Two years later…

“Come here, you little booger,” Grace called, chasing after her toddling son as he tried to escape the bathroom. His naked body slipped through her fingers, and he ran gleefully at a full sprint down the hall, squealing for his daddy.

Tony, who’d been in the office responding to fan emails, heard the commotion and rose to walk to the door. He scooped up his son, who screamed with laughter, and tickled him, teasing him. “Are you trying to get away from Mommy? You don’t want a bath?”

“Little toot’s had a bath, or part of one,” Grace said as she appeared next to them. “I turn for one second, and he escapes the bathtub and gets water everywhere.”

“Were you in the bath with him?” Tony teased, taking in her wet shirt and soaked shorts.

“You’d think so, huh,” she replied, reaching for the boy. Tony kissed his son’s head and passed him to Grace. “Trevor, you little monster. Your namesake would love you!” She twinkled at Tony as she wrapped her son in the towel she’d carried with her and began drying him off. “What are you doing in there, Daddy?”

“Answering some of the fan email,” he reminded her. She hated doing it, so the chore had fallen to him. He didn’t mind it and had actually enjoyed the back and forth with some of their readers, who were both civilians and ex-military.

“I still can’t believe how successful the book was,” Grace said in wonder. She finished drying Trevor and swatted his naked booty gently. “You get in your room and we’ll get you dressed.”

“Good night, Trevor!” Tony called, but the little naked butt disappeared into his room without looking back. “Almost bedtime?”

“Yes, thank God!” she whispered, giggling. “He’s worn me out today.”

“Hopefully not too much?” he asked with a lascivious look at her wet tee shirt which clearly outline her breasts and slightly distended nipples.

“Never too much for that,” she said, leaning up to kiss his lips quickly. “I’ll get him to bed while you finish.”

Tony watched her as she turned and headed into their son’s room, which was between their shared office and their master bedroom. Once they’d returned to the States and confirmed the pregnancy, Grace had agreed to move to Virginia, where he had a condo. Together, they had decided to find a house together, though neither had discussed the idea of marriage. While living together, they had dated, which everyone had thought was strange, but they had loved it. Their relationship grew stronger every day, and by the time their son arrived, the two of them were so in love they couldn’t imagine living any other way.

Grace had decided on therapy, though after only a month, she felt as if she no longer needed it. Her mind, her will, were too strong for such an experience to drag her down. And writing the book together, a nonfiction memoir of their experience, had been more cathartic than any counselor could have been. The book had been an enormous success, and they were working on an outline for the novels Tony had been wanting to write, having retired to do so.

He plopped down in his chair and finished an email to a fan who also happened to be Grace’s brother-in-law, Ethan. Tony had met all of them when Trevor had been born, and they’d been to Texas a handful of times since then. The last time they’d gone, Tony had spoken with Grace’s mother and two sisters about marrying her, and Elaine had helped him pick out the ring.

Ethan had actually emailed to ask what the holdup was, claiming Elaine was driving him insane asking when he was going to do it. The email had been the push he needed. He’d had the ring for nearly two months but couldn’t find a time. He sent an email saying, Expect pics of her left hand tomorrow, and shut down the computer. Inside the drawer to his left, which was deemed his drawer while Grace’s was on the right, was a velvet box containing a simple band with a single diamond. He grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket.

Quickly, he went to Trevor’s door and listened as Grace read him a bedtime story. Rather than interrupt and get Trevor all riled up again, he let his earlier kiss be the good night kiss. He hurried to the kitchen and grabbed two wine glasses, filled them with Grace’s favorite red, and carried them to the back porch, which overlooked a pond on the ten acres they’d bought. In the living room, he grabbed two candles and carried them outside, lighting them and placing them on the table between the wine glasses.

He waited for another fifteen minutes before he heard Grace quietly close the door to Trevor’s room. She met him at the back door and kissed him, and they stepped outside for their nightly ritual. With a groan, she fell into the chair she always sat in, then smiled up at him.

“Candles? Is tonight special?”

“I hope so,” Tony said, his stomach lurching. He could stare into a gun barrel and not break a sweat, but confessing his love to this beautiful woman made him nauseated.

“I hope I’m not supposed to remember,” she asked, clenching her teeth and making a funny face.

“No, but you will,” he whispered as he dropped to a knee and pulled the little box out of his pocket. “Grace, I can’t begin to explain how much I love you. I honestly think I fell for you the day I watched you climb out of a Mexican drug lord’s window.”

Grace chuckled around the hands she’d lifted to her mouth. “Tony…”

“You have given me a beautiful son and a wonderful life, and I’ve only known you for three years. I can’t imagine my life without you in it,” he said, smiling as a single tear slipped down his cheek. “Please marry me.”

A sob tore from Grace’s throat that might have been a yes, but she threw herself in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. He landed on his back, with her on his chest, as she kissed his face over and over. She kissed his lips long and hard, smiling into his eyes.

“Yes, Tony! I love you so much!” She kissed him again, a watery, teary kiss, and he sat up, taking her with him.

“Want me to put the ring on?” he asked jokingly.

“Oh, my God!” She laughed, extending her left hand. As he slipped the perfectly sized ring on her finger, she laughed again. “I…” She looked at him, the broadest smile on her face. “Tony, I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell me you love me. That’s all I need.”

“I do love you,” she whispered as she put her arms around his neck again. “So much.”