Indivisible Line (37 page)

“Yes.” Sarah’s response came out in a rush. Her mind tried to grasp the unfathomable joy Greg had given her. “Yes . . . I want to be your wife.”

When Greg slipped the ring on her finger, her heart thrummed against her chest at the thrill of having this man with her for the rest of her life. She glanced at her father’s grave and laughed with pure delight. “Papa, you said happiness would come knocking soon . . . and it did.”

How could the saddest day in her life turn out to be the happiest one, too? It was amazing how life’s intricacies had thrown one curve ball after another at them. In the end, the karmic balance played a huge part in how the grand scheme had worked out.

Sarah breathed an ecstatic sigh before offering him another sweet kiss. Her blood heated and her body awoke when Greg kissed her back with unbridled passion. This time, forever poured out of him, infusing her with the promise of a happy tomorrow.

Epilogue

Three years, ten months, and four days after the day they’d first met in Beaver, Sarah stood in front of their floor-to-ceiling window, rubbing her belly with pride. The window had been one of her concessions to Greg’s idea of comfort and aesthetics for their home. Her sole concern was their safety. In reality, her needless anxiety was quite laughable. For crying out loud, they were in the middle of nowhere. Unless she was worried about Peeping Toms, which in their case would be of the four-legged and wild variety, they couldn’t be safer from potential harm.

“How can you refuse a big window when you have the mountains as your backdrop?” he’d argued, while the New York architect he contracted for the job had scratched his head in disbelief. “No one can see us anyway—we’re so close to the wilderness, and our nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away.”

She remembered huffing in agreement. “Fine . . . but I want deadbolts, locks, you name it.” Her fear for their safety—to be more precise, Greg’s safety—hadn’t ebbed even with the passage of time. Nightmares of losing him still haunted her from time to time, and as much as she knew that the past was a distant memory, she couldn’t shake the fear altogether.

Between Greg’s proposal and her return to Columbia to finish med school, the time following her father’s demise had been a whirlwind. Not long after, they’d moved back to New York so she could finish her final year before beginning her residency, and Greg had plunged into a flurry of activity in building his own business. Although Sarah regretted the outcome of his relationship with his parents, she continued to hold out hope that, someday, they’d find common ground on which they could build a decent relationship. They were going be grandparents very soon, after all.

Med school took precedence over other concerns, and her residency even more so. They were lucky to have Matilda and Simon staying with them while they juggled their lives together through school and business meetings and the other hosts of activities that sprouted left and right. Their friends’ help made the adjustment period bearable.

It had been a year since they’d return to Beaver to stay. Greg had left Simon in position as his right-hand man in his business dealings in New York, and he maintained an office in town in an effort to boost the tribe’s flagging economy. Greg’s successful endeavor had brought many new businesses to the town, and to Trimble’s delight, their once-unknown home rose to prominence as an alternative shipping port in the state.

“Hey.” Greg walked into the room, supported by a cane, an aid he still needed to help him get around. Physical therapy had helped some, but the bullet had done irreparable damage to his thighbone, making it impossible to maintain a secure gait without pain. At least, that was Greg’s excuse. Sarah suspected that Greg had just chosen to accept his limitations and his injury.

“Hi.” Sarah glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “They work fast, don’t they?

Greg stopped behind her and propped his cane on the sofa before wrapping his arms around her rather round belly. “I told you not to worry about anything. I’ve got everything all taken care of. So all I want my almost-wife to do is rest and be pretty tomorrow.” He skimmed his mouth along the back of her neck, and a shudder rose from her tailbone up her spine.

“You expect me not to worry. I’ve waited for this day for over three years.” Sarah sounded breathless to her own ears. Damn him for creating havoc in her mind. Her body vibrated with every movement of his lips when they grazed her skin.

A rustle of footsteps sounded behind them, and Matilda cleared her throat. “I’m going to the grocery store. Is there anything you need before I go?” Her usual smock had been replaced by a flowered blouse and jeans, but her fussing and mothering remained the same. If anything, she’d become more fierce with Sarah’s pregnancy.

Sarah glanced up at Greg and smiled. “Matilda, you can give me the grocery list, and I’ll take care of it for you.” She knew the older woman would refuse. There was no stopping her from doing chores, even if they only intended her to be the baby’s nanny.

Matilda snorted. “I’ll see you lovebirds in a few.” She turned on her heel and exited through the front door.

“How are you and the baby?” Greg rested his chin on Sarah’s shoulder, and they both gazed outside. Beaver weather promised glorious days ahead, and they couldn’t be happier. They watched the efficient movement of the workers while they brought chairs and tables inside the big, white tent.

“We’re fine. If she doesn’t stop kicking, I’m afraid I’ll be going for restroom breaks every hour tomorrow.” Sarah smiled at the thought of their daughter somersaulting non-stop inside her.

“She’s an active baby, isn’t she?” Pride and happiness radiated in his tone, as well as the smile she detected on his face. “I wonder who she’ll look like.”

“I’m hoping she’ll take after you, blue eyes and all.” Sarah turned around to face him. “Let’s not talk about Senaya yet. You know she gets all wired up from the attention. We have to get through the wedding first.”

Greg beamed and planted a kiss on her lips. “Yeah, I’m dying for you to hyphenate your name, Sarah Jones-Andrews. I love the sound of it.”
 

It had been a mutual decision to postpone their wedding until Sarah finished her residency, and also in deference to her father’s death. Getting married right after the funeral hadn’t sat well with them. Having it close to Ahila’s death anniversary hadn’t seemed right, either, so they’d waited. The news of Sarah’s pregnancy had jumpstarted the whole process and sent them scrambling to make arrangements for a rushed wedding, just in time for the baby’s arrival.

Well,
rushed
wasn’t the word Sarah would use. Greg wanted a wedding big enough to accommodate their neighbors, which in Gwich’in terms meant inviting the whole tribe. Planning the wedding itself was Greg’s task—he only came to her for specific choices like linen color, flower arrangements, and music.

Everything else, Greg relegated to his new assistants, who were all eager to help out. The caterers, wedding coordinator, and even the DJ were all coming from the Big Apple. Greg wanted the best for his bride, or so he said.

Sarah chuckled and pinched his nose playfully. “I think we may have to change the sign on the trauma section soon.”

“I got that all taken care of. As soon as you sign on the dotted line, someone is going to put up the new sign right away.” Greg’s hands loosened on her waist and moved up to her face. “I’m going to love every minute of being married to you.”

“Me, too.” Sarah stood on her tiptoes and pressed her body against his muscular one, being careful to avoid crushing her belly in the process. “But first, I want to show you what I’m going to wear tomorrow.”

Greg’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride’s dress before the wedding?” His concern palpable, and Sarah couldn’t help from laughing out loud.

“For someone who had such a modern upbringing, you sound like an old-fashioned guy. Sorry, but I don’t believe in old wives’ tales.” She smothered Greg with little kisses until he relented.

“Fine . . . fine . . . I’m an old-fashioned guy. But taking me to the bedroom is a bad idea, because I have something else in mind.” He waggled his eyebrows and kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s go so I can take a good look at you.”

In response to his teasing, Sarah clapped him on the back before they walked hand-in-hand toward their bedroom. “We’re just looking at the dress, Greg. Will you get your head out of your pants for a change?”

“You must never ask for the impossible.” Greg licked his lips in the playful manner Sarah had grown to love over the years. Without a word, he swept her off her feet as if she weighed nothing.

“Your legs, Greg!” Sarah tried to wiggle free, but his steely arms were protectively wrapped around her. Greg shook his head.

“My legs are fine. I’m getting some help from a third one.” He barked out an honest-to-goodness laugh when Sarah turned beet red. His mouth descended on hers as he kicked the door to their bedroom open.

The moment they reached their bedroom and the door was shut, the dress was the last thing on their minds. Even Sarah couldn’t remember the reason why they had gone in there in the first place. She responded to Greg with heated passion.

He laid her on the bed and hovered above her, his eyes glinting with amorous desire. Greg removed her sundress with one quick sweep of his hand, and it landed together with his shirt and shorts on the wood floor with a soft thud.

“Sarah, I don’t know what I have done in this life to deserve you, but I’m glad we found each other.” His voice was hoarse, and he settled on top of her. His legs braced his weight, and he was careful not to put too much pressure on her stomach.

Sarah focused on the gratification of skin-to-skin contact, loving the sensation of Greg’s body on top of hers. “You know I feel the same way. I’ve been thanking Dotson’Sa every day for the letting me meet the man of my dreams.”

Smiling, Greg lowered his mouth and brushed his lips against hers. The indivisible line between them was now a mere imaginary divide they’d already conquered.

Minutes later, her body still reeling from the intense workout, Sarah’s hospital ringtone went off. Rolling his eyes, Greg scooted over to grab the device from the nightstand.

He handed her the beeper, and she read the text from the answering service.
 

Emergency surgery—ruptured appendix. Patient is in severe pain.
 

Sarah groaned, cursing the timing. “I’ll have to run to the hospital.”

Greg gave a deep sigh, which was his way of dealing with the constant demands for Sarah’s time. He eyed her with the thirst of a dying man, and Sarah kissed his pouting lips. “I love you. I’ll be back as soon as I can, but for now, I’ve got to run.”

Restraining her arms before she got up, Greg pulled her palm to his face and kissed it. “I love you more. No wife of mine is running. I’ll drive you to the hospital, darling.” He grinned, and his eyes sparkled.

True to form, Greg had been what she’d hoped for and more. Her father’s wish for her had come true, and her life had changed just the way he’d said it would. Ahila had told her to live life in joy, peace, and tranquility, and she’d been doing just that.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you so much, Wendy Depperschmidt, Lucia Morales, Kristen Giles, Trenda Lundin and Judith Somera. You gals have come through for me once again. Luck smiled on me when it surrounded me with such a supportive bunch of ladies. You've stayed up with me while I wrote, listened patiently when I went off on one of my tangents, and kept me sane.

To Claudia Trapp — you astound me with your talent. Thanks for bringing the picture in my head to life.
 

To my Sensei, Mavvy Vasquez — can I keep you?

About the Author

Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her vampire novels
Hunted,
Tormented
,
Ascension
the first three books of The Gates Legacy series,
Feather Light
, an erotic romance and
Pieces of Broken Time
, a military romance.
   

Lorenz’s perfect day consists of writing and lounging on her garage couch, aka the office, with a glass of her favorite cabernet while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories.