He wiped carefully at her tears. “Our location was compromised. The Bastards took us by surprise. We never knew what hit us. How about you? You okay?”
She nodded, taking a deep breath. “I will be.” And for the first time, she actually believed it.
“How did you do it?” Lacie asked later, sitting on the front porch swing with Shane. She was drinking hazelnut coffee – decaf. She wasn’t sure she would ever be able to stomach another cup of tea.
He shrugged. “It was your files that gave us the starting point we needed,” he said. “Ian was able to figure out the rest.”
“How?” She’d felt like she’d been running around in circles for the past few years. Everyone she talked to said there was absolutely nothing that could be done. Yet within the span of a few weeks, Shane and his brothers managed to locate and rescue Brian and what was left of his unit.
He winked. “Family secret. One I can’t share with you yet.”
“But you will, someday?”
“Oh, yes.”
“When?”
“As soon as you say ‘yes’.” Before the words could fully take root in her mind, Shane Callaghan was on his knee before her, holding a small box opened to reveal a stunning diamond. “Lacie McCain, a croie beloved, will you marry me?”
Lacie stopped breathing. Both hands flew up to her mouth as she sat frozen, staring at the ring.
“This is where you say yes, brat,” Brian said from the doorway.
Lacie’s mother swatted him, her father cleared his throat, and Corinne giggled.
“Will you, Lacie?” Shane said, looking up at her with so much love in his eyes she thought she might start crying again. “Will you be my wife and fill my soul?”
“Yes,” she whispered, even as the first tears fell. She slid off the swing and into his arms.
It felt just like coming home.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Patrick Callaghan left his mother and father behind in the hallway, proudly taking the hand of his new teacher in one hand and his cousin Riley’s in the other and, like a true Callaghan, escorted both women into the room.
Riley dropped his grip the moment they entered, zeroing in on the life-sized princess dollhouse at the far end of the room. Lacie paused, looking around the room with a practiced eye. It looked the same, but so much had happened since she’d last been here. She was not the same person she had been then. The events of those few weeks had changed her forever.
Not all of it was bad, though. She was now married to the most wonderful man in the world. Her brother Brian was home safe. She and Rinn were closer than ever, not to mention she now had several more women who had become like sisters, too.
There was Taryn, of course. She was keeping her promise, teaching Lacie how to ride a motorcycle on the sly. And Lexi, Ian’s wife, who was patiently showing Lacie how to make all of Shane’s favorite dishes. Maggie, whom she had known casually before, but who now invited Lacie up to her farm for coffee several times a week. Nicki, Sean’s wife, and she were working on several new children’s programs for the local shelter together. And Rebecca, who had been (and continued to be) so very kind.
“Don’t be nervous,” Patrick told her, his face holding all the confidence and mischief of his father. Familiar blue eyes, far too deep and knowing for a five-year old, glanced up at her. Someday, when she and Shane decided the time was right, would their little boy or girl have the trademark Callaghan hair and eyes?
“Aren’t you?” she asked.
“A little,” he admitted quietly with a discreet glance toward his cousin, and Lacie knew the boy had entrusted her with his deepest secret. “But we have each other, right?”
“Right,” she smiled, squeezing her hand.
Patrick’s eyes grew wide as he and Riley helped her prepare the room for the first day of school, officially proclaiming that she had some of the coolest stuff ever. By the time the other students started arriving, Patrick was welcoming them in, excitedly tugging them over to show them around the room and pointing out some of the “wicked” things they had.
Lacie looked on. Patrick was a Callaghan, alright. Already the little girls were eyeing him appreciatively with his jet black hair, blue eyes, and disarming smile. The boys flocked to him as well, instinctively drawn to him.
Riley, it seemed, had already made quite a few friends, too. She was outgoing and friendly, but had clearly inherited her mother’s strong spirit. Lacie couldn’t help but smile when she saw a couple of them giggling and pointing at Patrick, though Riley was much more interested in the toys than she was in her cousin.
Lacie let them get comfortable with their new surroundings while easing the fears of first-time parents and welcoming new students with a friendly smile.
“Good morning,” Lacie said a bit later, once everyone was seated and staring at her in rapt attention. She glanced over at the exquisite ruby crystal rose on her desk that had been waiting for her that morning. “My name is Mrs. Callaghan, and we are going to have a great year...”
Special Note from Abbie
This book is fiction, but unfortunately, pathological obsession and stalking is all too real. According to SafeHorizon (www.safehorizon.org/stalking):
An estimated 3.4 million people become stalking victims in the United States each year.
Only 10% of stalking victims are stalked by a stranger.
3 in 4 stalking victims know their stalkers as either a current or former spouse or partner, roommate, co-worker, family member, or social acquaintance.
These are just a few of some of the troubling statistics I found in researching this story. For more information on stalking – including how to recognize the signs and get help, visit the Stalking Resource Center (http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center/stalking-information).
Thanks for reading Shane and Lacie’s story
You didn’t have to pick this book, but you did. Thank you!
If you liked this story, then please consider posting a review online! It’s really easy, only takes a few minutes, and makes a huge difference to independent authors who don’t have the mega-budgets of the big-time publishers behind them.
Log on to your favorite online retailer and just tell others what you thought, even if it’s just a line or two. That’s it! A good review is one of the nicest things you can do for any author.
As always, I welcome feedback. Email me at [email protected].
Or sign up for my mailing list on my website at http://www.abbiezandersromance.com for up to date info and advance notices on new releases, Like my FB page (AbbieZandersRomance), and/or follow me on Twitter (@AbbieZanders).
Thanks again, and may all of your ever-afters be happy ones!
Abbie
About the Author
Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...
Also by Abbie Zanders
Contemporary Romance
Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers, Book 1)
First and Only (Callaghan Brothers, Book 2)
House Calls (Callaghan Brothers, Book 3)
Seeking Vengeance (Callaghan Brothers, Book 4)
Guardian Angel (Callaghan Brothers, Book 5)
Five Minute Man (Covendale Series, Book 1)
All Night Woman (Covendale Series, Book 2)
The Realist
Time Travel Romance
Lost in Time I
Lost in Time II
Paranormal Romance
Vampire, Unaware
ection: Callaghan Brothers, Book 6
Beyond Affection: Callaghan Brothers, Book 6 Page 21