He followed closely behind Aly’s car on the motorcycle he had borrowed from Glen. He had driven into town on this same road. Blown in with a puff of smoke and a need to escape the demons from Bhazni.

But those demons were the ones that had driven him straight to Aly. He parked on the street in front of the inn.

He waited for Aly on the front steps.

“I feel different,” she said.

“I do too.” He brushed the hair back from her face.

They stood facing the doors. On the other side was where they would start their life together. He never pictured himself a small town guy, but it had happened. He knew the name of every shop owner. He knew how ingrained the town was in Aly’s life.

“I can’t leave St. Claire, Wyatt.” She squeezed his hand. “Is this where you want your life?”

He didn’t need to give her a ring or the dress or even a damn date on the calendar. What bonded them together was much stronger than that. He’d do anything for this woman, but what she was asking for now was easy. It was the easiest decision of his life.

“It is. It’s where you are. It’s where we’ll raise our family.”

“And the inn? You’re ok with it?”

He nodded. “Of course. A retired Green Beret needs a hobby, right?”

She smiled. Her hands looped around the back of his neck. “I’ve never been this happy in my life. Never.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I didn’t know I could be happy. I didn’t think I deserved it.”

“Oh, Wyatt. Of course you do. I want to make you happy. You’ve been through so much.” She looked in his eyes. “Is this too fast for you? Maybe you need more time to sort out…”

“Hey, no doubts.” He had never been much for words. He always thought actions said much more. He could show Aly how he loved her better than he could tell her. She would learn more about his bear the more time they spent together.

She would know she was the parachute that finally let him drift to the light. She was worth staying for. She was his perfect match.

“Wait, you said kids?”

He nodded. “Oh yeah.”

She swallowed. “How many?”

His hands cupped the side of her face, drawing her lips upward. “Let me take you inside.”

He felt her pulse quicken under his palms. “We have guests tonight,” she reminded him.

He ran his lips over her mouth. “Then you’ll have to be extra quiet.”

She purred against his tongue. “Take me inside.”

Wyatt scooped his arms under her legs, and kicked open the front doors. He carried his true love over the threshold. They were bonded in ways only they understood and felt. By the end of this night, he knew there would be one more link connecting them for the rest of their lives.

He nodded at Jenny and Sara as he marched through the lobby. Their eyes were wide. He started for Aly’s apartment behind the office. She giggled in his arms.

“You realize you’re going to have to meet my father.”

“Your father?” He stopped.

Her eyes slanted to the side. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

“He’s not coming back tonight is he?” Wyatt winked.

Aly slapped on the chest. “No.”

“Then, no, it’s not a problem. I’m happy to meet your father. After I have more time with you.” He planted a rough kiss on her lips. He took a step toward the office door.

“No, wait. Grab the keys for 409.”

“What’s that?” He stopped in front of the key box.

She smiled. “The bridal suite.”

He laughed. “Are you sure we should be allowed in there?”

She lifted the key from the loop and held it in front of him. “I’m not telling our children they were conceived in the woods.” She puckered her lips together. “The bridal suite sounds more romantic.”

“Can we order food from there?”

She nodded.

“And alcohol?”

“Oh yes.”

Wyatt tapped the elevator button and hit the light for the fourth floor. “You know I’m not letting you out of there.”

He saw the wonder in her eyes. “You aren’t?”

He shook his head, careful not to let the doors hit her when he stepped onto the fourth floor. He paused in front of the door of the suite.

“All I can think about right now is stripping you down and taking you every way you want. And then every way I want.” His eyes hooded with lust. “And then I’m going to do it again.”

The key turned in the lock and he shoved open the door. He walked to the bed and dropped Aly in the center.

“What are you doing?” She watched as he searched the closet and the dresser.

“Ah-ha.” He held up the sign.

He opened the door and hooked “Do Not Disturb” on the outside. He clicked the deadbolt in place, and peeled his T-shirt over his head.

“Are you ready for your honeymoon to start?”

She bit down on her bottom lip as he pounced on the bed. “Oh yes.”

He pulled her under him, inhaling every part of her. He had been broken. He had been clinging to the darkness. But Aly had changed all of that. There was a part of his soul that could never be touched. The part that would always be a Green Beret. The part that had survived the attack in Bhazni. But there was a new light in his soul, and it started with Aly.

He knew now it wasn’t a punishment to survive. It was a gift. And he wasn’t going to waste it in the darkness.