Chapter 15
Zion
Six Months Later
“How did I ever let you talk me into this?” Bill asked.
I looked over at him and laughed. I punched him hard on the arm and stuck my tongue out at him. “You are such a weakling.”
“Yeah, right. I’m a weakling because I don’t want to go bungee jumping.”
“Yeah, you don’t take any risks anymore. The man I fell in love with loved to take great risks.”
“I don’t remember ever being such a guy,” Bill said. He was smiling, but I could tell he didn’t really want to do this. Truth be told he didn’t want to do this because he found it boring. I wished I found it boring, but I was not an adrenaline junkie like my brand-new husband. Husband… I was still getting used to using that word and thinking that way. I wasn’t sure how much longer it would take before it felt natural, but I loved it. I loved the way it sounded. I loved the way it felt. It was really amazing.
We’d tied the knot three days ago and were now in Paris on our honeymoon. I had set the whole thing about bungee jumping up a few days ago and we were ready to embark on this amazing adventure. And tomorrow we were jumping out of airplanes. The day after that was rock climbing. And then we were going to relax with some golf.
Something had happened to me that night, when the Rayne gang as they came to be known had tried to kill me. Come to find out the men were responsible for a wealthy client of the firm and they had killed Tyler because he hadn’t paid them their proper cut of the money owed to them. And of course, they had to kill me just because I was there. They were relentless. That means I must have scared them to death knowing I was out there trying to bring them to justice. That should have made me feel empowered and it did after it was all said and done.
And after I shot the bastard, it felt even better.
I had trouble sleeping for the first several nights. I tossed and turned. I woke up screaming thinking I was still in that fight, that it was that same night, and Bill would have to shake me awake fully and help me calm back down. I know he must have thought I was a full-blown nutcase now, but he didn’t. He was so sweet and understanding. He just wanted to help me. He wanted to be with me. I loved him and he loved me back. He was no longer afraid to show that. And that comforted me. That helped me get back to my actual self again. Without him I don’t know what would have happened to me. He taught me how to fight them and then he showed me how to fight my way back to myself.
Then one night Bill had dinner fixed for me when I got to his place after work. I’d basically moved in with him, but I still had the lease on my place for a bit longer. I was going to let it go out and live with Bill full time. We both wanted that.
He had fixed steak and potatoes which was starting to become one of our favorites. We had a romantic dinner and afterwards, Bill got down on one knee completely out of the blue. He asked me to marry him. I couldn’t believe it. I was so shocked that I actually forgot to answer.
I eventually answered with a resounding. “Yes! Yes! Of course!”
We embraced and then made some sweet love in the bedroom most of the night off and on. It was one of the most amazing nights I’ve ever had, possibly the most amazing night.
And then four months later we tied the knot. We invited our friends and families from both sides. To my delight Chelsea agreed to be my maid of honor. She looked amazing. I couldn’t believe how well she was doing after everything. It took a few weeks, but especially after she heard that Bill and I killed her attackers she started to improve dramatically.
The wedding was so much fun. Bill looked amazing and I thought I did as well, or at least that was what everyone kept saying. It was such a beautiful day and I would hold it so tightly in my memory forever. I never wanted to forget even a little bit of it.
“Well, you were such a guy and it was an incredible turn on. I think you should get back to being more like that.”
He pretended to be offended and pouted his bottom lip out. It was hilarious some of the crazy faces he made sometimes. Bill had changed a bit since I first met him. He was a lot happier acting, much more outgoing, and he didn’t see the world as if he lived in a total warzone. He’d just come a long way towards becoming such a great human being all around, or at least a lot more open.