We climbed back up the hill slowly, hand in hand, stopping at the cottage so I could brush my hair out and change into fresh clothes.

“She won’t welcome me there, Joe. I can only imagine how uncomfortable Dean is right now. I don’t see why you want us all there…”

He laid back on the bed, watching me change, smiling at the view. “The Blake’s and the Decker’s are going to be family. Bess may not like it, but she’s going to have to accept it. There are things she’s refused to acknowledge for years, Maggie, preferring to blind herself to the truth. Whether she likes it or not, it’s time she faced it, and that truth involves all of us… You… and Dean.”

“She’ll take TexStar away from you.” I buttoned my shirt and reached for my hairbrush.

“Will she?” he asked, taking it from hand and sweeping it through my hair. He stood behind me and I felt my skin begin to tingle all over again.

“She’s always tried to keep our families apart,” I replied. “From the day your father allowed us to move into the cottage. She only agreed to allow it because she loved him so much. She was so proud of how he’d saved my dad’s life during the war… So she accepted it, when he wanted to keep on being the hero. I think she enjoyed that part. ” I turned to face him again. “Her son saved us. And now all the Blake’s are beholden to her, whether we like it or not. But Bess has no obligation to like us… or to ever approve of me as your wife… She’s going to fight this, Joe.

Any way she can.”

“Wait here,” he said, kissing me lightly and leaving me standing at the top of the stairs. “I just need a second.”

He disappeared behind one of the tall, carved wooden doors. I could hear voices below us, coming from the enormous living room. I looked around, feeling nervous and out of place. I’d only been inside the house a dozen or so times in my life. I’d always found it frighteningly large, its opulence intimidating…

“What is it?” I asked, as he came from the room with a small, worn box under his arm.

“Letters my father gave me a long time ago,” he answered simply. He took my arm and we headed downstairs. The voices grew louder as we approached…

“Ryan, if you please… I’m tired and I don’t intend to wait any longer. Whatever Joseph has to say can wait until morning. Now if you’d kindly see these people out…”

“I’m here, Grandmother,” Joe said, striding into the immense room. Bess sat, swallowed by the size of her chair like a queen on a throne. “And this won’t wait any longer. It’s already been far too long.”

“I’ll speak with you in private, Joseph,” she said, lifting her chin proudly. “But I see no reason for the Blake children to be present… Nor the others…” She cast a disparaging glance toward Jackie and Henry. They stood close together, holding their drinks and the ice tinkled nervously.

“These are my friends, Bess. And what I have to say involves them as well as you.” The room fell silent, all eyes trained on Joe expectantly. “I’m in love with Maggie,” he said, turning to look at me. His eyes sparkled, blue and bright. “I’ve asked her to marry me, and she’s accepted.”

He turned to look at Dean, who straightened and squared his shoulders. “You’re her family,” Joe said simply. “I’m not asking for your permission, but I’d be grateful for your blessing. You and I have been like family, too… for a damned lot of years, Dean. I don’t want that to change. I want to make it official.”

Jackie took a breath, paused and stepped up beside Dean. She looked up, drawing his eyes down to hers. She lifted her brows with an unspoken question.

He put his arm around her and pulled her close. I drew a quick breath at the look in their eyes, understanding dawning slowly. I’d never noticed it before, maybe because of the difference in their ages… It was an even greater difference than the one between me and Joe. Or maybe it was because what might be obvious, isn’t always necessarily clear… But I could feel the strength of the love between them. And Dean put his hand out to clasp Joe’s.

“I simply won’t have it,” Bess cried out, her usual composure shattered. “I’ve endured a lifetime of that family taking advantage of the Decker family’s generosity. And I suffered it willingly, in honor of my Davis’s memory. I made good on his efforts at charity, and accepted a drunkard and a coward living on my grounds. I endured it because your father felt a misguided sense of responsibility toward the man. But I will not have that man’s blood running through my great-grandchildren’s veins.” She stood, holding onto the arm of her chair, breathless from her effort… but fury driving her on…

“If that is what you choose, Joseph,” she said, nodding her head in my direction without even looking at me, “you will be leaving everything the Decker name has to offer behind. Everything. Your decision will be quite final, I assure you.” She took a deep breath, her chin jutting forward. “I suggest you choose wisely.”

Her last words seemed to echo for a moment… before the room fell silent. No one seemed to breathe, and the only sound was the pounding of my heart.

“I’ve already chosen,” Joe said quietly. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a thick, sealed envelope. “My resignation,” he said, offering it to Bess with a steady hand. “I don’t want the company… in fact, I never did. I’m a photojournalist, not a CEO. And I’d almost forgotten that…”

He turned to me and took both my hands in his. “When Dad died, I gave up my own dreams. I inherited a life of routine and responsibility. I forgot how it felt… to live from the heart… to open yourself up… to take a chance…”

He knelt down. “I want every day, every tomorrow with you, Maggie, for the rest of my life, but I’ll risk all of them if I have to, for one more single moment of loving you. Whether we’re side by side, or separated by half the world…”

He reached into his pocket and the ruby he held up flashed like fire. I looked down, stunned as he slipped it onto my finger. Sparks of red and violet flared as the diamonds surrounding it sparkled brilliantly. I looked into the depths of his eyes and the power of his love. My Joe… my only love…

my whole world…