“That was a surprise.”
Chance stared down into Tina’s upturned face, noting the seriousness of her expression. Today had been a rough one, more so on her than anybody. He wasn’t surprised she’d handled things like a champ. If it had been him, he’d probably be curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth at this point.
“Hmm?”
“Finding out Mr. Bad Dude actually turning out to be a good guy. Add in he apparently knows your family well, it makes you stop and think. Can’t be a coincidence.”
“I haven’t seen Brian in years. An FBI agent; I’d never have pegged him as being part of the establishment. I figured he’d end up on the other end of the spectrum, behind bars. Knowing that he kept tabs on us feels kind of weird.”
“Sometimes we don’t know what we’ve got until its gone. I think he feels that way about Douglas and Ms. Patti.” Tina walked across the front porch and sat on the swing. She drew in a deep breath and stared out at the starlit sky. His breath caught at how beautiful she looked, silhouetted by the moonlight and the golden glow from the ambient light from the window.
“I get the feeling he’s not going to stay a stranger, now that he’s reconnected with them.”
Sitting beside her, he started the swing gently rocking, setting up a gentle rhythm. He was still wound tight, the events of the day catching up to him, making him realize how close he’d come to losing Tina.
“I guess I’ll be able to head back to Portland soon.”
“Do you want to?”
She shrugged, her shoulder brushing lightly against his. “I don’t know what I want. I have an apartment, a job. At least I think I still have a job. I haven’t talked to Gertie yet.”
“Have you considered other options?”
“Like what?”
“Staying here in Shiloh Springs. Now that you can settle in one place without worrying about your ex, you can live anywhere. Renee is here. You’ve gained a lot of friends here. My parents adore you.”
“And I adore them.”
They rocked quietly for a moment, the silence not uncomfortable, yet Chance felt a sense of anticipation. She hadn’t directly said no to staying, but she hadn’t said yes, either.
“I want you to stay, Tina.”
“Why?”
Why? What does she mean why?
“Why do you want me to stay, Chance?” Tina turned to face him, and he read the indecision in her face. He knew his answer could be the deciding factor of whether she stayed or whether she left. The make or break it moment, and suddenly the words dried up. The man known for his oratory skills in the courtroom, who had an outstanding conviction rate because he could convince juries with his words, found himself unable to speak.
Because this one moment was more important than any legal case he’d ever prosecuted. If he didn’t tell Tina what he felt, make her understand how important she was to him, he could and would lose her.
“I don’t want to screw this up, Sunshine. I’ve had a pretty good life. I have a family who loves me, and I love them. I’ve got the job I’ve always dreamed of, and a community who respect me and trusts me. And I want to share it with you. I want to see your face every day. Watch you smile. Hear you laugh. I want to know that you’re happy. And if that means you going back to Portland, then I’ll go with you.”
“What? Chance—”
He gently placed a finger against her lips, because he wasn’t finished. The three words he needed to say, the three words he wanted her to hear; he hadn’t said them yet.
“I love you. Everything else is fluid, movable, changeable. My love isn’t. It’s yours forever.” He smiled and cupped her cheek, before rubbing his knuckle softly against her skin. “If you’ll have me, I want to spend every day with you for the rest of our lives. Whether it’s in Shiloh Springs or Timbuktu, as long as you’re there, we can make it work.”
When her eyes welled with tears, he knew he’d screwed up. Assumed she’d feel the same way he did. What an idiot!
“Chance, you’re not an idiot.” Her sweet smile let him know he’d said that out loud. Yep, he really was an idiot. “I don’t think I’ve heard anything so sweet in my entire life. I’m the idiot for thinking I could walk away and leave you behind. Somehow, you’ve managed to work your way into my life and into my heart. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you. Oh, Chance, I love you, too!”
Tina flung herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck, and pressing kisses all over his face. He knew he was smiling, probably grinning from ear to ear, but he didn’t care. At this moment, he was the king of the world, because the woman he loved, the woman who was the center of his world, loved him, too.
Taking her face between his hands, he kissed her, pouring everything he felt into the press of his lips against hers. She responded, leaning into him and parting her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss, a sweet tangle of teeth and tongues.
He finally eased back, catching the dazed expression on her beautiful face. If there’d been a mirror handy, he’d probably find a matching one on his face. And he didn’t care a lick, because he’d won the lottery with the amazing woman in his arms.
Sliding off the porch swing, he knelt on one knee and took her hands between his. Her eyes rounded in surprise.
“I hadn’t planned on doing this tonight, and I don’t have a ring or anything to give you except all the love in my heart. Will you marry me?”
“I don’t care about a ring. All I care about is that you love me. Yes! A thousand times, yes!”
Chance stood and swept Tina in his arms, spinning around, his heart overflowing with emotion. He couldn’t contain them any longer.
“She said yes!”
The uproarious exclamations of joy coming from the Big House faded into the background as he kissed her, knowing that no matter what the future threw out them, they could handle it—together.