Chapter 46

Elle

Elle couldn’t speak. She couldn’t say anything. She just nodded her head, and cried, and between sobs, managed to get the words out.

“Yes,” she cried. “Yes of course. Nothing would make me happier in the whole world.”

With that, Forrester bent down and lifted her up from the bed.

“Your ribs,” she cried. “You’ll hurt them.”

“We haven’t been one bit careful with those poor ribs today, have we?” he said.

“No, we haven’t.”

Forrester carried her over to the armchair by the fire and put her down on it. She was wearing a pink nightdress that he found incredibly sexy, and he kissed her and then put his mother’s engagement ring on her finger.

“Where did you get this?” she said.

“It was my mother’s.”

“Oh,” Elle said, and then she started crying again. She couldn’t help it. “I’m sorry I can’t stop crying,” she said.

“You’re allowed to do whatever you want, sweetheart,” he said.

She couldn’t believe it. After everything that had happened, everything she’d been through in her life, all her fears, this was how it was turning out. She was being proposed to by this beautiful, strong, kind man.

She knew he was a bad boy. He got into fights, he was covered in tattoos, he had a sharp mouth, but he also had a heart of pure, solid gold. That was the most important thing in the world to her. More important than the fact that he had a lot of money, or that he was built like a Calvin Klein model, or that he was hot as hell in bed. What mattered was his heart.

And she knew he’d be a loving and loyal husband. He hadn’t looked at another woman since meeting her. He’d barely spoken to another person, other than to get in a fight with them. Again, she was aware of the fact that she really was the only person that he seemed capable of opening up to and letting in. He was at war with the rest of the world, it seemed.

Her, and his family back in California. Those were the things that mattered to Forrester and it was so clear. He’d kill for family, he’d die for family, and nothing else really mattered that much. And that made her feel safe. It made her certain that he’d look after her, protect her, and protect whatever children they might have together. She put her hand over her belly at the thought of children.

She looked at the engagement ring. How had this happened? She thought of all the things that had led to this very moment. That ring had been on the hand of a woman who’s husband abused her. It had ended up in a box in a basement. A little boy had been locked in that basement and found that ring.

She’d been sold to a criminal gang, and then miraculously rescued from that gang when they were all killed. She’d struggled in a life with Gris until she’d gained the courage to leave him. She’d arrived here in Stone Peak, and at the exact same time, Forrester was there, getting a cup of coffee on his way to his father’s funeral.

It was almost too strange, too unlikely, too miraculous. It couldn’t have all happened without the guiding hand of God. She was convinced of that. God had led her to that point, and he wanted her and Forrester to be together.

“Am I really going to be your wife?” she said to him.

He caressed her hand in his. “Yes you are, Elle Barclay.”

“Elle Snow,” she said.

He smiled. “Elle Snow.”

A few minutes later she was in the shower. Forrester was waiting in the living room, drinking more coffee. She looked up when there was a knock on the bathroom door. Forrester entered.

“I’m joining you if that’s okay,” he said.

“Of course.”

He climbed in and washed her body, head to toe, and then kissed her passionately on the mouth. She got out and let him have the shower to himself. He washed his tired, sore body while she put on her makeup and then she wrapped him up in fresh bandages, which they made by cutting up the bed sheet.

They walked together to her work. When they walked through the door, Kelly and Grace stopped what they were doing and watched.

“You look so happy you could burst,” Kelly said.

“I think I might,” Elle said.

She held out her hand to her friend and showed her the diamond ring.

“No way,” Kelly said.

“Good heavens,” Grace said, coming out from the kitchen and grabbing Elle’s hand. “That diamond is enormous.”

“I know.”

“So it’s happening?”

“We’re getting married,” Elle said. “Forrester proposed this morning.”

They all looked at Forrester who was sitting at the counter nonchalantly, waiting for someone to give him a cup of coffee. Then Grace and Kelly both got up and gave him a huge hug.

Elle felt as if her life couldn’t be more complete. And so it felt. All that day, and all the next day. And the next. Their days became happier and happier. She went to work with Grace and Kelly. Forrester finished up some dealings with his father’s lawyer. They were making sure all of his father’s estate went to charity, which impressed Elle. She wasn’t just marrying a man who had more money than he knew what to do with, but he was generous too.

In the evenings they went to Harry’s bar and had a quiet date together, or went with Kelly and tried to find nice guys who might be romantic prospects for her. It was during those days that Elle got to know everything about Forrester, the man she was going to marry.

She learned about Lacey, and her father, the man who’d adopted Forrester and rescued him from the system. She also learned that Forrester had three other men he called his brothers, even though they were also guys who’d been adopted by Lacey’s father. He spoke regularly on the phone to Lacey, who he regarded as a sister, as well as to the brothers, and Faith, one of the brothers’ wives.

She knew he was eager for them to meet her, and she was eager to meet them too, but there was no rush. They were so happy to be together in Stone Peak, in the little attic apartment, that they were in no hurry to leave. Elle had never been so happy in all her life. She loved that Forrester was always there, walking her to work in the morning, coming in for his meals, and waiting for her at the end of her shift to take her to Harry’s. She loved that he was friends with Kelly and Gracie.

He even made sure the sheriff’s son and his buddies treated Kelly and Grace with the utmost respect. Kelly and Grace both said it was like the town was a completely different place. Everyone was treating each other better, as if Forrester’s presence kept things in order.

It truly was a heavenly couple of weeks for Elle. She thought she could never be happier.

She was wrong.

There was one thing that could make her happier. And she learned of it one icy morning during those first weeks.