“Maybe so, sweetheart, but humor me. Once you’ve said it out loud it will be that much easier the second time, and easier still the third time. And so on. Let’s go again. I.”
“I.”
“Love.”
“Love.”
“You.”
“Dan, I just can’t say that right now.”
“Okay. I’ve got an idea. Take my hand,” he told her, seeing the sparkle in her eyes.
She smiled and grabbed his hand.
He walked her to the edge of Overlook Ridge. “Repeat after me.” He yelled, “I love you!” The echo repeated it back several times.
“That’s amazing.”
“Your turn, Mary.”
She shook her head.
“Come on. Do it. You won’t regret it.”
She faced the ravine and yelled, “I love this place. I love Wilde. And I really, really, really like Dan Wilde.” She laughed as her words returned again and again.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. Your heart is safe with us.”
“I do like you, Dan. I like you very much. But I just got out of a terrible relationship.”
“My brothers told me about your ex and what he did to you.” He put his arm around her. “That bastard will never hurt you again as long as my brothers and I are around. Trust me. You already know how the three of us are. We wouldn’t lay a hand on you. That’s not how things are done here. When you go to the newspaper office, you won’t find one case of domestic abuse or violence anywhere in Wilde. It just doesn’t happen here. Ever. Our women are our treasures, our queens.”
“I believe you. I see how your dads treat your mom.”
“If you’re not ready to say the words, that’s okay with me. I will wait as long as it takes, sweetheart. But I promise you this, that Craig, Dillon, and I will never give up. We love you. You are meant to be with us.” He pulled her in close and kissed her again. “I swear to you, Mary Kincaid, I will do whatever it takes to earn your love. I’ve never met any woman like you before. You’re my dream come true.”
Her eyes welled up. “And you are mine. You and your brothers. I’m tired of being afraid, Dan. Here it goes.” She took a deep breath and then whispered softly, “I love you.”
Hearing her words thrilled him.
Once again, he kissed her. “I love you, sweetheart.”
She smiled and repeated in a louder tone. “I love you more.”
“Oh you think so.” He laughed. “I love you to Idaho and back.”
“Ha. I love you to the moon and back.” Her words returned with a new echo.
“I love you for eternity.” Before she could speak, he pressed his lips to hers. When he released her, he saw her face was flushed. He led her back to the side of the blanket. Keeping hold of her, he bent down and replaced the jazz tape with another that had sexy songs.
Unbuttoning his shirt, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “You’re mine, Mary. And I’m yours. Now, take off your clothes. I need to see all of your beautiful body.”
She grinned and started dancing in front of him. Her movements drove him mad with desire for her. She stepped forward and dragged her fingernails down his exposed chest. “You need to give me a show, too, Dan Wilde. Fair is fair.”
“You think so?”