The Stolen Bride
Page 24
But if she didn’t take a risk, Joseph might drift away, literally and physically. Hoping he was still within earshot, she blurted, “Someone gave it to me a long time ago, someone who has the other half of my heart.”
The reporter blinked in surprise. The photographer adjusted his lens for a better shot.
Movement near her elbow startled her. Joseph appeared at her side, a breeze tousling his light brown hair as he drew something glittering from his shirt.
It was her pendant’s mirror image.
“Erin thinks I lost this a long time ago,” he told the reporter. “But the truth is, I love her too.” Instead of trying to duck the camera, he slipped his arm around Erin’s waist and drew her close.
The church’s old-fashioned bell began to peal, sending joyous chimes echoing from the hills.
“What’s going on?” Lynn asked. Normally the bell was activated only for weddings and christenings.
A prickly sensation came over Erin, and suddenly she understood. It was Alice, ringing a bell just as she’d loved to do in life.
Wherever Alice Marshall had gone, her daughter knew now that she was happy.
JOSEPH WHISKED HER AWAY to the rose garden her father had planted at their former home. Moments earlier, he’d secured the Van Fleets’ permission to visit the property.
“It’s the most beautiful place I could think of for us to talk,” he explained.
“And full of wonderful memories.” Erin inhaled the fragrance of a Double Delight even before she spotted its cream-on-pink blossoms. It had been one of her father’s favorites.
They sat on a stone bench. Set into a hillside, the garden overlooked Sundown Valley: the white towers of the medical center, the mall, the Mercantile building, the curving tracts of homes. It formed a testament to Andrew Marshall’s decades of work.
In this direction, the hill shielded them from the sight of the lake. Erin had to admit, she was glad.
Joseph’s presence beside her seemed the most natural thing in the world. She longed to treasure this moment for as long as possible without worrying about where it might lead. Or not lead.
“I thought I should explain about what I said to the reporter. I hadn’t exactly planned it.” He spoke with gentle resonance. “I kind of seized the moment.”
Her chest squeezed. Was he backing away from his impetuous statement of affection?
“We all do things without thinking sometimes.” If he wanted to be let off the hook, she wasn’t going to try to tie him down.
“I apologize,” he said.
“There’s no need….”
“It wasn’t an appropriate thing to say right after your mother’s funeral.”
“I’m to blame for that.” She strove for a casual tone. “I shouldn’t have blurted out what I did about the necklace.”
Joseph stared over the valley. “You know I’m committed to police work. Cops don’t exactly fit in with the country club set.”
“You don’t have to explain.” Blinking away a sheen of tears, she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt the supporting strength through his suit jacket.
Erin ached to tell him that they ought to enjoy their time together because love was too precious to waste. Nothing in the world meant more to her, or ever would, than him.
But she couldn’t force him to move outside his comfort zone. She couldn’t force him to love her enough to take that kind of risk.
“I hope my line of work doesn’t bother you,” Joseph said. “I have to go on being who I am.”
“I would never ask you to change.” A lump nearly blocked the words.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to live in my house. It really is too small.” When she failed to respond, Joseph added, “I realize we’ll have a lot of adjusting to do. I figure you have your career and I have mine, but what we’d bring to a marriage is equal, because money doesn’t outweigh things like courage and integrity. And certainly not love.”
“Marriage?” Erin scarcely believed she’d heard right.
For what felt like an eternity, he didn’t respond. Then he said, “I think I skipped something.”
“What would that be?” Tears threatened to flow again, but this time not from sadness.
“The proposal.”
Joy welled inside her. He hadn’t been backing away; he’d been working up his nerve.
“I love you,” she burst out.
“I was supposed to say that first.” Joseph rubbed his thumb tenderly across her cheek. “So I’ll say it now. I love you, Erin. I’ve always loved you, even when I was too bullheaded to admit it. I’d like to do the kneeling thing, but I’m not sure I could get up again even with the cane.”
“That’s all right.” Remembering that they were sitting in full view of the town, she added, “And don’t forget, someone might have a telephoto trained on us.”
“There’s a daunting thought.”
“We don’t want to leave a newspaper picture to embarrass our children,” she teased.
“Before we have children, I really think we ought to walk down the aisle. Wait, let me do this right.” All sign of teasing vanished as he took her hands in his. “Erin Marshall, will you marry me?”
She could hardly breathe. “Absolutely.”
In the afternoon sunshine, Joseph’s deep blue eyes sparkled at her. “You know, I think we should pose for that photograph after all.”
“Is someone…” She was starting to look around when he cupped her chin in his palm and brushed a kiss across her lips.
Suddenly Erin didn’t care if the whole world took their picture. Flinging her arms around Joseph, she made him kiss her again. This time, it lasted for a wonderful long while.
As they leaned forward, she felt something tickling her throat and realized it had to be the pendant. No, she thought, both of the half hearts were dangling together, making a complete whole.
In that moment, she knew the scars of the past were finally healing. She and Joseph had come home at last, to each other.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-3239-6
THE STOLEN BRIDE
Copyright © 2004 by Jackie Hyman
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* The Babies of Doctors Circle
Table of Contents
Letter to Reader
About the Author
Books by Jacqueline Diamond
Cast of Characters
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Copyright