She thought of the tiny life gone too soon and thought she could offer the tribute of forgiveness, both to herself and to Miguel to her baby’s memory. She would never unwittingly hurt another because she was hiding from love, or the consequences of it.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Eastern Europe,” she said quietly, emotions choking her and yet filling her with a joy she had not expected to feel again. Not ever.
He stared. “What?”
“But if I get pregnant again…” She stopped, savoring how right the words felt. And that surprised her, but she would not reject the gift of them, either. “I want to have my baby here…with my mom and my sister close.”
He was out of the chair so fast, she barely saw him move and then he was leaning at her feet, his hands clasping hers. “You will marry me? You love me?”
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
“I will marry you.”
His hands tightened on hers almost painfully. “And the other.”
“I love you. I have since the afternoon we made love.”
He groaned and took her mouth in a searing kiss. Minutes…hours…maybe even only seconds later, he lifted his head and smiled with a happiness that pierced her heart. “I love you.”
“Always.”
“Completely.”
“Without limits.”
“In every circumstance.”
“Whatever life has to offer.”
“You will have my love.”
“And you will have mine.”
They sealed their vows with a kiss as beautiful as a sunrise over the ocean.
EPILOGUE
AMBER looked out over the yacht rail. Miguel had insisted on taking her on a cruise to celebrate their second anniversary. They’d brought along the nanny for their twin boys. At her request, they’d also brought along her father and mother, now married. Ellie and Sandor and their little daughter. As well as Miguel’s mother and father.
When he groaned about the lack of privacy, she reminded him that the other guests more than made up for it in baby-sitting so they could have quiet time as a couple.
Amber had lived the first twenty-four years of her life with her mom as her only family, but now she was surrounded by people she loved and who loved her, but none more than the amazing and truly wonderful man she’d married.