Page 50 of Crossfire Creek Protector

The words tangled together, colliding and hanging in the air. Both of them froze, wide-eyed, the truth laid bare. Then, slowly, smiles spread across their faces, mirrors of relief and wonder.

Harlan reached for her, pulling her back into his arms, and this time the kiss was long and deep, sealing something inside him that felt permanent. Fate. Future. A vow that went beyond words. He wanted this woman, this life.

“I want to be with you and Evie and Carol, to be part of your family if you’ll all have me,” he spelled out.

Laney cupped his jaw with a trembling hand. “That’s exactly what we all want.”

Emotion caught in his throat, but he pushed past it, brushing his thumb across her cheek as if to remind himself she was here, alive, his.

“Then it’s settled,” he murmured.

She smiled again, that glimmer of happiness shining brighter now, soft but steady.

Harlan put the SUV back into gear, his gaze flicking to the road ahead. Long or short, it didn’t matter. Every mile was worth it, as long as he was driving it with her.

“Let’s go see Evie,” Laney said, her voice low and certain. “Let’s go home.”

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