by Ladew, Lisa
Aria smiled. He always had something for her.
He produced an envelope from an inner jacket pocket. "Open it."
Aria did, and found pictures inside. She looked at the first one, a chubby, happy baby, about six months old, sitting on lush, green grass and chewing on a plastic toy. A thrill shot through her. "Is this ...?" she started, looking at Coleton with glowing eyes.
He motioned for her to keep looking. She flipped to the next picture and there was Joanne-Marie, holding little Roger, sitting on a park bench, her head thrown back and her mouth open in laughter. Roger was looking up at his mother in confused amusement.
Aria paged through the pictures quickly. "Where are they?"
"San Francisco. They have a small but nice apartment there. She has a roommate who also has a baby and they share babysitting duties while the other mother works. I told Ford that she shouldn't have to work but he said she wanted to. She works two nights a week doing data entry for one of his firms, and she starts college classes in the fall."
"Good for her," Aria whispered, feeling goose bumps raise on her arms. Coleton had made such a difference in her life - she was really going to have a chance to have a good one.
"That's not all," Coleton said, his eyes shining. "Roger Sr. is out of jail but is working on his GED and going to anger management classes and Alcoholics Anonymous classes every night for weeks now. They are conversing via letter. Ford is the intermediary though so that he can't find her if she doesn't want him to. Apparently he's making up poems for her."
Aria grinned. Of course Coleton would like that part. She sighed. What a great surprise.
Their food arrived and Aria began eating, surprised as usual at how hungry she was. All the physical work at the ranch took a lot of energy. As she ate and mused about the life they were living, and whether or not it would be temporary, a thought occurred to her.
"Coleton," she asked. He looked up from his food. "Training horses was my dream, and we've been living it together, trying it out. But are you just doing it because I wanted to? You have to have a dream of your own, don't you?"
Coleton smiled at her and took a while to choose his words. "My only dream was to be free. Once my father was out of the picture I was living my dream every moment - training horses has just been gravy. Everything since then has been gravy, dessert, the cherry on top of my sundae."
His eyes grew serious. "Well, except for one thing." He stared at her, and the fire deep in his eyes undid her.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out something else. It was small and hidden in his hand.
"I was going to save this for later, but now seems like a good time. Aria, now that I know what freedom is like, I have a new dream."
He made a motion with his hands and Aria heard a creaking noise. Her cheeks grew warm with an emotion she couldn't quite identify. Excitement? Anxiety?
Coleton held his hand out and Aria saw a small black box with a rose-colored ring inside. Even the brilliant stone had a rosy hue. Aria's breath caught in her throat.
"Aria, since the day I met you I have never wanted to be apart from you. I can truly say that I fell in love with you at first sight. Getting to know you only made me love you and want you more. You are the sunshine of my day, the moonlight of my night, and the very air that I breathe. I know that you don't ever want to get married, but I can't stop myself from wanting to declare my forever-love to you. From wishing you would wear my ring, my token of everlasting devotion and commitment to you."
Coleton's words hitched and Aria saw bright emotion shining in his face. He took a moment to compose himself. Aria stood quickly and crossed to his side of the table. She dropped to his lap, not caring what anyone else would think. She had to touch him, had to be with him, had to breathe his air and absorb his love.
"I would marry you, Coleton," she whispered in his ear, the first fat tear sliding down her cheek.
She heard a deep and desperate noise start deep in his chest. He gently placed his hands on her hips and stood her up, his eyes on hers the entire time. He stood also, his face shining down at her. "Let me do this right, then," he said.
He dropped to one knee and took her hand, his other hand fumbling the ring out of the box.
"Aria Gale, will you marry me?"
Aria's emotions overwhelmed her and she covered her face with her hand. "Yes," she finally choked out and Coleton slid the ring over her finger, then stood, beaming. The restaurant erupted with applause and Aria fell into Coleton's arms. Where she belonged. Forever.
<<<<< The End >>>>>
This is the end for the Unauthorized Series for now (discussion here). I really hope you enjoyed it. If you haven't read the Hide Me Series or Edge of the Heat, find them here:
What's next for me? Edgier, steamier billionaire and new adult romances, I'm thinking. And maybe some straight up thrillers. Which do you like best? Follow me at my facebook page or get on my list to be notified of my new projects.
About the Author
Lisa became a full time author in the summer of 2014, fulfilling a childhood dream. She lives in the Inland Pacific Northwest, and is married with 2 sons. She is a U.S. Army veteran, plus former paramedic, 911 calltaker/police radio dispatcher, and volunteer firefighter. Her husband is also a veteran, and a retired police officer. Connect with her on her facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LisaLadewAuthor or email her. [email protected]
