“You’ll never have to doubt that I love you,” he promised. “Even when I’m irked with you...and that’s going to happen, Emily. I’m afraid it’s impossible for two people to live together without teeing each other off occasionally.”
She laughed suddenly, musically, and his chest clenched. “I know. I’ll get mad at you, too. In fact, I was furious with you yesterday because I had to hear from Martha Godwin that you and Clay were sick. But I still loved you.”
He winced. “Martha Godwin?”
She nodded. “I’ll tell you about it later. Promise me, Wade, that you’ll always feel free to tell me what you need from me.”
“Promise me that you’ll always feel free to say no. That you won’t feel you have to earn my love. And that you’ll never hesitate to ask for what you need.”
“I need something right now,” she said, the satisfyingly happy glitter still bright in her eyes.
“Anything,” he vowed recklessly.
“Take your medicine and go lie down. I want you well, and soon, so I can take advantage of you without worrying about killing you.”
This time it was Wade who laughed, and then groaned with frustration. “Oh, man. This is a really lousy time to have the flu.”
“Next year, maybe you’ll get your flu shot,” she said primly. “Go to bed, Wade.”
He sighed deeply as he stood, half-seriously hoping he wasn’t delirious and imagining all this. “You’ll be here when I wake up?”
She stood with him, and wrapped her arms around him for a fervent hug. “I’ll be here for as long as you want me,” she whispered.
He lifted her off her feet and held her tightly, proving to both of them that his illness hadn’t totally weakened him. “Forever. I’ll want you forever.”
“Then you’re in luck,” she whispered. “That’s exactly how long I was planning to stay.”
Epilogue
“IT WAS a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?”
Wade snuggled Emily more tightly against his bare body and gave a typically male answer to such a question. “Mmm.”
“Tara looked so beautiful. And Blake so handsome. And Savannah and the twins looked so happy with Kit.”
“Mmm.” Wade seemed much more interested in reexploring Emily’s curves than in recapping the wedding they’d attended several hours earlier.
Emily giggled and caught his hand when it wandered dangerously close to trouble—again. “It’s only been a few days since you were down with the flu. Are you sure you want to risk a relapse?”
“Woman, are you questioning my stamina?” he asked, sounding properly indignant.
“Never,” she promised with mock gravity.
“I’m glad you talked me into coming to the wedding with you,” he said, shifting their positions to give him access to her throat, which he then proceeded to nuzzle.
She smiled, sliding her fingers into his hair. The gold bracelet on her wrist glinted in the lamplight as her arm moved. The bracelet had been a gift from Wade, its heart-shaped links representing his love for her. When he’d given it to her two days ago, he had told her with touching uncertainty that he knew it couldn’t replace the one that had been her mother’s. He had promised not to stop looking for her mother’s bracelet, though he’d admitted that the chances of recovery grew slimmer with each day it was missing.
With tears in her eyes, Emily had assured him that this bracelet meant even more to her. It had been bought with love, for her alone. And given to her by someone who would never retract that love, who would never abandon her.
She hadn’t taken the bracelet off since he’d clasped it around her wrist.
She hadn’t had to work very hard to convince Wade to accompany her to Tara’s wedding on this Friday after Thanksgiving. Leaving Clay to spend the night with the family of his best friend from school, Wade and Emily had slipped away for one night together in a lovely Atlanta hotel following her cousin’s wedding. They had to return to Honoria early the next day, but they intended to make good use of these rare hours together.
Wade kissed her lingeringly, pressing her into the well-rumpled sheets. “I love you,” he murmured.
She arched into his weight. “I love you, too.”
“I want to spend every night with you like this.” Tangling his legs with hers, he teased her with playful thrusts of his body, until her smile faded and she was aching with renewed desire. “I want to wake every morning with you in my arms.”