“You left me here for half an hour before telling me about the T-shirt?”
Brett didn’t like the dangerous gleam in Hannah’s eyes. “I didn’t know what you were doing until Claire told me. Besides, it was kind of cute watching you wave the carrot. I would have run straight to you if I’d been an alpaca.”
“You’re trying to distract me by being sweet. It won’t work.”
He stepped forward and kissed her soft lips. “Are you sure?”
“I might be. Kiss me again and I’ll be able to tell you.”
Brett pulled her into her arms and showed her just how persuasive he could be. The last two months had been the happiest of his life. If he wasn’t enjoying Hannah’s company, he was talking to her on the phone or thinking about her.
Hannah ran her hands through his hair, dragging a groan from his misbehaving body.
A loud bang made them both jump.
He looked over Hannah’s shoulder and saw her sister’s amused face. One of Claire’s hands was on her hip and the other was holding a broom. “If you two lovebirds have finished kissing, we’ve got an alpaca to take to Jacob’s house and a barn to clean.”
Hannah took the T-shirt out of Brett’s hand. “I’ll take Impulse to see Sparkles.”
“I could come with you?” Brett said with a grin aimed straight at Hannah.
Claire shook her head. “Not going to happen. We wouldn’t see you for two hours, and when you did come up for air, the last thing you’d want to do is clean the barn. We’ve got a checklist that’s a mile long and eight hours of hard labor ahead of us.”
Blake, a friend Holly’s fiancé, walked past them holding a set of keys. “I’m taking Impulse to see Sparkles. Hannah and Brett can use their excess energy in the barn.”
Brett had more satisfying ways of burning off excess energy, but that would have to wait for another day.
Hannah threw the old T-shirt toward Blake. “You might need this.”
Blake grinned. “Thanks. Have fun in the barn.”
Brett held out his arm to the woman who had made his life complete. “Are you ready to get hot and sweaty?”
Hannah took the broom from her sister and wrapped her hand around Brett’s arm. “I’m ready.”
Claire walked toward the barn’s entrance. “I’ll tell everyone to come here. Start sweeping the loft and work your way down.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Over the last two months, Brett had learned that when the Williams sisters had a job to do, nothing stood in their way. Including a man who wanted to spend the rest of his life making one of the sisters happy.
***
“Oh, wow.” Hannah stood in the middle of the barn with her arms wide, spinning in a slow circle. “This is even more amazing than I imagined.”
Hannah’s blond hair floated around her head like woven silk. Sometimes, when he least expected it, her ability to find pleasure in the smallest things surprised him. At times like this, Brett wondered what he’d done to deserve having her in his life.
He dragged his eyes away from Hannah and looked around the barn. Colorful lanterns hung from the rafters, sending a rainbow of light across the room. Vases of pink, yellow, and red roses filled every table, and garlands with even more roses were draped along the walls. He didn’t know much about interior design or staging events, but the barn looked incredible.
He walked across to Hannah and held her hands. “You’ve created a wonderful venue for Holly and Daniel’s wedding.”
“Thank you, kind sir.”
Brett laughed. “Your eyes are still spinning.”
She grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You can keep me from falling over. Thank you for staying with us. I don’t think we would have finished everything if you hadn’t been here.”
“It’s the least I could do. Especially after you made cheesecake for dessert.”
“It was a bribe,” she whispered. “I thought you’d feel sorry for us if you had a tummy full of your favorite dessert.”
He leaned forward and touched his nose to hers. “It worked.”
“I know.”
Her slow smile touched Brett’s heart. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“You have?”
He nodded and led her across to the make-shift dance floor.
“Are you going to impress me with your super-duper dance moves?”
“Something like that.” He slid his phone out of his pocket and hit play. The gentle notes of a waltz filled the barn. “Miss Williams, would you like to dance the first waltz of the night with me?”
Hannah held out her hand. “I would be honored to dance with you, Mr. Forster.”
Brett held Hannah in his arms and stepped into the waltz, slowly moving around the dance floor. He’d made sure they would have the barn to themselves. Holly and Daniel had driven into town with the bridal party an hour ago. By now, they would be enjoying a special pre-wedding dinner. Claire was sitting inside Daniel’s home, putting the finishing touches on the wedding guests’ name tags.
He wanted tonight to be special, to be something they would remember for a long time. If he could calm his racing nerves, he’d be even happier.
Hannah rested her head against his. “Have you seen Pat today?”
“He called me from the hospital. Ida is doing great. She knows what happened before she was placed in the coma.”
“That’s wonderful. She was getting frustrated with not being able to remember anything. Is she still having hallucinations?”
Brett pulled Hannah close. “Not so much now. I don’t know whether she can’t see them or if she’s ignoring them when she thinks they’re there.” For the first week after the doctors brought Ida out of her coma, she was convinced Ninja warriors were coming after her. Nothing they said or did could change what her brain was telling her. It had been frightening for Ida as well as for everyone else.
Hannah sighed. “Pat has been incredible. He loves Ida so much.”
“He found his soul mate.”
“Do you think they really exist?”
Brett’s eyes widened. “You don’t?”
“I’m not sure.”
A trickle of unease ran down his back. “What aren’t you sure about?”
“What makes someone your soul mate? Lots of people get married and more than half end up divorced. Did they think they’d found their soul mates, then realized they were wrong? Or did they have unrealistic expectations about the person they were marrying?”
Brett closed his eyes. Maybe this wasn’t the right time to ask Hannah to marry him. “It might not have anything to do with expectations. If your ultimate goal is to make your partner happy, then you’ll be more focused on them instead of yourself. If the person you want to spend the rest of your life with is happy, you’ll be happy.”
“What if they aren’t.”
“Then you could talk to each other to work out what makes you happy.”
Hannah rubbed her cheek against his. “What makes you happy?”
“You.”
He felt her smile. “What else?”
“The ranch, Pat and Ida, lemon cheesecake, seeing the changes in Dave and Thomas, and chocolate fudge. What makes you happy?”
“You.”
He kissed the side of her face. “And?”
“Claire, painting, the art workshops we run, and designing beautiful venues for special events.”
“That’s an impressive list.”
Hannah nodded.
The next song started playing and Brett kept dancing. As long as Hannah was in his arms, there was a small chance that tonight would have a happy ending.
“I’m glad Pat and Ida taught you to dance,” Hannah murmured.
“Ida told me a gentleman needs to know how to hold a woman and sweep her off her feet.”
“I’ll have to give Ida a hug next time I see her. Her words of wisdom worked.” She looked at him and smiled. “You’ve swept me off my feet.”
He could have drowned in
the love shining in Hannah’s eyes. She might not believe in soul mates, but he did. “I want to ask you something.”
“I can’t tell you the secret ingredient in Claire’s cheesecake recipe.”
“There’s a secret ingredient?”
“That’s why it tastes so good.”
“My question is more important than cheesecake.”
Hannah frowned. “What is it?”
Brett stopped dancing. He was having trouble remembering where his feet were supposed to go. “When I was growing up, I would have given anything to have the kind of family that other kids took for granted. I never thought I’d find someone to share my life with. We only met a few months ago, but you’re that person, Hannah. I love you.”
Her face turned white.
This was bad. Really bad. He thought Hannah would be surprised, but not shocked. She loved him. She’d stayed in Bozeman to spend more time with him. But it didn’t look as though marriage figured into any of her plans. He took a deep breath. If he didn’t finish what he’d started, he might never find the courage again.
“I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you marry me?” His heart pounded and sweat trickled down his spine. Hannah was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“I need to sit down.” Instead of walking to the nearest chair, she sat on the dance floor.
He knelt beside her. “Are you okay?”
She looked up at him. “I didn’t think you would ask me to marry you.”
“I love you. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. Is that something you want too?”
Tears filled her eyes. “It is.”
“But you don’t want to marry me?”
“I’ve never thought about marrying anyone. What if I’m not very good at being a wife?”
Brett wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. “I don’t know if I’ll make a good husband, either, but I want to try.”
“My parents had a terrible marriage.”
“So did mine. At least we know what not to do.”
A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “I like your idea of making each other happy.” She reached out and traced the scar above his eye. “And I like the idea of looking after you in sickness and in health.”
“Is there anything you don’t like?”
Her smile widened. “Snoring.”
He kissed her forehead. “I don’t snore.”
“We must be a match made in heaven, then.”
“Or a wish come true.” Brett took a small, black ring box out of his pocket. “I have a ring, but if you don’t want to marry me, I’ll understand.”
“I want to see it, but you have to ask me again. About marrying you.”
If Brett thought he was nervous before, he was terrified now. He knelt on one knee. “I love you, Hannah. Will you marry me?”
Her smile brought tears to his eyes.
“Yes. I’ll marry you.”
“Are you sure?”
Hannah nodded. “I’m absolutely, positively, sure. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you.”
With trembling hands, Brett opened the box. “I chose this ring because it reminds me of the shooting stars I used to look for when I was younger. I thought my wishes had come true when I met Pat and Ida. But that was only part of the magic. You’ve made my life complete. I can’t imagine living without you.”
Hannah touched the solitaire diamond. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
He took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. “I love you.”
Hannah wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him close. “I love you, too.”
Brett held onto her. He loved Hannah more than he could ever have imagined loving anyone. She was his beginning, middle, and end, and the greatest gift he could ever have found.
THE END
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Keep reading for a preview of The Wish, Jason and Claire’s story, the seventh book in The Protectors series!
THE WISH
The Protectors Series, Book 7
Jason had learned the hard way that some days, it didn’t pay to worry when things didn’t go to plan. Take this morning for instance. Thanks to Curly, his eighty-pound Golden Retriever, he’d tripped over his boots on the way out of bed, smacked his head against the side of his dresser, and given himself the headache of all headaches.
By the time he’d made it downstairs, Sasha, his nine-year-old daughter, was using a knife to pop her toast out of the toaster, and Franky, his twelve-year-old son, sat on the floor, sharing his bowl of Cheerios with their dog.
He’d quickly grabbed the knife out of Sasha’s hand, tipped Franky’s Cheerios down the sink, and poured more cereal into a clean bowl.
“Oh, dad,” Franky moaned. “Curly was enjoying himself.”
“Curly doesn’t need to eat human cereal.”
“We were bonding.”
Franky was a bright kid, but even bright kids could read too many animal psychology books. “You can bond over dog grits. What time do you need to be at school?”
“Eight-fifteen. Mrs. Barton’s going to meet us by the bus stop.”
“Have you got everything you need for your field trip?”
Franky nodded. “I think so. Remember not to pick us up after school. Sasha is coming with me to Bella’s house.”
Bella was the same age as Franky and the daughter of his boss, John Fletcher. They’d been inseparable for more than two years, preferring each other’s company over anyone else.
Sasha licked raspberry jam off the end of a knife.
Jason sighed. He didn’t know what was going on with his daughter and knives, but she had a serious fascination with them. He pulled out a kitchen stool and sent her one of his no-nonsense stares. “You’ll cut your tongue. Sit here.”
Curly scrambled off the floor. His long tail swept the last of the Cheerios across the kitchen as he sat, waiting for round two of breakfast.
Sasha giggled. “Curly thinks he’s getting more jam.”
Jason left Sasha’s toast in front of her and peered at the half-full jam jar. Hopefully, their dog’s tongue hadn’t been anywhere near it.
He patted Curly’s head and filled his bowl with grits. “I’m going to Great Falls today. If you need me, call my cell phone.”
Franky poured milk over his cereal. “We won’t need you.”
“How do you know that?”
“’Cause you always say that and we never have.”
“Today might be different,” he mumbled. It had been five years since he’d left the Detroit Police Department and he still couldn’t let go of the fear that followed him everywhere.
“I need you, daddy.” Sasha said from her lofty position on the kitchen stool.
“Thanks, pumpkin.” He took a deep breath and reminded himself that his family was safe. He didn’t need to keep looking over his shoulder, protecting everyone from the monster he’d put behind bars.
With trembling hands, he checked Franky and Sasha’s school lunches, added a piece of fruit to each bag, and left them on the counter.
After demolishing a bowl of granola, he was ready for stage two of their morning routine. “Everyone wash your teeth. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
Sasha jumped off the kitchen stool. Standing on tippy-toes, she grabbed her plate, and loaded it into the dishwasher.
Franky followed more slowly. “Are you okay, dad?”
He wrapped his arm around his son’s thin shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “I’m okay. Thanks for asking.” His kids had been through almost as much as he had. Only in their case
, he’d been the one who had caused it. “Are you ready to find some dinosaur bones?”
The serious expression on Franky’s face softened. “We’re going to Hyalite Canyon. There aren’t any dinosaur bones there.”
“You think there aren’t any. Maybe they’re waiting for you to discover them. Imagine the stories they could tell about the history of Montana.”
Franky slid his bowl into the dishwasher. “Bones can’t talk, dad.”
He wished he could tell him he was right. But he couldn’t. Bones could talk, and sometimes, their message was too sad to forget.
***
Claire took her satchel from the back of her truck and straightened her jacket. In ten minutes she had a meeting with Barbara Roberts, personal assistant to the chief executive of Fletcher Security.
This year, Fletcher Security was sponsoring the biggest Fourth of July party that Bozeman had ever seen. The money they raised would be used to upgrade the drug rehabilitation unit at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. Because of her parents, this contract meant a lot to her. Even if one family benefited from the programs the hospital ran, the time it took to organize the party would be worth it.
It had been two-and-a-half years since she’d started an event staging company with her sister. In the last six months, they’d begun managing entire events. It had created a bigger workload, but she loved the challenge and couldn’t think of anything she’d rather be doing.
She opened the heavy glass doors leading into the lobby. After she’d introduced herself to the receptionist, she waited in a leather chair. A few years ago, John Fletcher, the owner of Fletcher Security, had relocated his business to Bozeman. The renovation of the old flour mill into a state-of-the-art security facility had created lots of media interest.
The community had been fascinated, but unsure about what exactly was happening behind the closely guarded gates. There was talk about joint CIA and FBI operations, clandestine meetings between high-ranking government officials, and the one that always made her laugh—the monitoring of extraterrestrial messages. As far as she was aware, ET’s call home had never been intercepted by a security company from Montana.
The Gift (The Protectors Book 6) Page 22
