by Sylvie Kurtz
“Where?”
“I bought a little ranch with enough room for the horses. Dee will help with the horses. Grace will come with me and we’ll help each other recover. Tia is also moving in now that she and Sable aren’t on speaking terms. She’ll stay until she goes back to school in the fall.” Melissa paused, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “It’s not too far from the highway.” She smiled shakily, her gaze so hopeful it brought a lump to his throat. “I hope that maybe you’ll consider giving me another chance.”
“Melissa.” His heart thumped hard once. She was making a leap of faith, and gladly he was there to catch her. Awkwardly he enfolded her in his arms and inhaled the sweet scent of her. He’d missed her so much. Her sob of relief hitched against his neck.
“I know it won’t be easy,” she said, speaking quickly as if she was suddenly in a race for time. “I know it’s not going to be happily ever after. People are still going to stare. They’re still going to point. They’re still going to pretend too hard that there’s nothing wrong. But I’m ready for that.” She cradled the side of his head with her good hand and kissed him urgently. “I’m so sorry for throwing you out without giving you a chance to explain. Your article…it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read.”
“I wanted you to know.” The words that had flowed so easily on paper now deserted him. “When you threw those pieces at me, I thought you didn’t care.”
“I love you, Tyler. I’ve loved you since I found you by my gate. Give me another chance to prove it to you.”
“Marry me, and you can prove it every day.”
Tear spilled down her cheeks and joy seemed to radiate from her. “Tyler—”
“I love you. Everything about you. I love how we are together.” He kissed her and held her close. After a moment he let her go, the blissful melody that stemmed from his soul warming him. The whole world felt right and good. “Let’s go home.”
She grinned. “Yes, let’s go home.”
“You know we can’t just elope,” he said as he slung an arm around her shoulders. “It’s going to have to be a big wedding. Nana Leonardo isn’t going to stand for anything less.”
He laughed at her openmouthed surprise and reached back for the duffel bag on the bed.
“Do you think she’ll mind having a witch in the family?” Melissa asked, smiling, and wrapped an arm around his waist.
“She’ll love it. She’ll love you. How could she not?” He gently squeezed her shoulder. “And my sisters are going to insist on meddling with every plan we make.”
“They are?”
“I’m thinking September would make a good compromise. Enough time to let everyone have some input, but not enough for a family feud to break out. What do you think?”
Her smiled dazzled. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Any time. Any place.”
They leaned against each other as they made their way down the corridor.
“We make quite a pair,” she said, laughing. “You with your bandages and me with my sling.”
“That we do.” She rested her head on his shoulder. He brushed a kiss on her hair. They were blessed with a second chance and they wouldn’t waste a minute of it. “We make a perfect pair.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-4082-7
UNDER LOCK AND KEY
Copyright © 2003 by Sylvie Kurtz
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Visit us at www.eHarlequin.com
*Flesh and Blood
