‘I said that slow and measured wasn’t going to work for me any more,’ Sadie corrected him. ‘I know we can’t rush too much officially because of Finn—I need to be sure that he’s ready for there to be someone else in my life, and that he’s happy for it to be you. So, officially, fine, we go with your plan.’
‘But unofficially?’ He didn’t care. He’d say yes to anything right now if it meant being part of her life. Hers and Finn’s.
‘Life’s too short, I’ve seen that first hand. You have to take your chances for happiness when they come. So just between you and me... I hope you were serious about wanting to commit...’
‘I was,’ Dylan assured her.
‘Good. Because...’ She took a deep breath. ‘Dylan Jacobs, will you marry me?’
Pure joy spread through his body at her words. This was one opportunity he had no intention of missing.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the ring box he’d acquired in Sydney and flipped it open between them. ‘Great minds?’ he said, as Sadie laughed.
‘I should have known the slow-and-steady thing was a bluff.’ She took the ring from the box and stared at the diamond, mesmerised. ‘You never did anything that way in your life.’
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Dylan said, as he slid the ring onto her finger. ‘It took me thirteen years to find the right woman to commit to.’
‘But now you’re sure?’ Sadie asked.
‘I’m beyond certain,’ Dylan promised, leaning in to kiss all her doubts away. ‘You’re my next, last and only big thing. Your love is the only thing that matters to me. You, Finn and I are going to be the happiest little family ever, I’m committed to that. And I plan to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.’
Sadie smiled, and kissed him back.
And in that moment Dylan knew, bone deep, that proposing to Sadie was worth more than the chance at any million-dollar business deal, and that marrying her would give him more opportunities for happiness than one man could ever use in a lifetime.
EPILOGUE
CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLEW across the garden from the tree at the far end, and Sadie watched, smiling, as Finn tried to catch them, Dylan swinging him up in his arms to reach higher.
In the kitchen behind her, her parents were putting the finishing touches to a Sunday roast—and didn’t need any help at all, thank you. Ordered to relax, Sadie had retired to the garden to enjoy the spring sunshine and just be with her family. At any minute her sister would arrive with her brood, and they’d all be together.
In the six months since Dylan had first arrived at the Azure, life had changed beyond recognition—and into something Sadie had never even hoped for. It hadn’t all been easy, and business had intruded more than she’d have liked. But Finn had taken to Dylan instantly—and his awed admiration seemed to be reciprocated. Some nights, when Dylan was staying with them—always in the spare room, as far as Finn was concerned—she’d catch Dylan sneaking into Finn’s room just to watch him sleeping. The amazed love in his eyes always made her want to kiss him harder.
They’d finally broached the topic of becoming a real family with Finn the weekend before, despite Sadie’s anxieties. His little five-year-old nose had scrunched up at the idea.
‘So, Dylan would live with us?’ he’d asked.
‘When he didn’t have to travel for work, yes,’ Sadie had answered nervously.
‘Good. I like our house. I can walk to Grandma and Granddad’s from here, and to school, and Phoebe and CJ can visit me lots.’ Dylan had shared a small smile with her at that. When she’d tried to insist on finding a place to rent on her own, maybe in Oxford, he’d pointed out that she’d only have to move again in a few months when they finally let everyone else in on their engagement. The whole point was to be near her family—so together they’d found the perfect house just across the village from her parents’.
It already felt like home should.
‘So, you wouldn’t mind me marrying your mum?’ Dylan had asked, and Sadie had heard the nerves in his voice even if Finn hadn’t. He’d come such a long way from the man she remembered as Adem’s friend. And he was so much more now, to her and to Finn.
‘Will I have to wear a stupid suit?’ Finn had asked. ‘My friend Riley did when his mum got married.’
‘You can wear whatever you like,’ Dylan had promised, his relief obvious.
Finn had tipped his head to the side, studied Dylan for a moment, then clambered up into his lap for a hug. ‘Then I think it would be pretty great.’
As far as Sadie was concerned, it already was.
A commotion came from behind her and Sadie knew that Rachel had arrived with the kids. Finn came running towards her, cherry blossoms forgotten, Dylan following. As he passed, Sadie grabbed Finn around his waist and pulled him up into her lap.
‘Mum!’ He wiggled, trying to escape. ‘CJ and Phoebe are here!’
‘I know,’ Sadie said. ‘So, how would you like to be the one to tell everyone the big news?’
‘The wedding news?’ Finn whispered conspiratorially.
Sadie nodded, smiling at Dylan over Finn’s head.
‘Okay!’ He jumped down and ran into the house. ‘Guess what, everybody! Mum and Dylan are getting married!’
Dylan held out a hand to pull her to her feet. ‘Better put this on, then.’ He fished in his pocket for a familiar-looking ring box and handed it to her. ‘It’ll be good to see it on your hand permanently at last.’
‘It’ll be good to wear it.’ She let him slide the ring into place then reached up to kiss him as her mum’s squeals of joy rang out from inside.
‘When do you propose to tell them our other news?’ Dylan murmured against her mouth, his hand brushing across her middle.
‘We’ve got a few weeks yet,’ Sadie whispered back. ‘Let’s let this one sink in first.’ In truth, she was enjoying the secret. ‘Besides, I want Finn to know before anyone else. Being a big brother is a big job.’
‘That it is.’ He kissed her again, and Sadie felt a warmth flow through her that had more to do with love than spring sunshine and cherry blossom.
She was home at last, exactly where she was meant to be, and all her plans for the future looked golden.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from SOLDIER, HERO...HUSBAND? by Cara Colter.
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Soldier, Hero...Husband?
by Cara Colter
CHAPTER ONE
CONNOR BENSON AWOKE with a start. It was dark. And it was hot. Where was he? Somalia? Iraq? Afghanistan? Wherever he was, it was so secret, even his mother didn’t know.
That feeling tickled along his spine, a sense of imminent danger. It brought him to red alert. Still not knowing exactly where he was, he was suddenly extremely focused, on nothing and everything. Each of his senses was so wide-open it was almost painful.
The tick of a clock somewhere in the room seemed explosively loud. Connor could feel the faint prickliness of the bedclothes against his naked skin, and he could feel a single bead of sweat slide down his temple. He could smell the residue of his own sweat and aftershave, and farther away, coffee.
Another sound rose above the ticking of the clock and the deliberate steadiness of his own breathing. It was a whispery noise just beyond this room, and as unobtrusive as it was, Connor knew it was that sound that had woken him. It was the sneaky sound of someone trying to be very quiet.
Connor tossed off the thin blanket and was out of the bed in one smooth movement, from dead asleep to warrior alert in the time it took to draw a single breath. The floor was stone under his bare feet and he moved across it soundlessly. His nickname on his SEAL team had been “the Cat.”