It seemed as though all her emotions welled up at once. “I… I was mad because you put yourself at risk to try and save me.” She was struggling to get the words out. “I was mad because you were trying to stop me doing something dangerous… I was mad because I was scared to do it…but I didn’t want to be. I was mad because I constantly felt as if I had to prove myself to my father. To earn his respect. To earn his approval. To show him I could do it. To show him I was capable. And… I… I…” She stopped talking and sucked in a deep breath. Her tear-filled eyes met his. It was almost as if something had just clicked into place. He could see the glimmer of recognition in her gaze. She squeezed his hand. “And… I don’t need to do that with you.”
He could see her whole change in stance. Her shoulders went down as if the tension had left her body. “I don’t need to do that with you,” she repeated in a whisper.
“No.” He smiled. “You don’t, Amber. I’ve got your back. I’ll always have your back. You specialize in infectious diseases. How much of that have you got to do in the last seven days? Have you complained? Have you said no? Not once. You’ve put your head down and got on with it. And have you stopped when you were scared? When you put yourself in a situation where you could be electrocuted? When you put yourself in the path of the landslide?” He cupped her cheek. “Who would do that, Amber?” Then he laughed again. “What normal, sane-minded person would do a thing like that?”
She started laughing too. “Jack Campbell, I do believe you may be a bad influence on me.”
He fumbled around, looking for her button to lower the bedside. “Where is this dang thing? Ah…finally.” He put the side down and moved closer, wincing as his ribs let him know he wasn’t quite as healed as he might want to be. He put one hand on his side. “Dr. Berkeley, I believe we may need to talk about your technique.”
“Hang the technique.” She smiled as she put her hand around his head and pulled him closer. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”
He moved closer, inches away from her lips. “I believe that might put me in your debt.”
She licked her lips. “You bet it does. You don’t think I saved the man I love for anyone else, do you?”
Before he could ask her to repeat that, she kissed him.
And he had absolutely no intention of stopping that…
EPILOGUE
One year later
EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. The beach was perfect. The brightly colored flowers in her wedding bouquet were perfect, and the overwater bungalows in the perfect green sea in front of them were perfect—especially when she knew one of them had their names on it.
“Ready?”
Her mother stood in front of her dressed in a bright orange dress, complete with an over-the-top hat on her head. So right for the mother of the bride.
Amber stared down and wiggled her pink-painted toenails in the yellow sand. They were always going to come back to the place they’d met to cement their union. Hawaii had recovered well and returned to the beautiful lush state it had been on the morning she’d first arrived. She ran her hand across her pale cream wedding dress. She’d opted for a three-quarter-length dress, lightweight, with lace across her décolletage and shoulders with cap sleeves. Covered enough for a bride but quirky enough that she could get away with being barefoot. Her only jewelry was her gold locket.
She nodded and breathed slowly. “Oh, yes. I’m ready.”
Her mother stepped in front of her and put a hand on each shoulder. “I always wondered if I’d have to tell my daughter not to make the same mistakes I did. You have no idea how happy I am that I don’t need to do it. I love Jack. He’s perfect for you. Grumpy sometimes. Doesn’t let you get away with anything. But most importantly he adores you, Amber. I see it in his eyes every time he looks at you. Work hard at this marriage, honey. You found a keeper.”
Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She leaned forward and hugged her mom, almost sending the bright orange hat tumbling down the beach in the light winds. “Thank you, Mom, for everything. You’ve always been my biggest supporter and I love you.”
“Come on, Amber! Are you stalling, girl?”
The broad Scots voice of Jack’s dad drifted down the beach. His family were waiting in the shaded area, tugging at the collars of their shirts in the searing heat. They’d been ecstatic to come to Hawaii for the wedding, even though it was a long flight. It was a small wedding with only a few other members of Amber’s family, and a few of the residents they’d met in Hawaii. Lana, Jamal and Ron were all waiting patiently for things to start, as were Aaron and Zane—who’d both made a good recovery from meningitis—both with their respective parents.
Amber laughed and turned around, catching her breath at the sight of Jack waiting for her in his kilt. “Oh, wow.”
Her mother gave her hand a squeeze. “Yip. Wow. Let’s not keep your handsome man waiting. These Scots guys can’t seem to manage the heat,” she joked.
Amber met Jack’s gaze. She’d never been so sure of anything in her life.
He gave her his trademark cheeky grin. His heavy dark kilt was swaying in the breeze from the ocean and his cream open-necked ghillie shirt outlined his muscled chest. As she walked toward him, he held out his hand to her.
She handed her flowers to her mother and he took both her hands in his so they were facing each other.
“You’ve still got a few seconds,” he whispered. “If you want to do the runaway bride, you should do it now.”
She smiled at the celebrant who was waiting to start the ceremony as she let go of Jack’s hands, slid
her hands around his neck and stepped closer.
“Where would I run to? I’m exactly where I want to be, with exactly who I want to be with. Now and always.”
The celebrant gave a short laugh. “Hey, folks. Aren’t you supposed to wait for me?”
Jack winked. “Just give us a minute. We’ll be right with you,” he said as he bent to kiss his bride.
And the guests all applauded, even though they weren’t quite husband and wife.
And everything was just as it was destined to be.
*
If you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Scarlet Wilson
Resisting the Single Dad
A Family Made at Christmas
The Doctor and the Princess
A Royal Baby for Christmas
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Brooding Surgeon’s Baby Bombshell by Susan Carlisle.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Did you know that Harlequin My Rewards members earn FREE books and more?
Join
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
today to start earning your FREE books!
*
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever and whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS of your choice
OR
EXCLUSIVE GIFTS from your favorite authors or series.
Click here to join for FREE
Or visit us online to register at
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com