“You don’t?” she whispered. Her whole body trembled. She could hardly think.
His hand reached up and touched her hair, then slid down to cup her cheek. His palm was firm and strong. “I love you so much it hurts to breathe. I want to hold you and be with you, to inhale the scent of your hair while you bake, to watch your fingers works as you knit, to go to sleep with you and wake in the morning, your hand in mine. When I think of you, I think of heat and strength and goodness. I don’t ever want to let you go.”
Mary pressed her lips together, hardly daring to believe what he was saying, and yet her pulse sped with the honesty in his voice. “Your job?” she ventured carefully.
He chuckled. “You’re awfully worried about that, aren’t you? Langdon is going to be locked away for a long time. We’ve got more witnesses against him. I put in for a position with the Harney County Sheriff’s Office and was accepted. Turns out they think I’ll be good at the job, with a little training. Any more questions?”
She shook her head, wondering in a very scattered way if this was the moment where they’d kiss. Her lips tingled at the thought.
“Good, because I have one more question for you, and I’m going to need a direct answer.” His smile spread lopsided across his face and his eyes sparkled. He dropped down on one knee. There was a collective silence, and Mary felt every picnicker’s eye upon them.
“Mary O’Roarke, woman I love, the one lady I want to spend the rest of my life with, will you marry me?” He held up a ring. The light caught the planed surfaces of a modest diamond, splaying rainbow glints.
“Of course she will,” Josie piped up from beside her.
She hadn’t even felt the little girl’s presence, but here she was, her back straight and stoic, her tone firmer than a mama with a naughty little boy. Mary couldn’t hold back her smile; her lips curved and wouldn’t straighten.
“You think so?” Lou asked her, his own lips playing tag with his cheeks.
“I know so,” Josie asserted, but there was the slightest tremble to her words.
“In that case, let me present you with your ring,” said Lou. He pulled out a tiny diamond solitaire.
Josie gasped. “For me?”
“Yep. It’s a symbol of our devotion.”
“I’m going to wear it forever! Look, James.” She ran off and Lou stood, the ring still in his hand. “What do you say, Mary?” An uncertain look entered his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, smile unwavering, she held out her fingers. “I’d say I’d like to see how it fits.”
Laughing, he slid the ring onto her finger and pulled her close. His lips met hers and she felt his smile against hers, and then they were heart to heart, fingers entwined.
When the kiss ended, when the cheers and whoops from onlookers quieted, Lou pressed his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear, “What God has brought together, let no man tear asunder. Here’s to our new family.”
She giggled and kissed him again. When she felt sufficiently dizzy and slack limbed, she pulled back and winked at him. “To our family on the range.”
Keep reading for an excerpt from Hiding in Alaska by Belle Calhoune.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Fall in love with stories where faith helps guide you through life’s challenges, and discover the promise of a new beginning.
6 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Hiding in Alaska
by Belle Calhoune
Chapter One
Isabelle Sanchez shivered as the cold Arctic wind whipped against her cheeks. This type of weather would certainly take some getting used to, she thought as she wrapped her arms around her middle. She didn’t feel at all like herself in the navy blue parka with the fur-trimmed hood. A wool hat was perched on her head, covering her ears from the frigid temperatures. It was the first time in her life she’d ever owned a thick winter coat and it felt cumbersome and unnatural. She was far more used to wearing shorts, shades and sundresses. Bathing suits rather than boots. There was no point in dwelling on it. She had agreed to come live in this Alaskan hamlet, and there was no going back.
A sigh slipped past her lips. Her entire life had changed in an instant, and it still felt surreal. The sign by the side of the road said it best: Welcome to Owl Creek, Alaska. The harsh reality of her situation caused her to suck in a steadying breath. She would need to call on every ounce of strength she had in order to rebuild her life. There was no doubt in her mind it would be the hardest thing she’d ever do.
She wasn’t Isabelle Sanchez from Miami, Florida, anymore. Now, as part of the Witness Protection Program, she was Ella Perez from Flagstaff, Arizona. She felt a sudden chill pass over her that had nothing to do with the frigid weather. WITSEC—the United States Federal Witness Protection Program—had provided her with a new identity and placed her in Owl Creek, a remote Alaskan town she’d never heard of until a few weeks ago. It appeared to be a charming and picturesque village, unlike anything she’d ever known. She was a Floridian, born and bred. Sandy beaches, sunny skies, and the hustle and bustle of city life were the norm for her. The sight of white-capped mountains looming in the distance served as a breathtaking reminder that she wasn’t in the Sunshine State any longer. She no longer had a home, and it made her heartsick just thinking about it.
Her life had been forever altered by the events of a few months ago. Even though she was trying to be strong, Isabelle
