“So you’ll stay my wife?” Peter said at last, still holding her just as tightly.
“Yes. As long as you’ll stay my husband.”
“Not just for the forty-five days?”
“Forever.”
For a moment, he squeezed her so hard she could barely breathe. “Forever,” he murmured.
Finally, he released her, but only to take her face in his hands. He thumbed away a stray tear as he said, his gaze holding hers intensely, “I’ll make sure your new life is just as good as your old life. I promise.”
She sniffed and smiled at him. “We’ll make sure of it—together.”
He nodded. “Together.”
He kissed her then, passionately, eagerly, just a little sloppy. She didn’t care. She felt exactly the same way.
When she finally remembered her family, who were probably still gathered in the hallway, waiting, she pushed him back gently. “We better save the rest of this until later.”
Peter chuckled and gave her face one last stroke. “That’s probably a good idea. I don’t want to be accused of scandalous behavior. We should probably think about getting to bed soon. It’s late, and we have a busy week.”
“A busy week?”
“Well, we have to finish the business plan for Harrison and then, assuming he wants in, make the offer on Eden Manor. Not to mention the fact that finals start next week.”
The reminder felt like a kick in the gut. “Ugh. Why did you remind me? Who wants to have finals at a time like this?”
“Not me. But that’s the only way we’ll ever graduate. After all this work, we don’t want to blow it right at the end.”
“That’s for sure.” She straightened her shoulders and smoothed her hair. “Can you grab my textbook over there? I actually have some homework I need to do for tomorrow morning.”
Peter went to pick up the book she’d left on a small side table. A few pieces of paper started to slide out of it, so he tried to grab them in the hand he was holding the book.
It was a mistake.
The heavy textbook slid out of his hand and landed with a bang on the edge of the table. Since the antique table legs were thin and ornate, the table wobbled with the impact. Peter reached out to grab it, but not quite quickly enough.
The table fell to the floor with a bang.
Kelly gasped in surprise, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.
One of the table legs had cracked from the fall.
“Shit,” Peter breathed, staring down at the broken table. “She’s going to think I did it while having my wicked way with you.”
As Kelly’s surprise faded, she burst into helpless laughter.
“It’s not funny,” Peter said, still looking vaguely horrified. “She’s never going to forgive me.”
“Yes, she will. You’re a Blake. If she’s mad, I’ll tell her it’s my fault.”
“She’ll know I’m lying. She seems to know everything.”
“I know she does.” Kelly went to help him pick up the table. She was still brimming with amusement as she told him, “You know, Deanna said that I was exactly like Grandmama.”
“What?”
“She said I was exactly like Grandmama. I’ll probably end up just like her.”
If anything, Peter looked more horrified than ever, but even this grave prediction didn’t scare him away.
Kelly figured that was a very good sign.
***
Three weeks later, Peter closed the door of the downstairs bedroom in the old Beaufort house. He and Kelly were still living there, until they closed on Eden Manor and could finally move north.
Peter couldn’t wait.
Kelly had walked into the room just before him. She set her purse on the dresser and stared at herself in the mirror, as if she were still trying to come to grips with the way she looked now.
She looked gorgeous with her hair long, just the top part pulled back in a clip. She wore a cream-colored sundress and heels that put her head just at the level of his. Her dress had been covered by a graduation robe for most of the afternoon.
His shirt and trousers had been too.
“It’s still you,” he murmured, coming over to join her in front of the mirror. He liked the way they looked together. He wanted to see their reflections together in mirrors for the rest of their lives. “It’s always been you.”
She smiled and turned her head to brush a kiss against his jaw. “Thank you.”
Figuring this was as good a time as any, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.
She stared at it, and then she lifted her left hand to check out the ring she wore. The rings looked the same, both boasting the familiar Blake crest.
Without speaking, he slid the ring off her finger and slid the other ring on. It fit perfectly. He’d had it sized just for her.