by Laurie Paige
Rory read between the lines and saw her concerns. "Or what makes it last for some people and not for others."
"Yes."
"I think each person has to make the commitment in his or her own heart. Each time that commitment is threatened, when things get hard, or dull, or whatever, then they have to decide to make the commitment again … and again."
"And they should let the other person know they're still serious about making it work," she added.
He smiled at her, the awful, achy tenderness rushing through him in a tidal wave of lust and love and all the other things that went into a relationship. "We can do that," he assured her.
"Let's always be honest with each other about how we feel and what we need from each other, even if it hurts at times."
"Always," he vowed. "You know, I never wanted to make promises before. Now I find it's easy. With you, it is. I want to promise you the moon and the stars and everything you want."
"That's easy, too. You're what I want. You and two kids and a dog," she added, happiness overflowing her heart.
"Two cats. And some 4-H calves."
"An Olympic champion jumper from the famous Windraven stables," she added, recalling his dream. "You will name your line after the ranch, won't you?"
"If that's what you want."
She kissed him, then realized plans for the future weren't the only thing she wanted. "You," she whispered. "I want you. Now."
He gathered her close, then stretched out on the sofa, their hearts beating as one. "You got me, lady cop. From the day I noticed you walking across the street with a bunch of kids following along behind like the Pied Piper's band. It was ordained from that moment."
She blinked in confusion. "But that was before Christmas."
"Yeah. I don't know what took me so long. You were right here under my nose all the time."
She couldn't help but laugh. "Lucky for us that I got shot in the head and you found me, huh?"
"Yeah, lucky," he repeated.
Gazing into his eyes, she felt his love reach right down to her toes. For a second, she considered a future in which her sight went away, then realized it wasn't so scary anymore. Rory was a man who stuck by his promises. She sighed as her heart started its familiar thumping and raised her face for his kiss.
Sometimes a person just had to accept things on faith without fully understanding it. Like male-female attraction. Like love.
"I love you," he murmured. "Don't ever doubt it."
"I won't. I love you," she told him. "Don't ever forget it."
"Never," he said. "And that's a promise."
And so it was. She realized the safest love was that which was fully felt and returned by the other person. With this man, she had found her heart's haven.
"My love," she whispered as they shared laughter and passion and all the other things that were part of the most precious gift of all.
* * * * *
