“I should have been there.”
“Jacob, you were there.” She visibly swallowed. “Riley wouldn’t have been able to say goodbye if you hadn’t been there. I know he enjoyed working with you, and he considered you a brother he never had.” She cupped his cheeks. “Please, stop carrying this guilt. I’ve told you all the time, I don’t blame you. Riley’s death, it’s not your fault. Don’t think it is.” She snorted. “You should know by now that if I thought for a second it was your fault, I’d be a bitch.” She laughed, and Jacob saw the woman he’d fallen in love with, making a little joke.
“I love you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
“I love you, too. So much.”
****
Lou had never thought for a second that she would be angry at Jacob. Being in the hospital even after Riley had been pronounced dead, she’s been so relieved that she hadn’t lost Jacob as well. Riley had been taken to the morgue, and she’d sat in the waiting room, wishing that it had all been a horrible dream. It hadn’t been. Still, all the time, she’d been thankful that Jacob hadn’t been hurt.
She loved Jacob, and she never wanted to be without him. It would kill her, and she’d rather die than live without him. What had happened at that fight had been at the hands of someone who Jacob had no control over. The man had been aiming at her parents, and Riley had got in the way.
Kissing Jacob’s lips, she smiled. She had a family, and in her heart, she knew that Riley would be more than happy with that.
“I love you, Jacob. You’ve not broken any promises to me.”
“Good, because I’m now about to keep a promise that I made to Riley.” He went down on one knee, and she was frozen.
“You don’t have to do that.” She touched his hand with the intention of pulling him to his feet, but he wouldn’t let her.
“This is not just about what Riley would want. This is what I want.” He was down on one knee, and staring up at her. She saw the love in his eyes, and when she glanced around the room, she licked her suddenly dry lips. All of his brothers, his parents were watching them. “Lou, I love you. I can’t give you fancy words, but I can give you me. No one else will ever love you the way that I do. Your brother wanted you to be with someone you really wanted, and I know that man is me. Louisa Moore, will you marry me?”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She stared at the simple diamond ring, and she nodded. All of her life she had tried to defy her parents, promising she’d never marry, but this man, this wasn’t about defying her parents.
“Is that a yes?”
She nodded.
“I’m going to need you to speak up, babe.”
“Yes, it’s a yes. I love you, and I want to be your wife.”
He got to his feet and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off her feet. The moment he put her down, each of his brothers took their turn to hug her. Tamsin wrapped her arms around her waist, and she held onto her. This was her family now.
Later that night after Jacob had made love to her, she stroked his arms, staring up at the ceiling.
“Talk to me, babe,” he said.
“It’s nothing.”
“We don’t have to get married straight away.”
“I don’t mind about the wedding or anything like that.” She rolled over so that she was facing him. “What if you wake up one day, and wish you’d married someone else?”
“That’s not going to happen, Lou. I told you, I love for a lifetime, and I know I love you.” He reached out to stroke her check. “You’ve got me for the rest of your life, and that is never going to change.”
She closed her eyes, resting her head against his. “I love you.”
“Love you too, babe.”
He tilted her head back and took possession of her lips.
“Surreal.” It was the only way to describe what had happened to her life within the past year. She’d become part of Jacob’s life, lost her brother, and found her soul mate. When she thought of Jacob that was what she thought of him. He was her soul mate.
Jacob chuckled. “Our life has only just started. We’ve got the rest of our lives to make it even more surreal.”
Lou couldn’t wait, and she looked forward to the years to come.
Epilogue
One year later
“Are you okay?” Frank asked.
Lou turned toward her boss and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.”
She waited for Ben to finish her order as she stared at the clock. It was her birthday, and Jacob hadn’t even been there when she woke up.
Of course, Jacob had been there for her last birthday. Today had been hard, and she had been scheduled to work. It was hard as all she had to remember was the birthday of her twin brother. She still missed Riley, and there were times that she forgot he was gone. Jacob and the whole of the Denton family had helped her deal with the loss. Jacob had helped her during the worst part of her life. Lou hated the way she had been to Jacob in the beginning, being a huge bitch to him. She was an idiot, and every time she thought back to their first encounter, she cringed at her own behavior.