Authors: Cait Jarrod
“We
need to talk,” Larry said to Charlene and grabbed her hand, leading her out of
the vine shelter she’d been held captive in.
The
bonfire Lavender started earlier had died down. Still, the flicker of the
flames illuminated bodies on the ground. The man Charlene had shot slumped against
the vine structure. Her insides were a roaring ocean of reactions. Anger. Fear.
Guilt. She swallowed hard at taking another’s life and shuddered, remembering
the act of pulling the trigger. The man’s grunt had told her the bullet made
its way through the thick grape vines to her target. She hadn’t wanted to kill
him, just stop him from coming after her and Celine. She dragged in a ragged
breath. If the situation had been different, he would have shot and killed her
without second-guessing his actions.
“You
okay?” Larry asked, stroking her arm.
She
nodded. “As well as to be expected, I am.”
“I
hate being the bearer of bad news,” he said on a long sigh.
Andrew’s
last words rushed toward her.
You
captured one of their women
. She felt numb toward the loss. How sad was it
that the father of her baby was murdered, yet she felt nothing. Maybe in time,
it’d hit her and she’d feel remorse. Still, her ex served her up to a killer.
If Larry hadn’t arrived when he had, her son would be an orphan. Her gaze
landed on Larry. “Thank you.”
He
gazed at her and looked into her soul. “I love you.” His voice was calm, firm,
and confident. Together they had removed the demons that resided within each
other to be able to fall in love again.
Goosebumps
raised on her arms. At that moment, there was no second-guessing his motive, or
her feelings. She loved Larry with all her heart. She placed a hand over her
mouth and her eyes filled her eyes. “I’m in love for the first time in my
life.”
Tears
welled in his eyes.
In
the background, she sensed people milling around. Friends yelling to one
another, but their gazes stayed locked on each other.
He
stepped closer, slid a hand through her hair, stroking her cheek as if she was
a precious gem. “I want to marry you. Have more Henrys or Harriets.”
She
snickered. “Um, maybe we should call our daughter by another name.”
“Will
you marry me, Charlene Webber?”
A
sob escaped. The sweetness of him using her maiden name touched her. Never in a
million years did she think she would feel this much joy. Her mom’s princess
wish for her came true. She whole-heartedly felt like a princess in Larry’s
presence. “Yes.”
“Thank
goodness for haunted houses.” Larry captured her lips in a soft, sweet
passionate kiss filled with promise and love.
The
End
www.caitjarrod.com
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Evernight Publishing