Dahlia warred with herself. She wanted to stay with the coyote all the way to the holding cell and then the interrogation room. Never let him out of her sight. But Kyler bent over his dog tore at her heartstrings. They sounded a loud note, and she left the coyote with three capable police officers stationed nearby.

She knelt next to Kyler and touched his shoulder. He winced and looked at her with anguish in his eyes.

“Sorry.” She leaned her head against his bicep. “For everything.”

Kyler sniffed and kept his eyes on the dog. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Did you mean what you said?” she whispered. The words had been screaming in her ears since he’d said them.

I love you.

“Yes.” He put his hand on her knee.

“I’ll have to work late tonight,” she said. “But maybe after your interview, we can grab some dinner.”

He swung his head toward her. “You want to go to dinner?”

“It might be the kind we swing by and get and take back to the office.” She blinked at him, the first inklings of a smile pulling against her mouth. “I want to choose you.”

If only the fear over the uncertainty of the future would let her.

“It’s not me or the job,” he said.

“But it is, Kyler.” She watched as more police cars arrived, along with a SWAT truck from Vernal. Gray appeared to give them directions, leaving Dahlia to stay with Kyler—right where her heart wanted her to be.

“And I choose you.” She pressed her lips to his cheek, never more sure of anything in her life. “I choose you.”

Ten months later:

Dahlia watched the clock obsessively until it hit three p.m. Gathering her purse, she said, “I’m off, Lois. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

The older secretary looked away from her computer. “Two weeks?”

“I’m getting married tomorrow, remember?” Warmth passed through Dahlia. The last ten months had been a whirlwind of emotions and activities. First, she’d stayed on as a Unified Police Force detective just until the case with the coyote had been all stitched tight. Then she’d put in her resignation, without a real plan for what she’d fill her days with.

She’d loved police work her entire life, but somehow now that she had Kyler in her life, she was ready to move on. In a small town like Brush Creek, her options hadn’t been too wide or varied, but an office management position had come up at the police department, and Dahlia had been the ideal candidate.

She’d been filing reports, keeping everything organized for the officers, and running training meetings for six months—and she’d never been happier. She went in at eight each morning and she left at five each night. The routine of it all brought peace to her normally chaotic life, and as she stepped into the spring sunshine, she couldn’t believe how different her life was now from what it had been a year ago.

And not just because of the diamond she wore on her left hand. She glanced at it, still not quite used to its presence in her life, as well as everything it represented.

She opened the passenger door to Wren’s car and said, “Hey. No Etta?”

“My mom took her.” Wren grinned at her and pulled onto the street. “Are you ready for this?”

Dahlia giggled with Kyler’s sister. “The rehearsal dinner will go fine. I’m more worried my dress won’t be ready.”

“Oh, they called,” she said. “The girl said she can finish the last stitches after she makes sure it fits in the bust.” Wren increased her speed once she hit the highway outside of town. “She said it would only be a few minutes.”

Dahlia still worried the whole way to Vernal, to the dress shop where she and her mother had chosen the dress she’d be married in tomorrow at eleven. The shop had been working on the alterations for four months, and Dahlia had no idea it took that long to sew in an extra panel in the scoop back or add a few beads.

Wren’s phone bleeped, and she handed it to Dahlia. “Just see if it’s Tate or my mom.”

It wasn’t her husband or her mother. “It’s Fabi.” Dahlia kept reading. “She says she and Jazzy just left.” She looked at Wren. “Are they meeting us there?”

“Yeah. I invited them. Is that okay?”

One thing Dahlia hadn’t quite been prepared for was the inheritance of four sisters. As an only child, dealing with Kyler’s large family had been a challenge, to say the least. But Fabi, Jazzy, and Wren had wanted to be involved every step of the way.

“Yeah, sure.” Dahlia had been grateful for their help in picking out flowers, setting the menu for the luncheon, choosing colors, and tasting cakes. Planning a wedding had been overwhelming, but having the Fuller sisters at her side had made it all easier.

Berlin, the youngest Fuller, had been noticeably absent during most of it, but she was taking online college classes and working full time. Wren had told Dahlia that Berlin had a lot going on and she’d come around eventually.

Dahlia thought there was more going on, but she wasn’t marrying Kyler so she could play detective with his family.

She was marrying him because she loved him.

She smiled thinking about him and their big day tomorrow, and the dress fitting went fine. They arrived back in Brush Creek, the pavilion Kyler had spent the last twenty years mowing around decorated beautifully, with the bright yellow and navy blue balloons, as well as white lilies on every table.

The metal picnic tables had been covered with white tablecloths, with navy confetti sprinkled around the vases.

Dahlia paused on the threshold of the pavilion, glad she’d worn the fit-and-flare navy dress with stars and galaxies on it. “This is perfect.”

Wren linked her arm through Dahlia’s. “I told you the Davis’s were the best at parties.” She’d recommended Amber Davis as the decorator, and she also supplied all the flowers. Kyler had wanted the wedding outdoors, somewhere meaningful to him, and there was nowhere better than Oxbow Park. Dahlia had spent countless hours on the running paths here, so she had no objections.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Kyler swept his arm around Dahlia’s waist and brought her flush against him before placing a kiss on her temple. “How’d the fitting go?”

“Great.” She leaned into him. “I have the dress, so I think the wedding will go on as scheduled.”

He chuckled and tugged at the navy paisley tie she’d bought for him weeks ago. “Food’s here,” he said. “They arrived just after me.”

Dahlia turned to see several people making their way toward them, pushing silver carts with equipment and long, covered trays of food.

“I can’t believe you let me have sandwiches at our wedding.” Kyler watched them approach with appreciation in his eyes.

“That’s how much I love you.” Dahlia wrapped her arms around her almost-husband and giggled. “Plus, I liked Teddy’s too.” They both liked the restaurant so much, they went every weekend and hiring them to do the wedding luncheon was a no brainer.

“Mom’s ten minutes out,” Wren said, pushing her phone into her back pocket.

“Oh, my, goodness, look!” Fabi’s voice went nuclear and Dahlia followed her frantic gaze to the parking lot.

Dahlia sucked in a breath, as surprised as everyone else staring at the two people walking toward them, hand-in-hand.

“Is that Gray?” Kyler asked.

“And Berlin.” Jazzy sounded absolutely gleeful.

“Isn’t he like, twice her age?” Kyler looked at Dahlia, his older brother concern evident.

“He just turned forty,” Dahlia said, the last word sticking in her throat. She’d known Berlin wasn’t telling the whole story. But Gray should’ve said something to her. Her surprise faded into a slight sting of betrayal that her former partner hadn’t mentioned he was getting cozy with the youngest Fuller.

He dropped Berlin’s hand as they approached, but he didn’t flip back his reflective shades. Berlin smiled at her giddy twin sisters. “I think most of you know Gray Salisbury.”

“I certainly do,” Dahlia said, stepping into Gray and giving him a quick hug, along with the words, “What in the world are you thinking?”

Berlin had to be no older than twenty-five, and Gray had a fourteen-year-old daughter.

“I’m thinking I’d follow my heart,” he hissed back before stepping away and meeting the rest of the Fullers that had already arrived.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Kyler wove his fingers through Dahlia’s and led her away from the pavilion.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Just wanted to enjoy this moment with you.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “Tomorrow at this time, we’ll be in Salt Lake City, and then off to Grand Cayman.”

A smile burst onto Dahlia’s face. “I can’t wait.”

Kyler paused and leaned down, almost brushing his lips against hers. “Me either. I love you.” He kissed her, sending sparks to all of Dahlia’s extremities. “Thanks for choosing me.”

“I would choose you over and over again,” she said.

Kyler grinned. “I’m so glad I waited for that date.”

Dahlia was too, and she kissed her almost-husband with love and gratitude in her heart, the best guide she’d ever followed.