She’d never felt so loved… so cherished… so safe.
Her head against his chest, she listened to the wild pounding of his heart. Or was it hers? Already she regretted her rash demand that they had to date so long before he could ask her to marry him.
“Ellery, you know what you said about dating for a year before we get engaged?”
He must be reading my mind!
“I might be willing to be flexible on that,” she said.
His chuckle rumbled in her ear.
“How do you feel about short engagements?” He bent to slide his lips along her jawline, eliciting delicious tingles everywhere.
A sudden vacuum sucked all the air from the room, and she gasped, feeling light-headed. “The shorter the better.”
Three taps on the door were followed by two more. Logan’s arms held tight as the door opened and Kara’s face appeared. One eyebrow flew up, a rather smug smile gracing her face. “I see you got everything worked out.”
“Yes, we did,” said Logan, grinning back, somehow unembarrassed. Meanwhile, Ellery’s face felt like she’d stuck it in an oven.
“About time.” Kara added a king-sized helping of sarcasm. “But Jake wants to talk to you about something, Logan. He’s waiting out here in the hallway. We’re both out here. Standing in the hall. Where there are no chairs…”
“I’ll be out in a minute…” Logan laughed, tightening the circle of his arms. “As soon as we’re through practicing.”
EPILOGUE
(Christmas season—four months later)
Ellery let Logan lead her outside onto the expansive deck, decorated with candle-lit lanterns, leaving the crowded Christmas party inside. The air was crisp, the frosted trees sparkling from the reflected lights.
“This is the nicest thing you could’ve ever done for Kara.” Ellery took a deep breath of cold air, appreciating the lack of pain now that her throat and lungs had healed. “She was so excited to come to Cole’s party.”
“I owe her big time. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t even be with you right now. Getting her an invitation is the least I could do.”
Logan shifted from foot to foot, his hands in his pockets. He’d gained so much confidence and poise over the last few months, she worried at his sudden awkwardness. He’d seemed nervous all evening, like he was experiencing social phobia again. Not that it affected her attraction to him. She’d love him even if he were too petrified to step foot out of his house. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was the sweetest and hunkiest guy she’d ever laid eyes on. It was still hard to believe he thought she was beautiful—scars or no scars—but he told her so all the time.
“I noticed Kara’s spending more time talking to Jake than to Cole, though.” Ellery bit her lips, holding back a smile.
“Mack was asking questions about her. He said it’s the first time Jake’s shown interest in a woman since he came back from the war. Guess he’s looking out for his kid brother.”
“I’m afraid Jake’s just a passing distraction for Kara, though. He’s really not her type.”
Ellery moved to lean on the wooden rail, gazing out toward Cole’s private lake, its glassy surface reflecting the stars and thousands of red and green Christmas lights adorning the trees across the way. Logan moved beside her, a welcome warmth in the chilly air.
“It’s so beautiful here.”
“Not as beautiful as you.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Everyone thinks so.” He gave her the look—the one that meant stop arguing with me. “That’s why you’re Josiah’s most popular model.”
“I’m not the most—” She snapped her mouth closed when he cleared his throat.
The corners of his mouth twitched in warning. “Perhaps you need me to prove just how beautiful I think you are.”
She giggled as his lips slid along her neck. But a glance over her shoulder revealed several guests standing at the window.
“People can see us,” she squealed.
“Let ’em look.”
“Logan West!” she said, exaggerating her normal Texas drawl. “What would your mother say?”
“She’d have a conniption fit. That’s why I have to kiss you now, before we go to Mom’s house for the holidays. Starting tomorrow, we’re going to have a dry spell.”
He waggled his eyebrows and leaned toward her neck, laughing when she batted him away.
“What were you and Cole talking about just before we came outside?” Ellery asked, hoping to distract him. “You both looked pretty serious. Is everything okay?”
He sobered immediately, his hand scrubbing through his hair.
“E-Force is still working with the FBI, so Cole was catching me up on the case. The evidence against the senator was pretty circumstantial, and he claimed ignorance of everything Chester was doing. Threw him under the bus, so to speak. No big surprise. So now, Chester’s cooperating, and things are getting interesting. It may not matter because Salena thinks Edwards is way too smart to have left a traceable money trail.”
“Do they know if Krupin was telling the truth?” she asked. “Was Chester really to blame for all the stuff they thought the Krupins did?”
“Not exactly.” Logan grimaced. “Chester definitely got his hands dirty, but that only accounts for a fraction of the stuff the Krupins were into. A lot of it was overseas, though, out of the FBI’s jurisdiction.”
