I look up to find her father watching us. I nod at him. “Thank you, sir.” I owe Olivia’s father my life, and that’s a debt I won’t take lightly. I realize Dennings probably would have shot me if it hadn't been for Carson.
Olivia looks up at her father as if she’s just now remembering he’s still there. She pulls away from me, and I reluctantly release her. She runs over to her father and wraps her arms around him. “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you,” she sobs into his chest now. “Thank you for saving the man I love.” Her voice catches on the words.
Carson looks from his daughter to me and then back again before he releases her and then gives me another one of those respectful nods. “My daughter is right. This wasn’t your fault. You risked your life to save her.”
“It was a setup—” I explain, but Carson holds up a hand to silence me.
“Don’t try to accept any of the blame. You put yourself in danger to save us all, but most especially my daughter, and I’ll forever be grateful to you for that.”
“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t gotten here when you did…”His voice wavers. “I see now that you really would do anything to protect my daughter.”
Carson clears his throat before adding. “I owe you an apology. I misjudged you. You did what you had to do—in both situations.”
I know he’s reaffirming to me he understands about my murder conviction.
“That’s the mark of a true man,” he adds gruffly, “and I could ask no more of the man who wants to marry my daughter.”
Olivia turns wide eyes to me. “Marry?” she whispers.
I go over to her and take her hands in between mine, needing to touch her to reassure myself that she’s indeed safe. “I may have already told your father I intend to marry you.”
“But you haven't even asked me,” she whispers.
Her father interjects with, “I think he's asking you now, child.”
This isn’t really how I planned to do this, but I can’t wait any longer. I kiss Olivia’s knuckles tenderly. I’d love to kiss her lips, but I'm aware that her father is still watching us, and while the man may have accepted me now, he could change his mind if he sees me ravishing his daughter right in front of him.
“Olivia, you know how much I love you, the lengths I would go to for you. I want to spend the rest of my life protecting you. Marry me.”
Olivia smiles at me tearfully before she whispers “yes”—even though my proposal wasn’t really a question—and throws herself back in my arms. I hug her close to me, stroking my hands over her hair again, that strange tightness in my throat again.
“Well, I suppose we need to catch your mother up on everything and tell her she's getting a new son-in-law,” Carson comments dryly just as the flashing lights of the police stream through the window.
Olivia wraps her arms around my neck, and I whisper against her ear, “Are you okay, honey?”
She nods. “I'm always okay, as long as I'm with you.”
And I can't help it. I can’t hold off any longer. Her father may be standing there, but I'll die if I don't kiss her.
So I do.