Hannah and Renner had decided to stay in Canada and come clean to the military about the true circumstances surrounding how the code was cracked, and how Hannah was the person who’d really done the decoding. Nerve-racking, Kelly knew, and the young couple were still facing a lot of uncertainty about what they’d be doing next. But they’d both been considering finding ways to use their skills to serve their country, and it seemed Liam’s friends would be helping them find their way.
And Liam, Kelly, Hannah, Renner and baby Pip had been able to spend their first Christmas as a family together.
Kelly glanced down at the little baby girl, clad in a black-and-white polka-dot dress with a big red bow, now curled up asleep in the crook of Liam’s left arm.
“I can’t believe she’s sleeping through this,” Liam said.
“I can’t believe they’ve finally agreed on her name,” Kelly said. She rolled it around on her tongue. “Alexandra Maria Katrina Phillips.”
“That’s a lot of name for a tiny baby.” Her grandfather smiled softly. “I reckon I’ll still just call her Pip.”
“I think I will, too.”
She looked out over the dance floor at where Renner and Hannah stood, with their arms wrapped around each other and lost in each other’s eyes. Whatever consequences they were facing for their actions didn’t begin to dim their joy at being reunited.
“Were we ever that young, foolish and recklessly in love?” she wondered out loud.
“I know I still am,” Liam said.
He leaned forward and she thought for a moment he was about to kiss her. But then his eyes darted to the side as if spotting something in his peripheral vision. He pulled back.
“Stop hovering, Seth,” Liam said. “I can tell you’re antsy to say something.”
She turned and sure enough Seth was standing a few feet away, half looking at them and partly looking at his feet. “I—I didn’t want to interrupt...”
“Just spit it out,” Liam said. But his smile was warm.
Seth looked at Kelly. “I was just wondering if you’d told him your news yet, because I want to tell him my news and...”
His voice trailed off as Liam’s keen eyes narrowed, looking from Seth to Kelly and back again, before finally fixing on Kelly. “What did you do?”
“I enrolled in university to finally finish my criminology degree,” she said.
“Really?” Liam’s eyes widened. “I’m so proud of you and happy for you.”
She felt a flush rise to her cheeks. “Well, I figured it’s never too late to have a fresh start at life.”
His gaze lingered on hers a long moment. Then his smile quirked at the edges and he glanced at Seth. Liam’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’re looking for a career in some kind of crime fighting or law enforcement, too?”
“I’m trying to,” Seth admitted, shuffling from one foot to the other. “It’ll mean getting a pardon for my hacking past. But it’s time for me to go legit and actually use my skills to make a difference in the world. I mean, after all, the great Liam Bearsmith called me his friend.”
Liam laughed, then he let go of Kelly’s hand long enough to reach for Seth’s and shake it. “Well, I’m proud of you, too, and I’ll have your back, whatever you need.”
Somewhere out in the crowd he heard Iris’s voice announcing she was about to throw the wedding bouquet.
“Go on,” Liam said, shooing Seth. “You don’t want to miss this.”
The hacker hesitated, then he frowned slightly. “You asked me to look into who changed Kelly’s witness-protection file—”
“It was my father, wasn’t it?” Liam asked, cutting him off.
Seth nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“No, thank you,” Liam said. “Now go enjoy the party, friend.”
She had the distinct impression Seth was about to say something mushy or goofy. Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Liam’s hand found Kelly’s again. He ran his fingers over hers gently.
“How long have you known?” Kelly asked.
“Since the moment I actually let myself think about it,” Liam said. “He knew how deeply I loved you and that I’d asked you to marry me, because I told him. I don’t know what strings he pulled to keep us apart or how he convinced himself he was doing the right thing. I know he was very badly wounded by his relationship with my mother and wanted to protect me. He loved me, but he was wrong. He wanted the very best for me. But he was wrong.” He leaned forward—so did she—and his lips brushed lightly against hers. “I’ve found what’s best for me. Twice.”
“We both did,” she said.
His free hand slipped to the side of her face and he kissed her with a confidence and strength that blew away whatever they’d felt for each other all those years ago. The sound of people chanting and cheering swept around them.
Suddenly she felt Liam’s shoulders straighten as if sensing danger. He let go of her. His hand shot up protectively and snatched a projectile flying toward them out of the air, before it could threaten her and the baby.
A ripple of laughter filled the room. She watched Liam’s face as he looked down at what he’d just caught.
It was a dazzling bouquet of white and purple flowers. For the first time in her life, Kelly saw the strong and mighty Liam blush and she felt a matching heat fill her cheeks. He raised the huge array of flowers like a shield between them and the crowd of people now looking their way.
Kelly giggled. “You just caught Iris’s wedding bouquet.”
Liam laughed. “Yeah, looks like I did.”
“You think she threw it to you on purpose?” Kelly whispered.
“Wouldn’t put it past her,” he said softly. “But I didn’t know she had the aim.”
They paused another moment. Neither of them spoke. She risked a quick glance around. The entire room had turned to look at them.
“You think I should tell them I’m already engaged?” Liam asked.
“Are you now?”
“Well, I seem to remember asking you to marry me two decades ago,” Liam said. “And you did say yes.”
“Well, maybe you should ask me again,” she said.
The smile that she felt curling on her lips seemed to match the curve of his own.
“Kelly Marshall,” Liam said, “mother of my unbelievably brilliant daughter, grandmother of my insanely cute granddaughter, love of my life and the only woman I’ve ever wanted to spend my life with, you are going to marry me, right?”
She laughed. “Yes, Liam, of course I’ll marry you.”
Then their lips met in a kiss and the flowers fell to the side, as they heard the room explode in applause around them.
If you enjoyed this story, look for these other books by Maggie K. Black:
Christmas Witness Protection
Runaway Witness
Witness Protection Unraveled
Keep reading for an excerpt from Wilderness Sabotage by Heather Woodhaven.