She laughed, her heart full. “No, silly. Just the three most important words.”
“I don’t know. You haven’t said them yet to me.” A smile worked at the corners of his mouth.
“I said them back at the bus station!”
“You said to Marshall, ‘I don’t love you, I love
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. He was right. Even when she’d come to him and asked for a chance to make their marriage work, she’d never said those three words.
“I love you, too, Mike. I love you and your father and your cousin Derek and his wife, Gabrielle. I love your life and I want-” She realized what she was doing and she clenched her jaw shut tight.
“Go on,” he said, laughing.
She shook her head. “No. Not this time. You came out here, you say what you need to first.” Because she didn’t want to misread or misinterpret what
“I love you,” he said, giving her what she’d asked for. “And in case you aren’t sure what that means…” He paused and reached into his front jeans pocket, pulling out the large, gaudy ring he’d won for her, the one he’d found in his father’s house after she’d left. “So here is your engagement ring, back on your finger where it belongs. On your wedding-ring finger,” he clarified as he slipped it onto her left hand.
Laughing, she admired her bauble. “I do love it,” she said.
“And this is the wedding ring I hope you’ll wear from now on.” Taking her completely off guard, he pulled a small pouch from his other front pocket and removed a diamond band.
“I…Wow…When…”
“A lot’s gone on since you left, but there’s time to fill you in later. Let’s just say, I wasn’t coming to get you without a concrete symbol of commitment. Something beyond this.” He pointed to her huge fake diamond.
Amber grinned. “I love it, but how did you ever afford it?”
“Are you forgetting the money we won in Vegas?” he asked.
At the reminder, she sobered. “Have you forgiven me?” she asked softly.
“For what? Being you? Loving your father so much you’d do anything for him?” Mike wrapped one arm around her waist. “You’ve already invested so much of that infinite love into me and my family. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“Thank you.” Eyes damp, she brushed her lips over his. “Can I wear my wedding ring now?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not yet. Not until I ask your father for his blessing.”
His words took Amber off guard and she fell in love with him all over again. “I want you to see him, but you do realize that he can’t give you an answer?” she asked, saddened at the notion.
Mike nodded. “I know. But he deserves the respect due him as your parent. I want to ask.”
Proof, Amber thought, that this man knew what was most important to her and would always go out of his way to make her happy. Just as she’d do for him.
“What about Edward? Can he handle a real marriage between us?” she asked, equally worried for Mike’s father.
Mike let out a groan. “That’s something else we need to talk about. Good thing we’ll have those long hours on the flight home.”
The word settled in her heart, warming her straight to her toes. “I have so much to take care of here before I can leave for good. And my father…”
“I have Gabrielle researching good-quality facilities close to Boston. She’ll have a list and we can go check them out together.” He pressed a long kiss against her forehead. “It’ll be okay,” he promised. “I’ll fly out weekends to help you get things wrapped up here and we’ll come back often so you can get your fix of roller coasters and Las Vegas excitement.”
She blinked, dizzy with how fast her life had turned around. “I just called my old boss and asked him to find me a concierge position in Vegas.”
Mike shrugged as if there was no problem. “Call him back and tell him you need a hotel in Boston instead.”
She laughed. “I think I’ll do that. I just hope there’s an opening available.”
“There will be,” Mike said as he looked into her eyes.
She frowned, not as certain. “How do you know?”
“Simple. We’re on a lucky streak, sweetheart. Nothing’s going to stand in our way.” He sealed his certainty with a kiss that left no doubt in Amber’s mind.
They were meant to be.
EPILOGUE
AMBER THREW a belated wedding reception for herself and Mike. Family only and extremely casual, the event took place in Edward’s backyard. With the lake in the background, the early fall provided a beautiful backdrop of green leaves that hadn’t yet been touched by color. Amber couldn’t wait to experience her first autumn season out East. For now, though, she was happy just to celebrate the present.
True to his word, Mike had presented her with a list of facilities for her father. They’d visited all and chosen one, settling him in with no problem. Things in the job department had also gone well. The Crown Chandler corporate offices had been so excited to have Amber back on board, they’d created an executive position in Boston just for her. Her increased salary enabled her to choose one of the better homes where she knew her father would be cared for and she’d be able to visit often.
Since his move to Boston, Sam hadn’t been so agitated, which Amber took as a sign her father was content. In a new suit, he attended today’s reception along with a private nurse she’d hired for the occasion. Amber wanted to believe somewhere inside him, her father understood what was happening and he was not only happy for her, he heartily approved.
Mike’s family was more complicated, but then they always had been. Gabrielle, now safely out of her first trimester, had begun to show and beamed with happiness. She also arrived in her favorite pair of heels, prompting Derek to remain close by with a hand beneath her elbow to steady her. As much as the other woman claimed to hate his hovering, she clearly reveled in the attention.
Derek’s daughter from his first marriage, Holly, had come for the party. She wore skinny back jeans with a T- shirt that emphasized her teenage body, along with a fringed linen scarf wrapped around her neck. A minifashionista at thirteen, and already beautiful, she clearly idolized Gabrielle. Derek definitely had his hands full with the two women in his life.
Jason Corwin had turned into a sullen man, frustrated by the turn his life had taken, and angry that he hadn’t made any progress in clearing his name. With the Olympics only a few months away, it looked as if he’d never have his chance to compete. The family tried to fix him up with women, but he wasn’t interested. Not that they’d stop trying, anyway. The Corwin women liked to defy the curse and they were determined to find Jason his own happily ever after.
Then there was the older generation.
Amber had been horrified to find out about Edward’s panic attack, but it had all worked out in the end. He was responding well to his new medication and life was starting to look much brighter. Unfortunately, like all Corwin men, he liked to hold a grudge for too long. Though he’d agreed to all the psychiatric tests at the hospital, he was still annoyed with his son for imposing the psych consult on him at all. Even if he was improving daily.
Clara had moved in with him, a situation that necessitated daily adjustment on both Clara’s and Edward’s parts. And as Edward emerged from the fog he’d lived in for years, he had trouble coming to terms with his lost years and past behavior. His embarrassment led to angry outbursts, something Edward, his doctor and Mike were dealing with.
Amber’s only concern with today’s party were Edward’s brothers. She and Mike couldn’t exclude them, but when all three were in one place, trouble was likely to follow.
So when Hank Corwin arrived along with his brother Thomas, Amber prayed that common sense would win out.
