Heavy-hearted, she pulled at the bow with painstaking hesitation and clicked open the box.
Her entire body soared until her head felt dizzy.
‘It’s a key!’ she exclaimed.
He’d remembered and this was his way of showing her—proving to her—that she could trust him. The first of his actions-not-words promise. Her grin was so wide it was almost uncomfortable. Had she ever known how it felt to be this happy?
‘To my place,’ confirmed Fitz. ‘You can call in whenever you want. No invitation necessary.’
‘Thank you.’ Her voice cracked as she nodded vigorously. ‘It’s perfect.’
‘Like you,’ he murmured, pulling her back into his arms. ‘Now, where were we?’
* * *
Elle could hear the Gurkha piper playing as she and Fitz turned. The honour guard formed outside the doors of the church, fellow officers from both their regiments only too happy to play their part in the big day.
‘Happy?’ Fitz murmured as they began their walk down the aisle, permanent grins attached to both their faces.
‘It doesn’t even begin to describe it.’ The laughter bubbled up inside her. ‘The perfect culmination to a wonderful three years together.’
‘It gets better,’ a voice chirped up from behind as Elle swung around to grin at Fliss, her heavily pregnant matron of honour.
‘If your waters break on my wedding dress train,’ Elle teased in a threatening voice, ‘well...I won’t mind a bit. I’m just relieved you made it through the service.’
And then Fliss disappeared into the background as Fitz wrapped his arm around her—her new husband. It felt so exciting and yet so fitting.
‘Come on, Major Fitzwilliam.’ Fitz chuckled. ‘Or are you sticking with Major Caplin?’
‘You already know the answer.’ She swatted him gently even as he led her out of the church doors and under the honour guard. ‘Definitely Fitzwilliam, but they’d better not call me Fitz.’
‘They wouldn’t dare. Not the incoming lieutenant colonel of the field hospital, and an OBE to boot.’
He soundest almost prouder of her than she was herself. But, then, that was Fitz. In the last three years he’d never let her down, never put his career ahead of hers. They’d worked together, well and truly buried any last demons, and now they were beginning another new, pristine chapter of their lives together. And Elle couldn’t wait.
‘Well, I had to do something to keep up with you, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for HQ Telridge Command. Although thanks to your new post, starting tomorrow morning, this is going to be the shortest honeymoon in history.’
‘I’ll make it up to you,’ Fitz promised.
‘No need.’ She turned to him as his arm snaked about her back and he pulled her close. ‘Enough talking, more action, soldier.’
And he obliged. As he always did.
* * ***