Lincoln shifted in his seat and looked up at Amey. “I am.”
She smiled down at him. “You’ve been staring at that envelope for nearly thirty minutes.”
“I know,” he sighed, placing the letter back down on the desk in their hotel room, “but I’m afraid of what it will say.”
“Do you think your parents will be displeased that you married me?” she asked in a worried tone.
He shrugged. “I couldn’t care less what they think,” he said. “Marrying you was the best decision of my life.”
“Are you sure?”
Lincoln reached up and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. “I have never been so sure about anything in my life, my dear. I love you more every single day.”
She leaned in and kissed him. “That makes me happy to hear,” she murmured against his lips.
“Well, then get used to it, because I intend to tell you every day how much I love you.”
“You’d better hurry and open it. Archie is expecting us soon,” Amey encouraged.
He picked up the letter. “What if I don’t open it?”
Amey laughed. “Stop being such a coward and open it.”
“All right,” he said, ripping open the envelope. “But I should warn you that my parents might make good on their promise to disown me, especially since I informed them that I plan to continue working as a Pinkerton agent for the foreseeable future.”
“That won’t change the way I feel about you,” she replied, wrapping her hands around his neck. “I will take you as you are.”
Lincoln unfolded the letter and started reading. Amey watched as he furrowed his brow, and his lips pressed tightly together. It didn’t appear to be good news by the way he was reacting.
Once he brought the letter down, she asked, “Did they disown you?”
“No,” he said, slowly. “They said they’re proud of me for getting married to such an impressive woman.”
“They think I’m impressive?”
He nodded. “I wrote in great detail about all of your accomplishments.”
“Then why do you seem upset?”
Lincoln met her gaze. “My parents have never told me that they were proud of me before,” he shared. “It feels rather—”
“Good?” Amey asked, finishing his thought.
He smiled. “I was going to say disconcerting.”
“Well, I am proud of you.”
“Why?”
“Do I need a reason?” she asked. “Besides, I would have supported any decision you made. I just want you to be happy.”
Lincoln kissed her and leaned back. “What did I do to deserve you?”
She laughed. “If I recall, you used to consider me ‘infuriating’.”
“I’m man enough to admit that I was wrong,” he replied, glancing down at the letter. “My parents are hoping that we can come to New York to visit with them.”
Amey nodded. “I suppose we can take a vacation after this next assignment.”
“Do you truly want to go to New York?”
“I’ve never been there before, so I think it would be exciting to visit,” Amey said, rising from his lap. “But we’d better hurry if we want to meet with Archie on time. You know how he gets if his agents are late.”
After they left their hotel, they started walking down the bustling sidewalk toward the Pinkerton Detective Agency.
Amey glanced over at him. “Do you have any desire to work for your family’s business?”
“I do, eventually,” he replied, “but I assume it won’t be until we are ready to settle down and have a family.”
“Well, it might be that we will need to settle down sooner rather than later.”
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
Placing a hand on her stomach, she said, “Because I’m pregnant.”
Lincoln stopped on the sidewalk and turned to face her with surprise on his features. “You’re pregnant?” he asked in a slow, deliberate fashion.
“I am,” she replied, holding her breath.
A wide smile came to his face. “What wonderful news!”
“Is it?”
In the next moment, she found herself wrapped up in Lincoln’s arms. “You have made me the happiest man alive.”
“I’m glad that it pleases you,” she replied honestly.
Lincoln leaned back, his smile still intact. “Doesn’t it please you?”
“It does, even though it means that I won’t be able to work as a Pinkerton agent anymore,” she replied honestly.
“Then I shall stop working as a Pinkerton agent, as well,” he announced.
“No… no, I won’t let you do that,” she started.
Lincoln put his finger against her lips, stilling her protest. “It doesn’t matter what I do with my life. The only thing that matters is that you are by my side.”
“Do you mean that?”
He nodded. “I do. And we’ll make the decision… together.”
Amey smiled and gazed into the face of the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. Never had she been so happy. She’d always chased after adventure, but with Lincoln by her side, she felt content. For being his wife, and the mother of his children, would be her greatest adventure.
The End
Other published stories from Laura Beers
The Beckett Files Series
Regency Spy Romances
Saving Shadow
A Peculiar Courtship
To Love a Spy
A Tangled Ruse
A Deceptive Bargain
The Baron’s Daughter
The Unfortunate Debutante
About the Author
Laura Beers is an award-winning author. She attended Brigham Young University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management. She is an avid reader, though she was a reluctant convert. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance and loves naps.
Besides being a full-time homemaker to her three kids, she loves waterskiing, hiking, and drinking Dr. Pepper. Currently, Laura Beers resides in South Carolina.
You can reach her at [email protected]
