Shiver(117)

“Say again?” he whispered as though he couldn’t believe what she had said.

Raven laid her hands on his chest. His heart pounded wildly under her palms giving her strength. “I’m so sorry, Aidan, for lying to you, for the things I said to you the other day, for making you leave twelve years ago.”

“Raven—”

“No, let me finish. I’ve never understood that kind of rage until Fox had been taken. I would have killed Genie, relished getting my hands around her throat.” Just the thought of what that bitch had put her son through had anger rising in Raven like the river after a heavy winter. It took a lot to dam it back.

“I judged you based on the sins of your father. You aren’t him, could never be him. I see that now, and I’m so sorry that I didn’t see it sooner. I need you. I need you to stay. I need you to promise never to leave me again no matter what I say. I love you, Aidan Harte. I always have.” Her voice broke as emotion welled inside her.

Aidan yanked her against him and buried his face in the crook of her neck. “No take backs.” He pulled away and held her shoulders in his tight grip. “You can’t take it back this time.”

“Never. I lied to you twelve years ago. I never wanted you to leave, and when I told you to and you did I was so angry. I thought you would return, but you never did.” Tears ran unchecked down her face, and she didn’t care. There were tears in his eyes too. Either that or she was crying enough for the both of them.

“You made me promise never to return.”

“I know.” She sobbed. “There’s so much I need to ask forgiveness for. Please forgive me.”

He kissed her, letting his lips speak for him. After a very long while, he lifted his head and gazed lovingly down into her eyes. “Will I ever understand you?”

“No. Not completely. All you have to remember is how much I love you.”

He pulled her back into his arms and held her tight against him. “God, Raven. I love you. Marry me. Finally, be my family.”

“Yes,” she cried. “Tomorrow, if we can.”

The door slammed. “What happened!” Fox hollered. “Mom, why are you crying? Dad? Did someone else die?”

Aidan and Raven jumped apart, both wiping tears from their eyes.

“No. No one died.” Raven laughed through her tears. “What do you think about your parents getting married?”

“It’s about time you two got hitched.” Fox beamed, rushing forward to give them hugs.

They stayed together, a tight unit, until Fox squirmed. “Can’t breathe,” he said.

“How’d your team do today,” Aidan paused, “without Lucien?”

“They were confused. It took them a while to get the hang of it, but we had a quiet moment for Lucien and then Senyea took lead.”

“She would be the one.” Aidan chuckled and ruffled Fox’s hair. “What do you say we look for a new dog to balance out the team?”

“Hey,” Raven said. “We should discuss things like this, as parents, before we let the kid in on it.”

Aidan sauntered up to her, trailing his fingers over her cheek. “What do you say we work on making another kid, maybe a sister for Fox?”

“Ohh.” Raven melted into Aidan’s arms, the tears back in full faucet mode.

“TMI,” Fox said, closing his eyes. “Is there going to be a lot of that kind of talk going on? Because that’s going to take some serious getting used to.” He shuddered. “Besides, there’s something I have to show you.”

They moved apart, but still held hands.

“What do you have to show us?” Aidan asked.

“Gold.”

“What are you talking about?”

Fox moved over toward the side of the stove.

“Careful, that’s…hot,” Raven warned unnecessarily as Fox turned a bolt on one of the cast iron feet.

There was a loud click as the sidewall behind the stove moved slightly. Fox pried open the door, which when closed fit seamlessly into the wall. He reached in and pulled out a small canvas bag the size of a cantaloupe. With two hands, he carried the heavy sack to Aidan.

“No.” Aidan shook his head. “Whatever is in that isn’t mine.” He looked at Raven. “It had to have been your dad’s, which makes it yours.”

Fox set it on the floor between them and opened the drawstring bag. Yellow gold nuggets glittered in the light. Raven caught her breath and reverently reached for one, pulling out a nugget two inches long, weighing at least four ounces.

“There’s a fortune in this bag,” she whispered.

“Yeah, and there’s at least a hundred more bags stacked in the wall,” Fox revealed.