by Irene Hannon
“You, vain? Never.” Taking her hand, he tugged her toward a bench situated beside a small fountain. “Sit with me for a minute.”
At the subtle undercurrent of tension in his voice—and the sudden, anticipatory energy crackling in the air—Alison’s pulse tripped into double time. She followed without a word, sitting on the bench as he settled beside her.
In the silence that followed, she tried to rein in her growing excitement. For the past few weeks, she’d known this day was coming. Had wanted it to come—sooner rather than later. There was no question in her mind that Mitch was meant for her. She’d prayed about it daily and felt confident this special man was part of God’s plan for her life.
Yet when he reached into the jacket of his dark gray suit and withdrew a small square box, her breath caught in her throat.
Mitch took her hand, and the tiniest tremble in his lean fingers told her he was as nervous as she was. He tried to smile but managed only a tiny, tense lift of his lips.
“You know, this is a lot scarier than I expected. They make it look too easy in the movies.”
At his admission, her own lips curved upward. “You have a very receptive audience, if that helps.”
A dimple appeared in his cheek. “That’s good to know.”
He released her hand long enough to flip open the box and withdrew a stunning marquise-shaped diamond on a gold band. The air whooshed out of her lungs as he took her hand.
Although the light in the garden was muted, Alison had no trouble seeing the love in his eyes. It shone bright as a beacon in the quiet night, bathing her soul with brilliance and illuminating all the places in her heart that had been dark for too long.
“I’m not the poetic type, Alison. I wish I were. You deserve beautiful words at a moment like this. All I can do is tell you how I feel, straight up. So here goes.” He took a deep breath. Let it out. “The truth is, I wasn’t looking for romance when we met. My job always came first. But you changed that. Because you captivated me from the start.”
His voice roughened, and he cleared his throat. “Over the past few months, I’ve fallen in love with your kind heart. Your strength. Your steadfast values. Your faith. Your love of family. Even your independence—most of the time.” One side of his mouth lifted, and he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “So if you’re willing to spend the rest of your life with a less-than-perfect man who adores you and who will promise before God and our families to love you all the days of his life, this ring is yours. Will you marry me, Alison Taylor?”
He held up the ring. His hand wasn’t steady—but Alison knew his love was. And that it always would be. For this was a man of honor, who kept his promises. A man of strength, whose integrity was steadfast. A man of deep compassion, whose tender heart held a depth of love and caring that had already enriched and blessed her life beyond measure. No matter how long she lived, she would never forget the day he’d buried her beloved Bert, or all the times he’d calmed her when she’d called him in the wee hours of the morning after horrifying nightmares had wrenched her awake. Or all the other ways he’d demonstrated his deep, abiding love these past few months.
Alison extended her left hand—which was none too steady either—and managed to whisper a single word. “Yes.”
He slid the ring on her finger, then drew her to her feet and looped his arms around her waist. And as he pulled her close, the joy in his eyes was mirrored in her heart.
She smiled up at him and found her voice at last. “There will be much celebration in the Taylor family when we announce this news, you know.”
“You think?”
“I know. Before you claimed me for that last dance, Aunt Catherine was counseling me not to play hard to get. She said, and I quote, ‘That young man is one in a million, Alison. Handsome inside and out.’ My mom agrees with her. And just for the record, so do I. My family is sold.” She put her arms around his neck and studied his face. “How do you think your dad will react to the news?”
Mitch smiled. “I already know.”
She arched an eyebrow. “How come?”
“Because I told him before I left for the wedding that I was planning to recruit a new Musketeer tonight.”
Grinning, she tipped her head. “And what did he say to that?”
Mitch chuckled, and as he bent down to seal their engagement in the most traditional of ways, he murmured his answer. “He said it was about time.”
Acknowledgments
As with all my suspense books, Deadly Pursuit was a research-intensive project. It took me to places I’ve never been—and hope never to visit in real life! I can’t imagine writing a book like this without the internet.
But online research only takes a writer so far. In the end, you need real people—experts who can weigh in on situations unique to your book. And in that regard I’ve been incredibly blessed with every suspense book I’ve written. Deadly Pursuit is no exception.
So I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to:
Lieutenant Tom Larkin, Commander of the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons, who not only answered my many, many questions with patience and promptness but gave me a deeper appreciation for the nuances of criminal investigation and for all the men and women who dedicate their lives to bringing justice to the victims of crime.
The St. Louis County staff of the Children’s Division/Department of Social Services, who provided answers to my questions about Alison’s job, especially Program Manager Mary Beth Carpenter.
Captain Ed Nestor from the Chesterfield, Missouri, Police Department, who remains my go-to person for amazing sources. Ed, you are the best.
The fabulous team at Revell—especially Jennifer Leep, Kristin Kornoelje, Twila Bennett, Michele Misiak, Cheryl Van Andel, and Deonne Beron. It’s a joy to work with you.
Finally, love and thanks to my parents for their unwavering support and enthusiasm, and to my husband, Tom . . . always. The dedication in this book says it all.
Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of ten with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay . . . maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her official fiction-writing debut!
Since then, she has written more than thirty-five contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. A five-time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s coveted RITA award (the Oscar of romantic fiction), she took the golden statuette home in 2003. Her books have also been honored with a HOLT medallion, a Daphne du Maurier award, and two Reviewers’ Choice awards from RT Book Reviews magazine.
Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time. She is happy to say she has no regrets. As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics, and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.
A trained vocalist, Irene has sung the leading role in numerous community musical theater productions and is also a soloist at her church.
When not otherwise occupied, she loves to cook, garden, and take long walks. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop, and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.
To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com.
Books by Irene Hannon
* * *
Heroes of Quantico Series
Against All Odds
An Eye for an Eye
In Harm’s Way
Guardians of Justice Series
Fatal Judgment
Deadly Pursuit
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