Shoe Strings

being shot at close range.   “Don’t you see?   I can’t do that to you.”
    “Do what?   Make
me happy?”
    It was time to wrestle the gun from his hands.   “You may think this is what you
want—now.   But what about
later when all the newness and excitement wears off?   You’ll wake up one day and wonder why
you tied yourself to me and Ty and this little town.   I love you, Bryce, and I won’t be able
to stand watching you yearn for things you gave up to be with me.”  
    He dropped her arms, paced away, only to pace right
back.   “Do you have any idea what I
yearn for, what I’ve spent years yearning for?”   He reached out and grabbed her head,
threaded his fingers through her hair.   “You, you stupid, stubborn woman.”
    She tried to pull away, but he held tight.   “You deserve to be with someone you can
be proud to walk into a room with and know she’s not going to embarrass you by
saying the wrong thing or not knowing what to say at all.   You’ve got your whole life ahead of you,
Bryce.   I’ve cherished every moment
we’ve had together, but I’ve got to let you go live.”
    “Kerri Ann, you are my life.”   He dropped his hands and then fisted
them at his sides.   “This is the
stupidest conversation I’ve ever had.   Do you love me?”
    He twisted the knife in her heart.   “Yes, but—”
    “No buts.   Do you
want to be with me?”
    “Bryce, this isn’t about what I want.”
    “Answer the question,” he ordered like the lawyer he
was.   “Do you want to be with me?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then marry me, Kerri Ann.   Marry me and stop all this nonsense.”
    Her heart thundered in her chest, her limbs felt weak and
tingly.   “You’re going to regret
this.”
    “Never.”
    “I’ll frustrate the hell out of you.”
    “You already do.”
    “If I say yes, it’ll be forever,” she warned, waited for him
to waver.
    “It damn well better be.”   He lowered himself to a knee and plucked
her hand from the other it clung to.   “Kerri Ann, marry me and make me the happiest man on earth?”
    He looked up at her with everything she needed in his
eyes.   “Don’t say I didn’t warn
you,” she said before sliding into his arms.   “I love you.”   She kissed him hard and quick on the
mouth.   “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
    He hopped up and fished through his desk drawer for the
ivory box she’d found only days before in his suit coat.   He opened it, pulled the ring from the
box, and slipped it on her finger.   “There, now it’s official.”
    She looked down at the sparkling diamond on her hand.   “Lord, Bryce.   I could kill someone with this.”
    He leaned her back onto the soft rug, covered her body with
his.   Everything inside of her
sighed with contentment.   “Just as
long as it’s not me,” he said before showing her what she’d almost given up.

 

 
    Chapter 28
    Lita measured the miles in minutes, heartbeats, and
tears.   Why was she crying?   She’d had the vacation of her life, made
new friends, discovered a town and a way of life that she’d found surprisingly
attractive.   She’d even had sex, for
God’s sake, that had made her other experiences pale in comparison.   Of all the things she’d expected out of
her time away, being more upset heading home wasn’t one of them.    
    She’d let herself dream, let her creative juices flow into
other more dangerous parts of her life, and now she’d pay the price for seeking
out new adventure and time away.   She’d expected a clear head and fresh perspective when she returned, not
a broken heart and more worries about her father.   She wiped the last of her tears away and
willed herself to think of the future.
    Davi was adamant she expand, but her original concerns
hadn’t been allayed.   Expansion
meant suffering a profit loss, even for a little while, loans, and, most
disturbing, loss of creative control.   No matter how she limited Davi’s involvement, he’d insist on managing
everything.   How in the world would
she explain her perilous position to Sophie?   She’d put her business partner’s life
and her half of the company in jeopardy.
    She still couldn’t figure his reasons for wanting in on her
business.   She and Sophie had thrown
around the idea of opening another store, possibly in New York or maybe Dallas,
but how could that play a role in keeping the consulate open?   There had to be more at stake, but she
didn’t know what.