Clint sat back with a sense of satisfaction. It had been a long haul—not just the mini-mission, but the time at the rehab center. He was damn near at his peak physical condition thanks to Arnold, but he still hadn’t really tested out his computer capabilities. Let’s face it, Palm Desert Renewal didn’t have the type of equipment that he and Lydia or Uncle Sam had for him to play with. He was anxious about his abilities. He sighed.
“You okay?” Mason asked as he looked away from the road for a moment.
“Yeah.”
“How did it really go out there? I know you filled me in and so did the center, but how was it really?”
Clint snorted. “Don’t lie to me, you got reports from Dex Evans too.”
Mason grinned. “Well, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t.”
This time Clint laughed. “I would have done the same thing. Hell, normally I’d be the one getting you the info.”
“And soon you will be,” Mason assured him.
“Not necessarily,” Clint sobered up.
“We’ll see what the Navy docs have to say.”
Mason changed the subject to his favorite topic, which was his daughter Amelia. He passed over his phone and had Clint look through pictures while he told stories. It was a good thing that he had progressed as far as he had, otherwise an hour of listening to the antics of a baby a little over a month old would have driven him batty. Seriously, she couldn’t even sit up yet.
When they pulled up to Clint’s house, the first thing he noticed was the For Sale sign in his yard.
“Thanks for listening to me. All the other guys have said that they’d string me up if they had to hear another word. Except for Jack. He’s still willing to listen.”
Clint barked out a laugh. “Sounds about right.”
“Well, Lydia’s probably waiting. I’ll let you go. See you on Monday.”
Clint got out of Mason’s SUV with a spring in his step and headed up the stairs. The door was locked, so he knocked. Lydia opened the door, and he stepped into another world.
She was trembling. Please say I got this right. She’d turned off all the real lights in the room, covered all of the windows, and decked out the living room with strings of tiny white lights. She’d covered damn near every surface with baby’s breath flowers, interspersed with red roses. She was wearing another frothy sundress, only this time in white.
“Lydia—” Clint started.
“Let me talk, okay?”
She pulled him over to the large, overstuffed chair that they had, and pushed him down so she could kneel down in front of him. He looked perplexed.
“Honey, what’s all this about?”
“I want to get this right, okay?”
He must have realized her seriousness because he nodded.
Out of the pocket of her dress, she pulled out a small jewelry box. She hesitated. “I’ve taken a long time to get here, and you’ve been the most patient man in the world. I’ve loved you for five years, and they’ve been the best years of my life.”
“Mine too.”
She couldn’t help but smile. She knelt up high and cupped his cheek with one hand as her other hand tightly gripped the box. She brushed his lips with a tender kiss. He lifted his hand, but she pulled away before the kiss went deeper. She had more to say.
“I’m so sorry for putting you off, for not standing before God and marrying you years ago. It will forever be the biggest regret of my life.”
“Baby—”
“It will,” she interrupted. “There’s nothing you can say or do to change it. But, I’m hoping that from this day on, we can move forward and be the family we were always destined to be.”
Her hands were trembling as she lifted up the box and opened the lid. Nestled inside were two wedding rings, one for him and one for her.
She watched through her tears and saw his eyes glisten.
“Are you asking me to marry you, Ms. Hildalgo?”
“Yes, I am.”
He pulled her off her knees and stood up with her. He pulled her into an embrace of a lifetime.
“Yes, my answer is yes.”
“Are you sure?” she breathed.
“I’ve adored you since the first moment I saw you.” He tenderly kissed her lips. “I’m sure.”
He picked her up and twirled her around their own little slice of heaven. Their lives were headed for the stars.
If you haven’t read Her Loyal Seal, the story where Clint and Lydia first met, pick up your copy today.
Her Loyal Seal (Book #2)
About the Author
Caitlyn O’Leary is a USA Bestselling Author, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author and a Golden Quill Recipient from Book Viral in 2015. Hampered with a mild form of dyslexia she began memorizing books at an early age until her grandmother, the English teacher, took the time to teach her to read -- then she never stopped. She began re-writing alternate endings for her Trixie Belden books into happily-ever-afters with Trixie's platonic friend Jim. When she was home with pneumonia at twelve, she read the entire set of World Book Encyclopedias -- a little more challenging to end those happily.
Caitlyn loves writing about Alpha males with strong heroines who keep the men on their toes. There is plenty of action, suspense and humor in her books. She is never shy about tackling some of today’s tough and relevant issues.
In addition to being an award-winning author of romantic suspense novels, she is a devoted aunt, an avid reader, a former corporate executive for a Fortune 100 company, and totally in love with her husband of soon-to-be twenty years.
She recently moved back home to the Pacific Northwest from Southern California. She is so happy to see the seasons again; rain, rain and more rain. She has a large fan group on Facebook and through her e-mail list. Caitlyn is known for telling her “Caitlyn Factors”, where she relates her little and big life’s screw-ups. The list is long. She loves hearing and connecting with her fans on a daily basis.
Keep up with Caitlyn O’Leary:
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Also by Caitlyn O’Leary
Night Storm Series
Her Ruthless Protector (Book #1)
Her Tempting Protector (Book #2)
Her Chosen Protector (Book #3)
Her Intense Protector (Book #4)
Night Storm Legacy Series
Lawson & Jill (Book 1)
The Midnight Delta Series
Her Vigilant Seal (Book #1)
Her Loyal Seal (Book #2)
Her Adoring Seal (Book #3)
Sealed with a Kiss (Book #4)
Her Daring Seal (Book #5)
Her Fierce Seal (Book #6)
A Seals Vigilant Heart (Book #7)
Her Dominant Seal (Book #8)
Her Relentless Seal (Book #9)
Her Treasured Seal (Book #10)
Her Unbroken Seal (Book 11)
Black Dawn Series
Her Steadfast Hero (Book #1)
Her Devoted Hero (Book #2)
Her Passionate Hero (Book #3)
Her Wicked Hero (Book #4)
Her Guarded Hero (Book #5)
Her Captivated Hero (Book #6)
Her Honorable Hero (Book #7)
Her Loving Hero (Book #8)
The Found Series
Revealed (Book #1)
Forsaken (Book #2)
Healed (Book #3)
Shadows Alliance Series
Declan
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Her Unbroken Seal: A Navy Seal Romance Page 23