Then, instead of saying anything at all, he kisses me.
Deeply.
Passionately.
Publicly.
I hear cameras snapping, but I don’t really care. Let people look. Let them watch. Let them know that I, Theresa Jones, am totally in love with a mountain man.
And he came for me.
“I know you’ve been looking for a change,” he says, pulling back. “I could be that change. I’m building a house. You and the kids can live there with me. You can write, and I can help you raise them, and we can be together.”
I look at him and shake my head. Incredible. What kind of guy meets someone and is just totally ready for this?
“Are you sure?” I whisper. It’s a lot. Like, a lot.
“Do you believe in destiny?” He whispers.
“I’m a romance author, Heath. Of course, I believe in destiny, and true love, and fate. I believe in all of that stuff.”
“There’s a legend that each animal shifter has one true mate: a partner they are destined to be with.”
“And you think I’m your mate,” I whisper, realizing what he’s saying.
“I know you are.”
“How?”
“When I met you, my inner-bear just knew. Does that sound crazy?”
“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. I reach for him, cupping his cheek. “Because I feel the exact same way, and I don’t even have an inner-bear.”
He laughs, and he kisses me again, and this time, he doesn’t stop. He kisses me over and over and over, and finally, I pull away.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you, too,” he says. “Now and fo
rever.”
He takes my hand, and leads me out of the ballroom. As we leave the event, I catch Meg out of the corner of my eye. She waves and gives me a thumbs-up sign, and it’s really, truly wonderful. It’s the best feeling to know that not only have I found someone wonderful, but that my friends support me and want me to be happy.
“This feels like a fairy tale,” I tell him. “And we’re scurrying out of the ball before the stroke of midnight.”
“I’ve lived without you for an entire week,” he tells me. “I don’t want to be without you for a minute more.”
“Really?”
“Now and forever,” he whispers. “It’s you and me, Terri. It’s you and me.”
We leave the event, and as we make our way to his car, I can’t help but feel like I truly am the luckiest woman in the world. What started out as a camping trip evolved into so much more. I didn’t go on that trip planning to find love, but I did. I found true love, and so much more than that: I found a mate. I found a best friend. I found Heath.
And he’s everything I’ve ever hoped for.
Epilogue
Heath