by Elle Kennedy
Take that leap of faith.
Sarah couldn’t help herself. She began to laugh. There she was dangling twenty feet off the ground, while fire ravaged her home, and yet her heart felt so full she feared it might burst. She loved Patrick Finnegan.
“Finn…I’m letting go now.”
And then she was soaring through the air, sinking, falling. True to his word, Finn caught her. She landed in his strong arms with a thump, her entire body shaking as it came down from the adrenaline high. Rather than set her on her feet, Finn just supported her bottom and shoulders, and pulled her close, his relief trembling through him. As tears slid down her soot-covered face, Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him.
“You caught me,” she whispered.
He bent down to look in her eyes, and she saw love shining on his face. “Of course I did,” he said thickly. “I told you I would.”
Disappointment shuddered inside her when he finally put her down, but then his palms were cupping her chin and his mouth came down over hers in a kiss. “I love you, Sarah,” he murmured. “I love you so damn much.”
She opened her mouth but he placed his index finger against it, his features taut as he rushed on. “And I’m going to give you all the time you need. I should have never pushed you to make a decision. I was just being my usual, bullheaded self, but I see now that it wasn’t fair to either one of us. If you want to be with me, it should be your decision, not the result of an ultimatum that I—”
“I love you.”
He faltered, his blue eyes filling with shock. “What?”
This time she was the one putting a finger against his lips. “I love you, Finn. I’m not scared to say it anymore.”
His throat bobbed as he visibly swallowed. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I don’t need time.” Joy soared up her chest and surrounded her heart. “I’m saying I want to be with you. I want you and me and Lucy to be a family and—Lucy!” she suddenly cried. “Travis—”
“Jamie took her to the hospital in Grayden, to make sure she didn’t inhale too much smoke,” Finn cut in, a smile lifting his mouth. “Travis gave himself up. Parsons already took him back to the station.”
She couldn’t bring herself to voice her next words, but she forced them out. “Then…it’s over?”
Finn stroked her cheek so tenderly that tears sprung to her eyes. “It’s over, sweetheart. Bennett confessed to killing Teresa—the D.A. will have no choice but to drop the charges against you.”
With a happy shout, Sarah threw herself into his arms again, basking in the warmth of his embrace, the feel of his lips pressing against the top of her head. She could’ve stayed there forever, but then the sound of sirens blared in the air and they both turned to see the town’s fire truck racing up her driveway. The reminder had her looking at the house, disbelief flooding her body as she stared at the flames engulfing the entire second floor of her home.
“I…” She tipped her head to meet Finn’s eyes. “I guess I’ll be moving in with you after all.”
Regret lined his forehead. “There’s no pressure, Sarah. You don’t have to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”
“I don’t have to,” she agreed. “But I want to.”
Finn’s smile lit up his entire face. “Are you sure?”
“I’m more than sure.”
Taking his hand, she led him away from the house. Serenade’s volunteer firefighters were already springing to action, aiming hoses at the flames and working to control the blazing conflagration. Sarah and Finn kept walking, neither one looking back. When they reached Finn’s Jeep, Sarah pressed her body to his and yanked his head down for a soft kiss. There was a fleeting brush of her lips against his, and then she pulled back and said, “Come on, Patrick. Let’s go to the hospital and see our daughter.”
Raw, all-consuming emotion flooded his gorgeous blue eyes. He dipped his head to kiss her once more, then took her hand and murmured, “I can’t think of anything else I want to do more.”
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later
“Are you really okay with Lucy coming along on our honeymoon?”
Sarah fought a pang of distress as she waited for her husband’s answer, but when she looked into his eyes, she saw only warmth and sincerity reflecting back at her. “Lucy is part of our family,” Finn said thickly. “Of course I want her with us.”
She couldn’t control the rush of happiness that filled every inch of her body. Shifting her head, she gazed at Cole and Jamie, who were sitting on the wooden steps of Finn’s deck, fussing over Lucy. The couple looked absolutely smitten, Jamie fixing the hem of Lucy’s filmy white dress, while Cole tickled the baby’s tummy and said something that made his fiancée laugh.
“Jamie will be disappointed,” she said with a grin. “She and Cole were hoping to practice being parents. They’re planning on having like a hundred babies.”
“So am I,” Finn said with a grin.
Her heart jammed in her throat as she wondered how she’d gotten so lucky. Finn had been so damn wonderful these past two weeks. With Travis Bennett arrested for the murder of Teresa Donovan, Serenade had returned to its peaceful, crime-free state, leaving Finn plenty of time to lavish Sarah and Lucy with love and attention during the days. And at night… Her cheeks went hot as she thought of all the passionate nights they’d been sharing. The bad boy she’d fallen in love with always made a reappearance in bed.
Her gaze dropped to the simple silver band around the finger of her left hand. Her husband. It had taken them four years to find their way back to each other. She almost wept when she thought of all the wasted time, all the senseless heartache.
Sarah quickly pushed away thoughts of the past. She and Finn were married now, having just exchanged their vows in a quiet, private ceremony in the backyard of their farmhouse. They had the rest of their lives to make up for all the time they’d lost.
“Well, if you want more babies, then we should definitely get a head start in Aruba.” Sarah arched a brow. “Making babies is hard work, you know.”
Heat flickered in his eyes. “Guess we’ll just have to suck it up and muddle through all the…ugh…sex.”
Sarah burst out laughing. “Poor Finn. Don’t worry, I’ll make it painless for you.” She swept her gaze over him. “By the way, did I tell you how sexy you look in that suit?”
“Not half as sexy as you look in that dress.”
She glanced down at her white empire-waist dress with the slender black ribbon wrapped around the bodice. She and Jamie had found it in a boutique in the city, and from the appreciation glittering in Finn’s blue eyes, she decided the huge price tag had been worth it. She loved the way Finn looked at her. Like she was the most beautiful creature on this planet.
“Seriously, I’m digging the dress,” he went on. “It looks good on you.” He lifted an eyebrow. “It would look even better on the bedroom floor, though.”
Another laugh pealed out of her chest. “That might be the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard.”
“Did it work?”
Hot streaks of awareness sizzled between them. She stared at her husband, at the black jacket stretched over his broad shoulders, the trim fit of his trousers, and a healthy dose of desire found its way into her bloodstream.
Sarah slanted her head. “Right now? No. But say it again in Aruba, after Lucy’s fallen asleep, and you might get a different answer,” she said with a faint smile.
“I’m counting on it.” Flashing her a grin, he took her hand. “Come on, Mrs. Finnegan. Let’s say goodbye to our guests.”
“What’s the rush?” she teased.
His voice was husky as he said, “Just eager to start our life together. Got a problem with that?”
She leaned on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his mouth. “Nope, I don’t have a single problem with that.”
“Good.”
Still grinning, he led her across the yard, where their daughter—and
their future—awaited.
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459219649
Copyright © 2012 by Leeanne Kenedy
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