Speechless (20 page)
Authors: Elissa Abbot
Matthew James, Eva’s father, washed the Thanksgiving dishes
while Stone dried. Eva was in the laundry room for the moment, putting the
cranberry-soiled table linens in the washer, and out of earshot.
“So when are you going to marry my daughter?” Matt asked,
more humor than censure in his voice.
Stone felt the corner of his mouth quirk up. He hadn’t known
what to expect from Eva’s father when they’d first met a year ago, how he would
react to Stone and Eva living together since the trial had ended. But it had
taken that long year for Stone to get used to life without a constant flow of
adrenaline through his system—he felt like he’d spent the first month sleeping
from the withdrawal and the second month pacing constantly from
restlessness—and to get his business up and running.
He’d been so scared when he’d realized that Eva had been
captured and by the thought of what might have happened to her, that he’d
decided to start teaching self-defense classes. He spent almost as much time
teaching his students how not to panic, how to know when to fight back and when
not to and how to pay attention to their assaulters so they could identify them
later, as he did teaching them effective combat techniques. He’d started with a
beginner class, then added an intermediate and now had three beginner classes,
two intermediates and an advanced. With the newfound balance in his life and
gradually growing accustomed to the emotions Eva had woken in him, he had begun
asking himself the very same question Matt had just asked.
“I was thinking about a June wedding,” Stone said. “Eva’s
semester will be over and I’ll have a four-week break. Dad will have his crops
in for the summer. It seems like perfect timing.”
“Have you asked her yet?” Matt said, a canny smile growing
on his face.
“Not yet. We’re going away for a few days during her
Christmas vacation. I was going to ask her then.”
Matt dried his hands and reached into his pocket. He drew
out a velvet ring box and held it out to Stone. He took it from the older man
and opened it to see a single marquis-cut ruby, with a small diamond on either
side.
“That is her mother’s engagement ring. I’d be honored—and so
would her mother—if you would like to use it as Eva’s engagement ring.”
“The honor is all mine,” Stone said, seeking words to convey
his gratitude for the honor Matt had paid him. Nerves—maybe even fear—sent pain
lancing through his chest. “Do you think she’ll say yes?”
I know she will.
Both men snapped their gazes to the doorway to see Eva
standing there, smiling. Stone took the ring out of the box, crossed the room
and slipped it onto her finger.
Will you marry me?
Yes. But do we have to wait until June?
Elissa spent her childhood rambling the woods and hills of
Kentucky, making up stories as she went. Naturally, she was always the heroine,
saving the day, running from bad guys and discovering countless new worlds.
These days, she spends too little time rambling and too much behind a desk, but
those pesky stories keep coming. They always have a little bit of fantasy and a
whole lot of love.
She’s delighted to be able to share them with readers.
Elissa welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
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Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Speechless
ISBN 9781419990632
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Speechless Copyright © 2014 Elissa Abbott
Cover design by Allyse Leodra
Cover photography by Shutterstock
Electronic book publication December 2014
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