I'll Be Waiting (San Juan Island Stories Book 6) (4 page)

Skylar’s chest hiccupped again. She was having trouble taking in what he was saying. “So…if I hadn’t shown up you’d have to marry her?”

He snorted. “No, you’re the one I’m going to marry.”

“But— You— I missed you.
Wait.
Marry?”

He tugged her forward and touched his lips to hers. Her heart rose, flying high above the star-dotted island. He tasted like promises, and Skylar gasped.

“Luke—”

His arms wrapped around her, hard, pulling her against his wide pectorals, the ones she had long ago admired in the weight room. He sucked in a breath like he wanted to take in all of her. Like he couldn’t believe he had her here, finally, in front of him. That they were here together.

His lips moved against hers, and hers curved into a smile, and her chest began shaking like the whipping staccato of a rotor blade turning, and her laughter bubbled up, uncontainable. He kissed her through her smiles, through her giggles, through her salty tears. He kissed her and erased all the bad stuff for the past five years, like the trauma of failing to get into flight attendant school, and for the good stuff, too. The high of getting accepted to a college where she could get a degree in education, despite her grades, and for every little moment of their shared everyday one-line-email life.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” he murmured into her ferry-mussed hair. “Nothing scared me so much as not seeing you on that cruise. And then not seeing you on this rooftop tonight.”

“I was so excited about coming to see you that I spaced on the details.”

He cupped her hands with his, so warm, and drew them to his face, resting them along the smooth plane of his jaw so she could feel as well as see the gentleness of his dawning smile. “As long as you’re aware of the detail that we’re engaged now.”

Engaged. He’d just said they were engaged. She pulled her hands away and looped her fingers in his belt, her heart fluttering madly. “I…still have to break up with my boyfriend, actually.”

He flipped open his phone and held it out to her.

She took it and made the call while Luke held her. Her boyfriend tried to talk her out of breaking up. She reminded him about their agreement, because she had always been honest with boys, all of them. When she’d first met him he had said he understood and didn’t mind being second. Up until now neither she nor Luke had had the courage to shove the easy options aside and embrace their true happiness. Now they did. No matter where in the world it led them.

She handed back Luke’s phone and gazed up into his eyes. They were dark with love. And with hope, with eagerness, and something more. Trust.

He kissed her eyebrows. “I wish you would have done that five years ago.”

“I was only ever serious about you.”

He touched his forehead to hers. Together at last, mind to mind and heart to heart. Five years late, perhaps, but burning just as bright as a dawn’s new sun.

He slid a perfectly-sized sparkling diamond onto her ring finger. “Ready?”

Her heart lifted off. “Oh, yes.”

“Sure?”

She clung to him. “Absolutely. Seal it with a kiss?”

He smiled. “Absolutely.”

And then he did.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wendy Lynn Clark loves nothing more than a happy ending—except maybe typing THE END with the help of her two happy calico cats and endless cups of delicious tea. Friend her on Facebook for adorable cat photos, check out her sci-fi/fantasy addiction on GoodReads, sign up for free stories on her newsletter, and find out how to construct the elliptical-writing desk that made her lose 14 pounds at her website,
http://wendylynnclark.com

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