Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 32431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32431 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Now it all made sense. Poor Jonas, to be taken advantage of like that. For a man like him it must’ve been a hard blow. “Are you over it now, what she did to you?”
“No, I’ll never be over it, never get over the loss of my son. But I’ve learned to heal and to live with what is. I don’t want to treat you the way I have been anymore. Like a stranger looking into my life from the outside. It’s not fair and I can understand why you thought you had to run away from me, but I meant what I said. You ever pull another stunt like that you won’t like the consequences.”
“Are you only saying these things because of the baby?” He held me at arm’s length and looked into my face. “No, I’m saying these things because I love you more than anyone or anything. Because I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He pulled me into his arms and we shared our first real hug. It was all that I imagined and more.
“I was so scared when you were gone baby. I wanted to come after you immediately but I had to wait for the guy following you to get back to me with your location. It was seven kinds of hell just sitting around twiddling my thumbs not knowing. I never want to go through that again. And since I can’t seem to keep ahold of you any other way, I guess I’m gonna have to marry you.”
He released me long enough to reach for the jacket he’d thrown over the chair and took a little velvet box from the pocket. “Give me your hand.” It trembled uncontrollably until he took it in his and placed the most beautiful ring ever made on my finger.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Don’t cry. I can’t bear to see you cry.” He kissed my tears away and pulled me back in for another one of his perfect hugs.
“I’m sorry, I’m just so happy.”
“Let’s hope you stay that way. Now Miss. soon to be Mrs. Harp let’s go look at your house.”
Epilogue
***
I knew exactly where to find him when I rolled over in bed and he wasn’t there. My body was finally getting back to normal after giving birth six weeks ago, and I was ready for my husband’s special brand of loving. It has been way too long.
I’ve never been this happy in my life. Not since the day Jonas and I stood in front of two hundred people and pledged our love for each other for all eternity.
After he’d bared his soul and let me in, things seemed to go full speed ahead. He was like a whole new person. I saw a different side of him. A side that made me wonder how he’d ever kept that part of him hidden.
We moved into our new home together and he’d put the house he’d shared with Cynthia and their son on the market. I’d learned then that he’d never stayed there after burying his son, too many memories.
We’d gone to put flowers on their graves, after I’d convinced Jonas that it was time he forgave his wife. She’d decided to change after all, had probably seen the error of her ways. And after meeting some of the women from the country club I could see how she’d buckled under the pressure.
Of course Jonas had forbidden me to even step foot in the club or to have anything to do with those women and their ilk, which was fine by me. They weren’t my kind of people anyway.
I slipped out of bed and shrugged into the robe I’d placed in the chair next to it. I walked the few steps to the adjoining door and peeked in. There they were, father and daughter in the moonlight.
The baby was asleep and probably had been when he took her out of the crib, but that wouldn’t stop him. Every night as soon as I fell asleep he’d sneak in here for some quality time with his daughter.
He didn’t know that I knew because I usually left them alone, but tonight I needed him. It had been too long since I’d felt his weight pressing me down into the king sized mattress that might as well had been a twin for all the room we gave each other while we slept.
I’ve never been out of his arms at night since the night we moved in here. He held me as if he were afraid he’d awake to find me gone.
“I know you’re there.” He turned from the window and looked at me before walking to the crib to put our little darling back to bed. I walked over and stood next to him. His arms came around me and we stood together looking down at his mirror image.