Midnight Sons Volume 1 (26 page)

“My father always loved Catherine.”

“But he loved his brother more,” Lanni whispered. “And he did love your mother.”

“What you said about being my destiny,” he murmured, his hands cradling her face. “It makes sense now. I want us to get married, Lanni.”

It took one millisecond for her head and her heart to grasp what he was saying.

“Married?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind.”

“I haven’t changed my mind.” She laughed through her glistening tears. “Are you
nuts?
”

“I hope you don’t want a long engagement.”

“No. The shorter the better.” Happiness filled her.

“I’m too old for you.”

“Would you stop making excuses?”

Charles grinned. His smile was lopsided and irresistible. Lanni moved up to sit beside him and brought her mouth to his.

They kissed again and again until finally he tore his mouth from hers, his breathing fast. His lips trailed the length of her neck, spreading kisses.

“Oh, Lanni, you tempt me.”

“You do the same to me,” she whispered.

He wrapped his arms about her. He didn’t speak for several minutes and seemed to be collecting his thoughts. “It sounds strange, but I think my father’s found a way to be with Catherine through me.”

“I know what you mean,” Lanni said. “It’s almost as if he’s…reached out from the other side and given us to each other.”

Charles kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know what we’re going to do about your internship,” he said in a brisk, practical tone, as if he’d had enough of fate and fanciful notions and wanted to return to the reality of
their
lives.

“We’ll figure something out later.” A career in journalism didn’t seem to matter all that much just then.

“But I thought journalism was important to you.”

Lanni leaned against him and settled into his arms. “It is, but I’d like to stay in Hard Luck. Perhaps publish a newspaper here.”

“You’ll need training and experience before you take that on. You’d have it, too, if you worked at the Anchorage paper.”

“But, Charles, my commitment would be for nine months. We’d have to delay the wedding. I don’t think that’s what either of us wants.”

“I’m not going to change my mind about us getting married,” he assured her. “I’m going to love you for the rest of my life. I knew that the day Sawyer married Abbey. I know it now.”

“I’d love to produce a newspaper for Hard Luck. But be warned, life might get a bit hectic, especially after we start a family.”

“A family?”

“Children, Charles. You do want children, don’t you?” She twisted around to look at him, her eyes suddenly worried.

He struggled for words, then nodded. “Yes, Lanni, I very much want children. With you.”

“Oh, Charles.” She shifted so that she faced him completely and took his face between her hands. “We’re going to be so happy.”

“Lanni—” he kissed her softly “—I already am.”