Call It Destiny

him down on the porch, flat on his back. Her hand was still clamped around his arm with a fierceness that fascinated him. She was so strong in so many ways. In the moonlight he could see his blood welling up between her fingers.
    „I’m listening, Jake,“ she said gently.
    „Heather, I love you.“
    There, it had been said. The crucial message conveyed, Jake gave up the battle against shock and pain and let himself slip into the soothing darkness of unconsciousness.

    Heather was sitting by his bedside the next time Jake opened his eyes. She felt his hand tighten convulsively around hers and then his lashes lifted uncertainly.
    „About time you woke up,“ she murmured as he slowly focused on her.
    Jake stared at her as though he wasn’t quite sure she was real. Then he scanned his surroundings.
    „Hospital?“ he got out a little hoarsely.
    „I’m afraid so. Cheer up, though, you had the good taste to collapse away from the guests.“ She looked at him with love, concealing the tremendous relief she felt now that he was conscious again. The doctor had assured her Jake would be fine but until he had opened his eyes, she could not relax.
    „Mustn’t disturb the guests,“ he agreed slowly. „What time is it?“ He searched her face as if he expected to be able to tell the hour from looking at her.
    „Six o’clock. It’s morning, Jake. Last night was when it all happened. You haven’t lost more than a few hours.“ She sensed his feeling of disorientation.
    He frowned intently. „Last night. You came to me last night.“
    „Yes.“ Her mouth curved gently.
    „And tore up the contract. You’re going to marry me.“
    „Mother’s going to spend the day rescheduling the wedding for the end of next week,“ she assured him.
    „You’ll be there this time, won’t you?“
    „Yes.“
    „Because you love me,“ he concluded.
    „Oh, yes, Jake. I love you.“
    „I knew for sure last night.“ He closed his eyes again and Heather worried that he might go back to sleep. But a moment later he opened them. „I should have been certain that first time. You’re too strong, too proud to surrender for any other reason.“
    „So are you,“ she said quietly.
    „I wanted to, Heather. God knows I wanted to. I just didn’t know how. Until you showed me last night. Did I tell you I love you?“
    „Just before you passed out.“
    „Good. I knew I’d said the words but I wasn’t sure if you heard them. I meant them, Heather.“
    „I know. If I’d been thinking straight I would have realized that what you felt for me was love. I wouldn’t have needed to hear the words. But I was running blind myself until the very last.“
    The half smile quirked his lips. „A heck of a team.“
    Heather lifted one shoulder in arrogant dismissal. „So there were a few minor details that we had to work out. I think things will function very well from now on.“
    „Just keep telling me you love me,“ he insisted.
    „Forever,“ she vowed.
    „And I’ll keep saying the same thing to you,“ he promised earnestly. He was silent for a moment, his lashes falling softly against the hard plane of his cheek. „I love you so much, honey.“
    „Jake, does your arm hurt very badly?“ Heather frowned in concern at the tightly drawn lines around his mouth.
    „Not as long as you’re holding my other hand. They got Monroe okay?“
    „You got Monroe. The guards just rounded him up after you’d stopped him. Since when did you start carrying a gun, Jake Cavender?“
    „Since we got back from the canyon. I had security on full alert. Don’t know how that jeep got through.“ Jake moved his head in obvious annoyance.
    „Watson, the head of security, says Monroe didn’t come through the main entrance. He came the back way, across Winthrop land.“
    „There’s no road.“
    „He didn’t need one with the four-wheel drive.“
    „Wait until I get my hands on Watson and his crew. I gave them specific instructions to keep a close eye on your cottage until we’d heard Monroe and his friend had been picked up.“
    „You suspected Rick might come back for me?“
    Jake muttered something explicit. „It was a possibility. You were really the only witness he had to worry about. You knew him and he’d talked enough to give you an idea of what he and his pal were doing.“
    „Why on earth didn’t you tell me you were taking all those precautions?“ Heather scolded.
    „Didn’t want you to worry. I just wanted you to concentrate