Salvation in the Sheriff's Kiss(85)

He threw up his good arm. “I did it to save you. You were so bullheaded stubborn about proving your father’s innocence that you refused to stop for even a minute to realize the danger you were in. When my father threatened you—”

“Vernon threatened me?”

“Of course he threatened you! That’s what he does when he wants someone to comply. He threatens and he bullies and he—” Hunter stopped and suddenly quieted. “Well, I guess he doesn’t do any of that anymore.”

“No,” she agreed, seeing the conflicted emotions cross Hunter’s face. She stepped closer and slipped her hand into his for comfort. The contact of skin on skin sent a wash of warmth spreading through her and her body sighed in relief.

“Anyway.” He squeezed her hand as if acknowledging he felt the same thing. “I couldn’t risk anything happening to you.”

“So you convinced the council to vote down my proposal.”

He smirked. “No. I lied to Vernon. I needed him to believe it, to buy us some time. I figured I could get you out of town where you were safe. Maybe send Bill with you to make sure.”

“Bill? He was in on it?” Hunter gave her a sheepish look and shrugged. “So what was your plan after you sent me packing?”

“I would pressure my father into admitting to the crimes or uncover enough evidence to force him to reveal who the other members of the Syndicate were and bring them down.”

“Then what?”

He grinned. “Then I would ride up on my white horse like some ridiculous knight in shining armor, tell you it was safe to return and ask for your hand in marriage—at which point you would be so grateful you would fall into my arms and profess your undying love.”

She pulled her lips in to hide her smile. “I see. That’s quite the plan.”

“Not really. I messed it up from the get-go.”

“How’d you do that?” She moved a little closer until she could feel the heat from his body mingled with the cold air still clinging to his sheepskin coat. He smelled of the outdoors and she breathed him in.

“I treated you like a damsel in distress. Truth is, you were anything but. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have found the evidence your father had hidden.” He let go of her hand and placed his under her chin, tilting her face up to his. “I shouldn’t have excluded you. I was an idiot.”

“You were.”

“I promise you, I won’t do it again.” His voice dropped to a whisper and his thumb caressed the edge of her bottom lip. Need pulsated deep inside of her. “I messed this up. I messed us up, and I know I have no right to ask your forgiveness, but...”

“But?”

He smiled. A real smile this time so it reached all the way up to his eyes and crinkled their edges. “But I’m going to anyway. I love you Meredith Connolly. I’ve loved you from the first time you agreed to dance with me at the Autumn Festival and I’ve loved you every day since. God knows I don’t deserve you after everything I’ve done, but if you’ll have me, I’ll spend every day for the rest of our lives making up for my mistakes.”

Her heart soared, straight out of her chest and past the clouds and all the way up to heaven where she was quite certain Pa and Mama could see it. Love roared in her ears. Yes, roared. Because it wasn’t a quiet kind of thing. Not theirs anyway. It was loud and passionate and messy and riddled with missteps and mistakes. But in the end, it had made them what they were.

Just like it had Mama and Pa.

“I forgive you,” she whispered, pressing the words into his lips.

Hunter wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her with a fierce passion that swept her away, and it was good. Good and solid and everything her heart had ever desired.

“I love you, Mere. Will you marry me?”

She hugged him tight and put her mouth near his ear so he would be sure and hear her. “I love you, too. And yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.”

He swung her round and the shop walls blurred around her and echoed with her laughter. It had been a long and bumpy road home.

But she was glad she made the trip.