by Vella, Wendy
After that it was all fairly straightforward, and she was in the chopper and flying to the hospital not long after. The pilot told them that Zander was indeed dead.
“Hell of a day,” Cubby said. “And I came here for a vacation.”
The journey down took less time, and as Buzz seemed to know which way to go, they simply followed his lead. It was a tired rescue party that eventually made their way down to the ranger station.
Dylan called his family and told them he was well and that Zander was dead. Ava had told them he was responsible for what had been happening to the Howards, and why.
“So, you and my cousin?” Jack Trainer said from beside him as Fin drove them to the hospital where Piper was.
“Uh-huh.”
“You plan to make this legal?” This question came from Luke.
“That’s between me and Piper.”
“Not so much,” Joe said. “It’s between all of us, because if you break her heart again, we will be the ones who will break you.”
“Fair enough, but I’m still not talking to you about this.”
He was eyeballed by three Trainers, but kept his gaze steady. They loved Piper, so it may piss him off, but as he loved her too he understood where they were coming from. Plus he couldn’t discount the fact that he may threaten someone like that one day if they hurt his sisters. The thought made him smile.
“They’re checking her over,” a nurse told them when they walked into the hospital reception area. “She’ll be out soon.”
“Can I see her?”
The Trainers were all making themselves comfortable in the waiting area, but not Dylan. He wanted to be with Piper. Now he’d told her he loved her, he needed to be with her.
The viselike grip he’d kept on his emotions was no longer in place, and suddenly he had words that needed to be spoken to Piper.
“Let him, Sally. He’s in love, and it’s pathetic, but what can you do? He’ll start crying if he doesn’t see Pip soon.”
Jack Trainer sent the young nurse a sizzling smile, and she melted.
“Well, all right, I guess we could make an allowance this time.”
Dylan rolled his eyes and followed.
He found Piper seated on a bed, wearing a sling and looking pissed off, sweet, and sinfully beautiful with her clothes torn and dirty and her hair all over the place.
“Surely I don’t have to wear this sling for that long, Doctor?”
“She’ll wear it,” Dylan said, walking into the room. “Now be a good girl and say, ‘Yes, Doctor.’”
Her smile made those pretty eyes sparkle, and it was all for him.
“Yes, Doctor.”
He leaned in and kissed her. He could do that now, as often as he wanted, because one thing he’d realized up there on that mountain was that wherever this woman was he wanted to be. Right there beside her from now on.
“Okay, here’s your script for the pain meds, and other than a few bruises you’re actually in good shape. But that shoulder will need rest.”
“She’ll get it,” Dylan said, lifting her off the bed and settling her on her feet.
They walked down the hall together, her hand in his, and Dylan swung it slowly as he thought about what he wanted to say to her.
“It’s okay, Dylan.”
“No, it’s not. I was wrong, and I hurt you, Piper. My only excuse is that what I was feeling for you rocked me, and I wasn’t thinking straight. All I could see was that you’d betrayed me and I was a fool for finally thinking a woman could be special to me. It was like I was vindicated yet again for thinking no woman could ever be everything I wanted her to be.”
“It hurt, I’m not going to lie.”
“I’m sorry, and I’ll say it as many times as it takes for you to believe me. But I can only hope in time you’ll forgive me, sweetheart. I love you so much, baby, more than I believed myself capable of loving anyone.”
“I love you too.” She let him gently ease her close. “But I don’t know what that means for us, Dylan.”
He smiled down at her, his eyes running over every inch of her lovely face.
“It means that we’re having a life together, woman. It means that I want to be there to help you raise Grace, and that I want to be her daddy.”
“What? I-I… really?”
“Is that so hard for you to believe?”
“I-it’s just that this change in you is so sudden, and you always said you would be leaving soon. That your life is in New York.”
“It was, but now it’s wherever you are, and as that’s likely here, I guess that means my life is here too. We have stuff to work out, I know that, and that it’s hard for you to accept that I’ve changed so quickly, but tonight, not knowing if I’d see you again, I realized nothing else mattered but being with you.”
“Oh, Dylan.”
He dropped down to one knee and held her hand. “Marry me, Piper.”
“What? Oh... oh yes.” She tugged him upright.
“We’ll work out the rest, but for now all that matters is that we love each other, and that I realized tonight I can’t live without you.”
She touched his face, mapping his features, and Dylan was fairly sure he’d never been happier in his life than at that moment. Maybe because he’d never allowed himself that chance, but whatever the reason, standing in that empty hospital hallway, he knew that in his arms was everything he’d wanted. Someone who loved him unconditionally the way he loved her.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
“Daddy!”
“Hey, baby girl.” Dylan bent to pick up his daughter. “Is Mommy going to make an appearance soon?”
Dylan stood with Mickey under the trees out the back of his and Piper’s home. They’d spent months refurbishing the place, and finally moved in last week, eight months after he’d told Piper he loved her.
“She’s pretty.”
“I bet.” Grace had come out of her shell and was now a happy, healthy, and extremely loud toddler. Dylan loved her as if she’d been born his.
“You look pretty too.” He adjusted the small circlet of flowers on her head. “Do you like your pink shoes? They have sparkles on them.”
Her smile was wide and showed neat little white teeth.
Looking at the guests, his smile grew. These were his people now, and this was his place. He waved at the Robbins sisters, who had made the wedding cake. Beside them sat Bas from the garage, who had found the archway they were getting married under.
They’d kept their wedding day casual, with people standing or sitting. Trainers had helped Dylan cut trees and remove weeds to make the place presentable.
“So you’re really not coming back to New York,” Mickey said. “And this building thing is taking off, Fin tells me.”
It was. He had people lined up till the end of the month wanting him to do work for them. He still helped occasionally with FBI cases, but his heart was here now, and he’d never been happier.
“And here’s Mommy,” Mickey said, taking Grace from Dylan. “You come here now, princess.”
He gave his family a smile; they were all standing to his right. His mother had mellowed slightly. There was still an edge to her voice when she talked to a Trainer, but at least now she could do so without attacking them. Time, Dylan thought, everything takes time.
Ava was in rehab and doing well, and Charlie’s name had been cleared and she’d returned to her job. But now they talked every week.
He watched Piper appear and his smile was so wide it hurt his face. Her hair was long and in big curls. She wore a circlet of flowers like Grace, and her dress soft and floaty, white, and off the shoulder. She took his breath away, and she was all his. She held Joe’s arm, and he could see the emotions running through his old friend.
“Hi,” she whispered, reaching his side.
“Hi, you look amazing.”
“Ditto.”
“Ditto?” her cousin said. “You couldn’t come up with something more romantic than that?”
>
“Double ditto?”
Joe shook his head then stepped back. Mr. Goldhirsh, who had become a celebrant as he was not impressed with those in Ryker who were, started the ceremony.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Dylan kissed his wife softly, easing her into his arms.
“My love,” he whispered against her lips.
He was home now, and right where he wanted to be, with his family and friends... but most of all he was with his girls. Life he decided, was really something to smile about.
THE END
THANK YOU!
Thanks so much for reading FROM THIS MOMENT.
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• For a sneak peek of book three in the Ryker Falls series, LOVE ME TENDER, (Jack and Rory’s story) please read on.
LOVE ME TENDER- available for pre-order now
“You can go,” Rory said, acknowledging Jack Trainer.
“That’s twice now, FYI.”
“What?” Rory made herself look up at the tall, disturbing man. He was what her college friends would have called a hottie. Sexy green eyes, messy black hair that was long enough to curl over his collar, and a face that was a series of angles and planes made up to rock a woman back on her heels. Not that she cared. Rory was done with men for a while, especially this type who knew the power they had over silly women. All lazy smiles and deep drawled words. It appeared natural, but in fact it was anything but.
“I got your power and water going, and now I’ve saved you from the angry mob.”
“Sure, and let’s not forget all that hospitality you and your cousin showed me earlier. Plus, someone clued in the angry mob as to what I looked like, and as I’ve only spoken to you and your cousin, it doesn’t take much to add two and two. So thanks again, bye.” Rory gripped her cart and turned away from him. Seconds later he fell in beside her, walking with a long-limbed, easy gait.
“I didn’t clue people in, actually. Someone overheard our conversation in Phil’s.”
“Whatever. I don’t care, so go away. What’s with you, anyway? This morning you were right alongside them in loathing me.”
“Someone pointed out the error of my thinking.”
“And you listened?”
“I’m an open kind of guy who—”
“I’ll just bet you are.” Rory deliberately cut him off with her trolley and headed to the bread.
“So, Princess, I think it would be in your best interests to leave town.”
“I’m not leaving, and my name is Rory.”
“I thought it was Princess Aurora May?”
“Very funny, now go away. Why are you talking to me anyway?”
“As I have already explained,” he said slowly. “Someone pointed out to me that I was wrong treating you as I did in the cafe.”
She stopped and looked up at him. “You’re actually admitting that you were wrong?”
“It’s not something I make a habit of, but sure.”
“Wow, it’s a growth day for you then.”
“You have a smart mouth.”
“Whatever.” She waved his words away, then reached for her favorite bread. “Thanks and bye.”
“Considering you have no friends in this town, you really need to work on being nicer to the ones that will actually talk to you.”
“We’re not friends.”
She moved on, and this time he didn’t follow. When she reached the end of the aisle he was standing there watching her, head tilted slightly as if trying to work out what he was looking at. Rory quickly turned into the next one.
The mob had caught her off guard. Word had spread fast that she was in town, but how they’d realized she was Rory Haldane she could only put down to the Trainers, even though Mr. Hotpants denied it.
She remembered that about small towns: news spread like fire.
Finding her way home
Leaving her beloved hometown Ryker Falls was the second hardest thing Rory Haldane had ever done. Forgetting the cloud of shame her family left under, was the first.
When circumstances bring Rory back, wounded but not broken, some townsfolk don't appreciate her arrival. As threats against her begin to escalate, she finds support from an unlikely ally. Jack Trainer may epitomize the dark handsome bad-boy, but surprisingly he takes her side, and she finds herself falling for a man who has no intention of losing his heart to anyone. This is one battle Rory refuses to fight, so for her own protection, she'll once again say goodbye to Ryker Falls.
He'll fight for her to stay
Jack Trainer likes women, he just never had any intention of loving one. Life taught him to guard his heart, and when Rory Haldane walks back into town he’s ready to ignore her. The problem with that is, he also hates injustice, and the way some of the people in his town are treating her has his hackles rising. He's not exactly the stuff heroes are made of, but Rory has his protective instincts on high alert. And his libido. He wants more, way more, from her than a passionate fling, but will Rory drop her guard enough to trust him?
OTHER BOOKS BY WENDY VELLA
Contemporary Romances
The Lake Howling Series
A Promise Of Home
The Texan Meets His Match
How Sweet It Is
It Only Took You
Don’t Look Back
A Long Way Home
The Ryker Falls Series
Somebody To Love
From This Moment
Love Me Tender
Historical Romances
Regency Rakes Series
Duchess By Chance
Rescued By A Viscount
Tempting Miss Allender
The Langley Sisters Series
Lady In Disguise
Lady In Demand
Lady In Distress
The Lady Plays Her Ace
The Lady Seals Her Fate
The Raven & Sinclair Series
Sensing Danger
Seeing Danger
Touched By Danger
Scent Of Danger
Vision Of Danger
The Lords Of Night Street Series
Lord Gallant
Lord Valiant
Lord Valorous
Lord Noble
Stand-Alone Titles
The Reluctant Countess
Christmas Wishes
Mistletoe And The Marquess
The Earl’s Encounter
