by Cassie Miles
He kissed her cheek. His chest heaved with silent weeping. Tears of relief. Tears of gratitude. They would have another chance for a better relationship.
He released her from his fatherly embrace but kept hold of her hand as he spoke to Quint. “Thank you.”
“Mr. Van Buren,” Quint said. “Sir, I would like to formally ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“No words I have ever spoken give me more pleasure,” Henry Van Buren said. “Natalie and Quint, you have my blessing.”
“Mine, too,” said an unfamiliar voice with a Texan drawl. “And I’m going to be best man.”
Quint introduced her to Daniel Austin. As the other members of Chicago Confidential crowded around, she slipped comfortably into the arms of her groom-to-be. Her happiness was complete. The only slight disappointment was that Caroline wasn’t here to share her joy. Natalie couldn’t wait to e-mail her sister with the good news.
As she walked Quint toward the ambulance so the paramedics could examine his head wound, he looked down at her and grinned. “It’s official.”
“Yes,” she said.
“I’m thinking we ought to get married on horseback.”
“Not a chance,” she said. “I’m wearing an original gown by Vera Wang. There will be fresh orchids. For a caterer, let’s try for Wolfgang Puck.”
“Fine. If he can rustle up a barbecue on the north forty.”
Aghast, she stared up at him. “Are you joking?”
“Are you?”
Not really. But it didn’t really matter how or where they got married. “Anything you want is fine with me. You’re the best, Quint.”
“I love you, Natalie.”
As she kissed him lightly, a small niggling doubt crept into her mind. “For the wedding,” she said, “I just have one tiny request. Lose the cowboy hat.”
“I don’t go nowhere without my hat.”
“How about that god-awful belt buckle.”
Teasing, he leaned close and nipped her ear. “If you want, I’ll strip naked as a jaybird and walk down the aisle like that.”
She went up on her toes and nipped him back. “Darlin’, you can get naked anytime you want.”
“Soon as possible,” he said.
She could hardly wait.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to
Cassie Miles for her contribution to the
CHICAGO CONFIDENTIAL series.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-4292-0
NOT ON HIS WATCH
Copyright © 2002 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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