Emma stared at the Grand Opening banner stretched across the front of the sanctuary gate. As the parking in front of her house filled up with visitors, she glanced over at Ben, standing to one side with Andrew, Sadie and Monique, all wearing their polo shirts, waiting for their assigned groups before taking the visitors around on the tour.

“Ready whenever you are.” Jake’s voice crackled over the radio but even the static couldn’t mask the excitement in his voice for this, the first of many tours of the newly renovated Sierra Tracks Animal Sanctuary. He may not have wanted them in the beginning but he and Emma had come to a mutual understanding about the purpose of tours which would focus on the preservation of the animals, not objects trained to perform for a profit.

She’d debated for several weeks about whether or not to bring Jake back on staff but, in the end, she’d agreed with Ben and Andrew’s assessments that Brandon had acted alone in trying to sabotage her. Jake had worked hard over the past two months to clear her name in Hidden Falls, even going as far as to recruit several donors for landscaping and rebuilding the areas that had been destroyed by the fire. While he and Emma still didn’t always agree on what was best, she realized he kept her focused on the big picture and would help her achieve the vision she had for Sierra Tracks. He’d become her indispensable right hand and she’d officially titled him the assistant director.

“Welcome to Sierra Tracks. I’m Emma and I’m going to introduce you to our trainers, Sadie and Monique, as well as my volunteers, Ben and Andrew. Everyone will get a colored card and that will indicate which group you’ll be with.” She passed out the cards to the large crowd, excitement welling in her chest. This was the first group to see the improvements since the fire.

After dividing the groups and sending them on their way, Emma followed Ben’s group to the cage where Kit romped playfully for a moment before sprawling out over a log. Davis had done his job and taught Kit to be a bobcat again before Emma had released Davis back to the foothills last month, completely healed of his foot injury.

“What you’ll see here is a young bobcat that was rescued from a tree a few months ago,” Ben informed the group. “In fact, I was the one who climbed the tree to rescue him.”

There were a few appreciative sighs from the ladies in the group. Emma couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Ben showing up at her door with Kit in a box, or how sexy he’d looked at the time. So far, over the past few months of their relationship, little had changed. She still found him as sexy as ever, but now she saw those muscles up close, ran her hands over them as they made love each and every night. However, now she knew there was far more to him than just sex appeal. He was gentle and tender yet determined and just as stubborn as she was when he wanted to be. He’d shown her that he loved her in so many ways, each and every day, but he still hadn’t said the words.

At first, she’d assumed he hadn’t because he didn’t want to pressure her. As more time passed, she wondered at his reasons. She saw the emotion in his eyes, knew about his past with his ex-girlfriends, including the one who had stolen most of his belongings and his car, but she also knew what they shared was different, and went so much deeper than anything either of them had ever had before with anyone else. She and Ben understood and appreciated every part of the other, their hopes, dreams, fears and goals. They had literally risked their lives for one another and would do it again without hesitation. They were equals.

Whispers began to sound around her and tugged her from her thoughts. She glanced around, realizing that the other three groups had come closer, circling behind their group of visitors.

“Emma, could you come up to the front please?” Ben held out his hand. Slipping her hand into his larger palm, she let him draw her near. “We’ve had a winding path to get to this point, to finding one another, and we are only here because of a bobcat kitten. You know I’d risk my life for you—and have—but I don’t think you realize how much I love you. How much you’ve changed my life for the better. How much was missing before you.”

Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box, flipping the lid open to reveal a simple diamond solitaire, glinting in the rays of the morning sunlight, dazzling her as her eyes blurred. “What is this?”

He smiled and shot a look at Andrew who gave him a thumbs-up sign in return. “My brother knew before I did what would happen and I hate to admit it, but he was right. I’ve fallen for you Emma Jordan and I want it to be official. Marry me? Not because you need me to rescue you, but because you’ve rescued me.”

Unable to speak, she lifted her hand to cover her mouth. Ben dropped to one knee, still holding her hand. “Say yes.”

Emma couldn’t help the sudden anxiety that rose up in her. How had she gone from never wanting a relationship, never letting anyone close, to loving one man so completely. Several women in the groups began to shout out their input.

“Say yes!”

“What are you waiting for?”

Emma looked down at Ben, eager to say the one word he needed to hear. “On one condition.”

“Anything.”

“I’m your last fiancée.”

“As long as you don’t pawn my stuff, I think I can promise that.” Ben gave her a guilty grin.

“Just put him out of his misery already, Emma,” Andrew shouted from one side.

“I’ll clean as many pens as you want if you just say yes,” Ben teased, his eyes dark and liquid, tender and expressive, giving her a glimpse into the deep wellspring of his heart.

“I love you, Ben.” She bent down and cupped her free hand against his cheek, letting her hair fall to block them from the view of everyone else. “Yes,” she whispered against his lips.

A cheer erupted from the group but Emma tuned it out. Nothing existed right now but the two of them. In this sanctuary, their hearts had found a place of safety and refuge, where they had not only saved one another but become whole again. This was only the beginning for their life together. They had already been through the fire, literally and figuratively, and their love had emerged pure, strong and as unending as the ring Ben slid on her finger.