Roarke's Kingdom

“I confronted Alexandra. She admitted what she’d done and then she said Go on, tell Roarke everything—but she knew I couldn’t, even though it would have ended her hold on you.”

“Because you didn’t want to hurt Susanna.”

“It was partly that, but by then I knew you well enough to be sure you wouldn’t have turned away from Susanna if you knew the truth. It was—it was what the truth might have done to you. I couldn’t put that kind of knife in your heart.”

Roarke smiled a little. “It did hurt, at first. But then I thought, hell, biology isn’t the only thing that makes for parenthood. Even I’m not fool enough to think that.”

“Then—your love for Susu hasn’t changed?”

“I told you it hadn’t.” He hesitated, then cupped her face and raised it until he was looking into her eyes. “I love her even more.”

“Yes. You said you did. I’m so glad—”

“Don’t you want to know why?” He smiled as he traced the outline of her mouth with his thumb. “I love her even more,” he said softly, “because she’s a part of you.”

Jennifer stated at him, wanting to believe him.

Afraid to believe him.

“I love you,” Roarke said. “I’ve never stopped loving you.”

“How?” she whispered, her eyes searching his. “How could you love me when you thought—when you believed me capable of—”

“Forgive me for that.” He kissed her eyelids, her temples, her mouth. “I don’t think I ever believed it, not in my heart. No matter what Alexandra told me, what Ronald said, my heart kept reminding me of what I really knew about you, that you were generous and loving and kind. The trouble is, I’m not a man who’s used to listening to his heart. You changed that, sweetheart. You changed everything about me.” He kissed her again, his mouth lingering on hers. “Tell me you love me still,” he said. “Tell me I didn’t kill your love when I sent you away that night.”

“You broke my heart,” she said, with the honesty he adored. “But I still loved you. I’ll always love you. Always.”

He silenced her again with a long, sweet kiss. Then he took the envelope that held the waiver she’d signed.

“There’s just one problem. This document…”

“I told you I’d never try and take Susu from you. Don’t you believe me?”

“That’s the point, sweetheart. I do believe you—but you’re her mother.” He frowned, but there was a glint in his eyes. “And I’m her father. There has to be a different kind of document, something that would ensure that each of us plays an equal role in our little girl’s life.”

Jennifer held her breath. “Is there a document like that?” she said softly.

Roarke grinned as tore the envelope in half. “It’s called a marriage license.” His grin faded. “Marry me,” he said softly. “Be my wife as well as Susanna’s mother.”

A warm summer breeze drifted through the open window over the pansies’ soft velvet petals. Jennifer saw their heads dip as if in agreement and her heart swelled with joy.

“Jen. Will you be my wife?”

She laughed. “Yes,” she said, looping her arms around Roarke’s neck, “oh, yes, yes, yes.”

“We’ll get married in San Juan. There’s a beautiful place on the beach—”

“Can we get married on Isla de la Pantera? Would you be happy with that?”

“I’ll be happy with anything, sweetheart, as long as you’re beside me.”

Jennifer smiled. “Always,” she whispered.

The pansies smiled too.

If they could have spoken, they’d have said that they’d always believed in happy endings.