McFarlane's Perfect Bride (16 page)

“I'm not buying out the resort. I'm investing in it. And Grant Clifton says he's proud to be my friend.”

“Oh, Connor…” She swiped at those gorgeous wet eyes. And her sweet mouth was trembling.

“I called Frank Cates. He's going to build me a house.”

“A house. Of course. How wonderful.”

“Frank said to come down to the office. And to bring you. That you would want to have input, that women always do. I didn't tell him that we weren't together anymore. I couldn't bear to say it. And I didn't tell my parents it was over, either. I couldn't bring myself to do that, to tell them we had ended it.”

She searched his face. “Connor. Come in. Please. Come in.”

He stumbled forward.

She shut the door, then turned and leaned against it, as if her legs were too shaky to hold her up. She whispered, “What are telling me?”

“I…” There was so much to say. Where in hell should he start? “I…know you love this town, that you want to live the rest of your life here.”

She put her hand to her throat. “But, Connor, wh-what are you
telling
me?”

“Oh, Tori. I'm, uh, I…” Words had completely deserted him.

But she knew. She understood. “It's happening, isn't it? You and me, it's going to happen. It's going to be okay.”

Wordlessly, he nodded.

She whispered, “I have to tell you, I did doubt you. I doubted all of it, all I thought I had learned, doubted you would ever come back, wondered if love was worth it, after all.”

He cleared his throat and somehow found his voice.
“And why wouldn't you doubt? Why wouldn't you wonder? I've been such a fool.”

She laughed then, a joyous sound. “Oh, yes, you have.” And then a small sob escaped her. She drew in a ragged breath. “As to the question you were trying to ask me, I do love it here in Thunder Canyon. But I can be…flexible. When I said I'd never leave, well, that was before I fell in love with you. Love changes people. Love…opens us up to new possibilities.”

“New possibilities.”

“Oh, Connor. Yes.”

“We could…play it by ear then, as far as where we live?”

“We could. Absolutely. I'd be open to that.”

He took her hand. “Tori.”

“Yes, Connor. Yes.”

And he went down on one knee. She made a soft, surprised sound when he did that.

He said, “You have to have your story.”

“Yes,” she said wonderingly.

“Your proposal story.”

“I do. Oh, yes, I do.”

“Tori, you've been telling me for weeks that a man
can
change. That I'm a
good
man. Well, I
have
changed. And the man I am now is more than ready. For love. For marriage. For
you,
Tori. Because I love you. And I'm so sorry I didn't admit it to myself and to you earlier, that I caused you pain.”

She looked down at him reproachfully. “It's true. You did hurt me. You hurt me terribly.”

“I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

And she sighed. “Oh, Connor. Yes. Always. Yes.”

“I don't have a ring yet.”

She laughed again. “I still have my ring. Did you imagine I wouldn't? I was keeping it. I would have always kept it. Whether you ever came to your senses or not.”

“Well, okay. Now would be the time to go and get it.”

“I will. In a minute.”

“Marry me, Tori.”

“Yes, Connor. I will.”

He stared up at her, hardly daring to believe that she would really be his. His wife. His lover. His best friend for life.

“Connor.”

“Yes?”

She tugged on his hand. “Come up here. Take me in your arms.”

He didn't have to be told twice. He swept to his feet and pulled her close. “I love you. Did I say that?”

“You did. But that's okay. You can say it again. You can say it over and over. ‘I love you' never gets old.”

“I love you, Tori Jones.”

“I love
you,
Connor McFarlane.”

He kissed her then. A long, deep, thorough kiss. A kiss that promised her everything. His love, his devotion, his absolute commitment to her and the future that would be theirs, together.

“We're getting married,” he said in a voice full of wonder. “We're
really
getting married.”

She nodded. And then she kissed him again. And then she led him to her bedroom, where she took the ring from a secret compartment of her jewelry box. She gave it to him. And he slid it onto her ring finger where it belonged.

And then he took her in his arms again. He kissed her some more. With love.

And with wonder, too.

A month ago, if someone had dared to tell him this would happen, he would have called that person deluded, misinformed, a silly, romantic fool. But it
had
happened. Connor had found true love. Their sham engagement had turned real. He would have the life he had finally learned he truly wanted: a life with Tori at his side.

Did it get any better than this? He didn't see how.

But then he gazed down into Tori's shining eyes. And he realized it just might.

Because they had each other. They had love. And with love, anything was possible.