Silent Run(105)

“I’ll drive you,” Teresa said. “It will be fun. A road trip.”

“I’m coming, too,” Catherine said.

“I don’t know why you’re both being so nice to me.” Sarah shook her head. “I don’t deserve it.”

“Yes, you do. You’re a good person,” Catherine stated firmly. “Don’t forget that. Every decision you made, you made out of love.”

Before Sarah could reply a car came around the corner, a very familiar car. She straightened in alarm.

Jake pulled up in front of them and jumped out of the driver’s seat. He dashed across the sidewalk.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked as he jogged toward her. “Did you forget something?”

“Yes, dammit. You. I forgot you.” He grabbed her by the arms and kissed her long and hard on the lips. “I can’t leave you behind. I can’t do it.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You still want me?”

“With every breath I take.” His eyes burned with desire and need. “You are connected to me, Sarah. I can’t let you go. I don’t know how I thought I could.”

“Oh, Jake,” she whispered. “How can you forgive me?”

“Because I can. Because I want to. Because you’re the woman I love.”

“Still? After everything?”

“The truth is that I never stopped loving you,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “Even when I hated you, I loved you. You got under my skin. You haunted my dreams.”

She put her hands on his face and let all of her emotions show. There was no more need to be guarded, to try to protect her heart. She’d already given it to him. “I love you, too, Jake. I always did. I never lied about that. If you’ll give me a second chance, I’ll do better.”

“So will I.” He pulled her up against his chest. “It wasn’t all you, Sarah. I have to share some of the blame for not wanting to rock the boat. But we can start over. We can get it right. We know who we are now. The last few days I fell in love with the real you, the one who couldn’t hide from me. There are no more lies between us. And that’s the way it’s going to stay.”

“I can’t believe you still want me.”

“I do. Forever.”

She kissed him lovingly on the mouth, tasting the truth on his lips, and nothing had ever tasted sweeter.

“I have to go to LA,” she said, breaking away. “Damn, I can’t believe I have to go to LA now.”

“Caitlyn and I will go with you, and when you’re done there we’ll go home together. We’ll finish building our house. And when we both know the time is right, we’ll get married.”

“That plan sounds perfect,” she said as he kissed her again and again and again. Finally, laughing and breathless, she pulled away. “Caitlyn,” she started to say.

“I’ve got her,” Teresa said, holding Caitlyn in her arms. “Although, if this is going to get X-rated, you might want to take it inside.”

Sarah smiled as tears of pure joy now filled her eyes. She took Caitlyn from Teresa, and she and Jake wrapped their arms around their daughter. They were going to be a family after all.

“Well, Sarah,” Catherine said, “I think you finally got your happily ever after.”

“I think I did,” she said, meeting Jake for another kiss, another promise for the future.