She couldn’t say anything, struck speechless, but she rushed toward him and brought his non-bandaged hand to her lips, kissing the knuckles. Shelly could see the pain he was in, feel it in her own bones, but he opened his hand to caress her cheek. Their eyes locked and Shelly felt herself fall in love with him all over again.
“I think we’ll leave you two alone for a few minutes,” Dylan said to the room. Sydney added, “Thank you, Preston.”
“Had to go play hero, huh?” Shelly said, trying to crack a joke beneath her tears.
“Not so good at it, apparently.”
“I feel like all I do is keep apologizing to you, but I’m sorry for everything.”
“Marry me,” he stated and Shelly looked at him in shock.
“What?”
“I literally came within seconds of losing my life, and now that I’ve been given a second chance, I want to spend every second with you. No more missions. No more secrets. No more lies. Just me, you, and Abel.”
“Are you sure you want to marry me, Preston?”
“Without a doubt in my mind. I love you.”
Behind the tears welling in her eyes, she saw his love pouring from his body as he continued to cup her cheek, gently wiping the tears away.
“Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you too.”
In less than three weeks, Shelly had her world flipped upside down by a man that had given her a place to live and a sense of security in her life that she had never felt before. She never had a chance not to fall in love with the man that had sworn to protect her and her son at all costs. He was going to give her the life her mother had always wished for her and Shelly was going to treasure each moment.
Epilogue
Preston sat in his wheelchair watching the Fourth of July firework celebration as Abel “oohed” and “awed” at each colorful explosion. Shelly had manipulated the nursing staff into letting her nurse him at home, and somehow she had gotten them to agree, so long as the town doctor checked on his vitals for the next few weeks.
The town had rallied behind him as he returned in a display he had never imagined he would experience. There were no more sideways glances or hushed whispers as he passed. After saving Dylan’s life and subsequently one of the Connelly daughters, everyone had praised his heroic efforts.
“Hey, Landon,” Preston said as his friend came to sit in the empty chair beside him.
“Hey.”
“How’s the bar coming? Once I’m off these meds, I’ll be in search of a nice cold
brew.”
“Almost done. A couple more months, I think. Sorry to hear about Jackie,” he said as another explosion darted in the sky.
That had been a revelation that had sent the townsfolks’ heads spinning. They couldn’t comprehend that a woman they had known for years had been the one leaking FBI information to the cartels and mafia. It was amazing what money would do to people.
As Preston had lain unconscious in the warehouse, a secondary FBI team had swarmed in and captured the cartel associates that Preston had shot. Miraculously many of them were still alive, which meant the FBI was squeezing information from them. He learned that Jackie had been tracking his every move and when she learned he was still an informant for the FBI, she had determined her way out. Her first hit against him had been the almost car crash in Atlanta, which was why she was in crutches. And then she had Damon try to break into his house to plant a bomb, but couldn’t find a way inside. They were both going to rot in a jail cell for attempted murder instead of spending their days on a private island.
“Thanks. I’m still trying to come to terms with everything.”
“Understandable.”
“Hey, there,” Shelly said as she came up behind Preston carrying two buckets of popcorn. “Hi, Landon. Good to see you.”
“You too. Congratulations,” he said as he glanced at the large diamond on her left hand.
“Thank you.”
Landon stood from the chair, offering it to Shelly, and gently rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder before heading back toward the downtown area, which was now vacant. Preston was sure that his friend would see better days soon, but he was still haunted by everything he left behind before he came to Carson.
Preston reached out and gripped his fiancée's hand, grateful for every second he would get to spend with her.