Man on a Mission (17 page)

But with Mark's lips on hers and his arms holding her tight, there was simply no room for fear in her heart. It was too filled with love for him.

“Marry me, April,” he whispered as he broke the kiss. “Marry me and be my wife. I want you and Brian to be my family.”

“Yes, oh, yes, Mark.”

He kissed her again. This time the kiss was filled with promise, with hope, with the future. “We'd better get back to the cottage,” he said with a touch of reluctance. “Brian will be waiting for us.”

The fact that his thoughts were of her son only cemented the rightness of loving him. Tears once again filled her eyes as she thought of her son's love for Mark and Brian's incredible need for a father and a complete family.

She touched his cheek lovingly. “You're going to be an awesome father.”

His eyes flashed, and the smile that lit his features soared into her heart. “I intend to be an awesome husband, as well.”

The look in his eyes stole her breath away and caused a shiver of anticipation to race up her spine. Yes, he was going to be an awesome husband.

“We'll have a short engagement. Is that okay with you?” he asked, and she knew he felt the same as she did.

“As far as I'm concerned, a day-long engagement is too long.”

He kissed her again, a long, lingering kiss that left her breathless and hungry for more. He released her, and grabbed his hat from the porch and plopped it on her head. “Come on, let's go tell Brian he's about to acquire a new father.”

He helped her onto the horse and mounted behind her. She leaned into him, loving the way his body felt so close to hers. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as they started back at a leisurely pace.

“Who would have thought,” she mused, snuggling back against him.

“Who would have thought what?” he asked.

“When I first arrived here, I thought I'd been cast into hell. Who would have thought I'd find a piece of heaven to call my very own.”

Mark's arms tightened around her and he kissed the side of her neck. “Who would have thought,” he replied.

“Who would have thought what?” she asked.

“That a slow-witted cowboy who always felt like the invisible middle son would be the first to find love and happiness?”

April half turned in the saddle, so she could see his beautiful face. “You were never invisible to me.”

“I love you, April.” He swept his hands to gesture toward the land that surrounded them. “And I'll love you for as long as the sun shines on Inferno, for as long as those distant mountains remain. I'll do whatever I can to make you happy.”

“All you have to do to make me happy is love me,” she replied. “And promise to kiss me beneath a coyote moon every once in a while.”

“That's a promise,” he replied, his voice husky with love.

She leaned back against him once again, and in the warmth and strength of his arms she knew she was finally home.