“What about L.A.?”
“California just isn’t where I want to be anymore. I don’t know if it ever was. Everything I could want—have ever wanted—is right here, in Chapel.”
“I thought you hated it here.”
“So did I. But it’s who I am, and I realized, you can’t run from who you are. I’m staying, and if there’s anyone who doesn’t like that, it’s too damned bad.”
She squeezed him harder and sighed. “You should know, I have a career to think about. You’re looking at the future owner of Marlette Landscape.”
There was no mistaking the satisfaction in her eyes, or his own feelings of pride. “Congratulations.”
“I’ll be really busy, so don’t get any ideas about keeping me barefoot and pregnant.”
“If we did—have kids I mean—maybe I could stay at home with them part of the time.”
Her brow crinkled. “You? What about work?”
“In another couple of weeks Touchdown is going to belong to someone else. We’re negotiating the contracts right now. I figured it was time I tried something different. Something a little less demanding on my time. I’ve got all this money, I might as well enjoy it. Right?”
“What would you like to do?”
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I got a degree in physical education as a fallback, and I hear the coach over at the high school is talking about retiring. I’ve really missed the game, so I thought, what the heck, I could apply for the position.”
“A high-school football coach?”
He frowned. “You don’t think so?”
“No, I think you’d be a great coach. You’ll be good at whatever you choose to do because that’s the kind of man you are.”
He hoped he was good enough for Emily. Good enough to keep her happy. This was all new to him. He didn’t want to screw it up. “I can’t promise that I won’t say or do something dumb and hurt your feelings every now and then, even if I don’t mean to. I’m going to make mistakes, Emily.”
“And I can’t promise that I won’t lock you out of the bedroom and make you sleep on the couch for a day or two. But I’ll forgive you eventually.” She looked up at him, his entire future shining in the blue of her eyes. “I’ll always forgive you, because I love you, Matt.”
“I love you, too, Em.”
He couldn’t hold back any longer. He cupped the back of her neck with one hand, nudged her chin up with the other, and proceeded to kiss her socks off.
This is it, he thought as he savored the sweetness of her mouth, the silky softness of her hair in his fingers. This was his for the rest of his life. He’d finally found it, that feeling of utter contentment he’d been searching for.
Hard to believe, it had been waiting for him all this time, right in Emily’s arms.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7681-3
THE SEDUCTION REQUEST
Copyright © 2004 by Michelle Celmer
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