Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 112001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 373(@300wpm)
“That’s very kind of him.”
“He’s a very kind male. In his own way.” There was an awkward pause… then Xhex nodded to the passageway. “Now I guess I better go start the fire.”
“Xhex, is your brother…”
“Going to get over you?” The smile had a sad tilt to it. “Do you want me to be honest or make it easy on you?”
“Honesty, please.”
The female shook her head. “No, he’s not. But he’s at peace with knowing your future is secured.”
Lydia remembered seeing that flaring light so close to dawn surround the male. “I owe him… everything.”
“So love your male right. That’s all you need to do. Blade’ll survive—I’ll make sure of it.”
“Then I know he really will be all right. Thank you.”
Xhex smiled and nodded to the passageway’s exit. “I’ll see you out there.”
When Lydia was alone, she went over to the bedding platform and stared down at the indentation where someone had been sitting. The symphath’s scent lingered in the air, but she imagined, in a month, certainly two, there would be nothing left of him.
Except for his legacy—
“You’re not rethinking this, are you?”
Lydia looked over her shoulder with a smile. “Never.”
Daniel was wearing all black, from his boots to his own turtleneck and parka situation. In the previous couple of weeks, he’d been rebuilding the muscle he had lost, in the on-site gym. His hands remained on the numb side because that side effect from chemo was permanent, and he did take a nap every now and again, but everything else was returning to him, his energy, his balance… his sex drive.
“We can do this somewhere warmer,” he murmured as he came to her and put his hands on her waist.
“No, I want us to say our vows here. This mountain is our past, present, and future.”
He glanced around. “Hey, you think someone might let us have a honeymoon here? That natural spring back there is a hot tub if I’ve ever seen one.”
Running her hands up his his pecs, she no longer measured his ribs, or worried about his blood levels, his blood pressure, his respiration and heart rate. He was just Daniel, without the disease.
The thing she had prayed for.
“You know something,” she murmured. “I saw my grandfather right before I left the house just now.”
“What? I thought he was—”
“I don’t mean to freak you out. His ghost does that sometimes. He just shows up—and I was… comforted to see him this time. I feel like he was blessing us. It meant a lot.”
Daniel tucked her hair behind her ears. “I would have liked to meet him.”
“He would have approved of you. Very much.”
“Because I’m a trained killer who can protect you?”
“Yes, and you’re also in love with me.”
“Very much.” He kissed her. “Very, very much…”
The mouth action started reverently, but it didn’t stay that way. As if Daniel were making up for lost time, he had been making love to her every chance they got—and she was more than happy to oblige. She wanted him, too.
Always—
Lydia inched back and checked her watch. “How has twenty minutes gone by already? People will be waiting for us.”
“Yeah, and I guess I better save something for the honeymoon, huh.”
“I’m not sure who we need to ask to use this cave—maybe we should just apologize if someone else shows up?”
“Deal.” His eyes roamed her face. “So Blade is gone, huh.”
When she nodded, he shook his head. “No goodbye. That bastard.”
“Xhex knows how to get ahold of him. Or at least… I hope she will.”
“Only if he lets her. He’s… complicated.”
“And a lifesaver.”
“Yeah, I did not see that one coming.”
They kissed a little more, and then they were walking through the passageway together. When they stepped out, all they had to do was follow the chatter and the laughter—and the flickering light from the campfire.
And there they all were, standing around the logs that were crackling and throwing out warmth: Cathy and Gus. Xhex and John Matthew. The snippy chef who had made a beautiful cake. The staff of the mansion, who were all relocating down to Houston. Candy, who, in a red-and-green ankle-length wool coat, and hair that was Christmas-tree green and gold, was standing at attention, prepared to conduct the ceremony.
The group was so busy talking among themselves that they didn’t notice the intendeds off in the shadows, but that was good. Lydia wanted a moment to soak it all in.
Eastwind should be here, she thought—
And there he was.
“Holy crap,” Daniel murmured with a start. “Are you seeing that?”
Just outside the glow of the firelight, an old woman and the former sheriff were standing side by side, the two of them ethereal and beautiful, made of moonlight. As they joined hands, it was as if they were joined in many other ways, and were welcoming Lydia and Daniel into the club of happily mateds.