Epilogue
Three months later
The bright October sun blazed a beam of golden light into Rosie’s bedroom window, landing on Cruz’s sexy naked chest like it, too, wanted to kiss him awake. She sat up in bed, ready to do exactly that…but took a second just to stare.
She would never get enough of his hard body, the cuts and ridges made by muscles strong enough to carry her. She would never get over his tousled hair, sticking up at funny angles but always begging her to run her fingers through it. And those lips, so wicked even now as he slept.
He was hers.
And she couldn’t imagine life being better. A month after her abduction, Shane had gotten the details behind that awful night. Johnny Crazy Legs had been facing multiple arrests and a lengthy sentence, and made a plea deal with the state’s attorneys. He’d given up information on Big J, Los Reyes, and the Cobras. He’d also admitted lying in Cruz’s trial.
He’d been the snitch Los Reyes was looking for.
And then he’d been found dead in a small town in Ohio, living under a different name. His car had smashed through a guard rail on a lonely stretch of highway, plummeting into a ravine. No one could officially tie it back to Big J. A theory had even surfaced that it may have been a suicide. Had guilt gotten to him?
They may never know the whole story, but Cruz was convinced Big J had gotten his revenge.
Rosie shook off the thoughts, glad for the closure but for now, wanting nothing more than to love her man. She dipped her head to kiss down his sternum, where the sun had chosen to light his skin.
One brawny arm shifted to her back, sliding down to palm her ass. “My girl’s up early.”
“Mmm, not that early. Ten.” On weekends, they could spend more time in bed, cuddling, lazing, talking, kissing. “And I’m hungry.” On cue, her stomach let out a growl.
He chuckled. “Better get some food into you. Want eggs?”
“Already made a batch of French toast. It’s downstairs.”
“You’re my dream woman. You know that, right?”
She grinned. “You may have mentioned it.”
“Then let’s eat.” He got out of bed and she greedily watched him pull on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.
Watching him get dressed or undressed—both were hot. She’d never not be turned on by the way his muscles rippled as he moved. But she cleared her head enough to grab his hand and lead him downstairs.
The platter full of French toast didn’t last long, and soon Cruz was pushing a piece of it around on his plate, mopping up the last of the syrup. “This is the best. Ever.” He popped the last bite into his mouth.
Rosie, already done with her toast, finished off her coffee. “Glad you like it.”
Cruz sat back in his chair. “I have a surprise for you.”
“What?” Her heart did a flip. Not much surprised her. “What is it?”
“It’s a surprise.” He arched a brow.
“When do I get it?”
“That’s a loaded question, baby.” Slate blue eyes flared with heat.
“Ha ha.” She crossed to his side of the kitchen table and leaned down to nuzzle his neck. “Do I need to kiss it out of you?”
“You start that and we’ll never get there.” He pulled her onto his lap.
“The surprise is a place?”
“Yup.”
“Can we go now? Am I dressed okay?”
“Yes, and yes.”
She couldn’t hide the grin that tugged at her lips. “Let’s wash up these dishes and go.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in Cruz’s truck and pulling out of her driveway.
“This time, I get to take you on a surprise country drive.” He draped an arm over the back of her seat.
“Hmm.” She tapped a finger on her chin. “What are you up to?”
He only grinned and fiddled with the radio. “Hey, this is a good one.” He turned up Brad Paisley’s, “Today.”
“Aww, this is sweet.” She angled herself toward him on the seat. “You and me, a drive in Sundown, and Brad Paisley on the radio. This is country life, right here. I’d say you’ve become a local.”
“I’d agree with you.” He glanced at her with a curious mix of love and excitement and she wondered again what he could possibly be planning. They drove down a few rural routes, and when they got close to Van’s bluff he took a road that branched off the main one.
The road took them part way up a gentle hill, along a line of oaks and sycamores, to a wide flat area. Trees and the road continued up behind it, while the western part of Sundown lay visible in front of them. Cruz parked the truck and jogged around to open her door. Rosie stepped out onto soft grass, uncut and crunching under her sneakers. “I haven’t been up here in ages.” She took a few steps away from the truck. “You can almost see Van’s from here.”
“Shoulda known you’ve been here before.” Cruz stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“There’s nowhere in Sundown I haven’t been.” She studied the maple trees that grew higher up on the ridge, the first ones to turn a blazing orange, then swiveled back to him. “But I’ve never been here with you.”
“Nope.” He stepped closer.
“So…what’s the surprise?”
“You like this little patch of land?”
“Of course. It’s beautiful.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Those trees are the perfect backdrop. Whenever I drive by here, I feel like there should be a house up here.”
He flicked his gaze to the woods behind them, then back to her. “I can see that.”
She studied him, insanely curious. Why was he talking about whether or not she liked it here? “You’re killing me. What’s the surprise?”
“Impatient, aren’t you?” He gave her a swift kiss. “I’m thinking about buying this land.” His eyes held a sliver of hesitation. “If you like it.”
Her jaw dropped. “Buying it. This?” She swung her arm in a wide arc. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“How much of it? There’s a lot here.”
“Thought an acre would be good.”
“Oh my gosh. Cruz! That’s…that’d be great. Wow.” She hadn’t thought he was going anywhere, but buying up land was a big deal. If he wanted to stay, they had her house— “Wait, what are you going to do with it?”
He draped an arm over her shoulders and turned her toward the semi-flat area. “Thought I’d put a house right there.”
“Oh.” She stared at the swath of prairie grass as if it held answers. A house. A new one. Not her little one…Um… “That’d be nice.”
“I know what you’re thinking. I love your grandparents’ house. I’m just thinking long term.”
She squinted up at him. “You think you won’t like it in the long term?”
“No. I’ll always have a soft spot for that house because it’s yours and we’ve made some memories there I’ll never forget. But.” He took her hand. “Long term, I want to outgrow that house with you.”
She gazed up into those blue eyes, trying to read what he was saying. But her thought process derailed when he dropped to one knee before her.
“Rosie Marlow, you’re the sweetest, kindest, sexiest woman I’ve ever met. You’re stronger than you realize. I love you, all of you, every curve and every memory. You may think there’s things in this life that you don’t deserve, or that you’re destined to miss out on. But until the day I die, I plan on telling you you’re wrong. And that’s an argument I will have with you.”
Rosie’s breath caught and her vision blurred as tears swamped her. She wiped at them furiously, wanting nothing to obscure every nuance of how Cruz looked in this moment.
His other hand dipped into his jeans pocket and pulled out a tiny blue box. “I plan to tell you every day and every night how much I love you. I want to give you the world. Let’s fill up a house right here on this hill with all the kids we can adopt. Rosie…” He flipped the box open, revealing a sparkling diamond solitaire that reflected the autumn sunlight in a dazzling display. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Cruz…oh my god.” Her gaze drifted to his eyes, so full of devotion and sincerity, and she didn’t think her heart could hold any more love for this man. But it did. This felt like a dream, but his hand on hers was very real.
He was the real deal. He was the one.
“Yes!” Her arm trembled and fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks. This sexy, dangerous man, her dark knight, managed to see all of her and want her forever.
He stood and pulled her close, covering her mouth with his. His kiss was tender and possessive, and he pulled away too soon. “Hold out your hand, pretty girl.”
She did, still fighting the water works. He slid the cool platinum band onto her finger, a perfect fit. He grinned. “Couldn’t wait to put a ring on you and let the world know you’re mine.”
She smiled through her tears. “I think I’ve been yours since you first walked into the Grille.”
He pulled a wad of Kleenex from his pocket next and handed it to her. “Thought you’d need this.”
“You know me so well.” Taking it, she dried her eyes and blew her nose, the familiar movements now different with the new weight on her hand. She peered closer at the enormous diamond. “This is beautiful. I love it.” She leaned up on her tip toes to kiss him.
“Glad you do.” He wrapped her in an embrace. “And this place?”
“Yes, everything. I love you.” She breathed deeply of his clean masculine scent. “So…we’re gonna build a house?”
“I’d like to. Much as I like where you are now.” He patted her bottom. “We can work with the architect during the winter and break ground in the spring. Start thinking big, baby. We’ll make it your dream home.”
“Hmm…dream house, huh? There’s a few things I’d love.”
“Like what?”
“A wrap-around porch. With a swing or two. And hanging baskets of flowers in spring and summer.” She grinned. “A huge kitchen with an island, two sinks….oh, and several bedrooms.”
“Yeah, maybe ten ought to do it.”
“Ten?” She pulled back. “What are we going to do with all those rooms?”
“Fill ‘em up with kids.” He grinned. “I’m serious. Let’s adopt a dozen.”
Rosie started coughing.
“Or ten.” He studied her, amused. “There’s loads of kids who need permanent homes. And you’ll be an amazing mom.”
God, he melted her heart. And with him at her side, she could do it. She could find the courage to not be afraid she’d fail. “Okay. We’ll include you and we’ll have the Sundown Zaffino baseball team under our roof.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“We should get a dog too. To play with them.”
“And round them all up for dinnertime.”
She playfully smacked his chest. “They’re kids, not sheep!”
“I know, baby. I just can’t wait”
She hooked a finger into his belt loop as a new happy reality settled over her. “Cruz…this land, a house, an architect…this ring…it’s all…just, wow. So much to take in.”
“I agree…but there’s one more detail that sweetens the whole deal.”
“There’s more?” She stared up at him, incredulous.
“The way that all of this is possible right now.” He gave a rueful shake of his head. “Turns out…when a county wrongfully convicts someone, and it’s proven that they did so, and it’s all over the news, they’re embarrassed. The mayor, the cops, the top prosecutors and everyone in between. And they want it to go away as quickly and quietly as possible. So…they gave me a settlement.”
“Oh my gosh…” Her jaw dropped again. “Well, thank god. You deserve it. Though nothing can make up for ten lost years.”
“If I hadn’t had ten lost years, I wouldn’t have needed a fresh start. And I wouldn’t have thrown a dart at a map. And I never would have come here. And I never would have met you, and my life would always be missing something. So in a way, it’s all meant to be.”
She threaded her hands into his hair. Only her amazing man could find the silver lining in the most hellacious experience of his life. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” He pressed a swift kiss to her lips. “So, no limits. I even figured I’d go to college, get a degree. You can finish the courses you started too, if you want.”
“We could study together,” she murmured. “What would you pick?”
He shrugged. “Some kind of business degree. I love working outside, but it’s seasonal. And a guy can’t do that forever. Hell, maybe I’ll buy the company from Palmer one day. I want to support you and all those kids, so y’all can do whatever you want in life. Take the whole bunch to Disney World or something.”
“You said y’all.” She grinned.
“Yeah, well, a little country girl’s accent is rubbing off on me. And I’m buying land. Putting down roots. I’m a local now.”
“You sure are.” She rested her hand on one big shoulder, where her diamond flashed in the sun. “I like the sound of that.”
“My heart is here with you, Rosie.” He framed her face in his hands and brushed his lips across hers. “Forever.”
THE END