Meant-To-Be Marriage

He brushed his mouth against her. “At the time, Brenda couldn’t possibly have known how her comment affected me. I was consumed with thoughts of what it would be like to have children with you. Our own children.

“Sydney? After we’re married, do you want to start a family right away?”

She heard his unspoken plea, but he needn’t have worried. “Yes! Oh yes!”

An unmistakable gleam of satisfaction caused his eyes to radiate little points of green light.

“My cousin’s about ready to give birth to her first child. I’m happy for her, but I’ve been envious, too, because she and Joe were able to meet and get married without problems.”

“In other words, they were surrounded by family and friends when they took their vows in church,” Jarod added.

“Yes.”

“Your father talked to me about those two.”

“Dad approves of Joe, he comes from a ranching background. He fits right in.”

“Lucky Joe.”

She darted him a pleading glance. “You’re the man I’m going to marry so none of it matters—”

“I disagree, Sydney. Though I plan to marry you any way we can, I’d much prefer to do it the old-fashioned way.”

“But how can we do that?” Her voice trembled.

“I saw past your parents’ guard. If ever two people are grief stricken over what’s transpired, they are.”

She sobered. “They could have turned everything around with one word of welcome to you.”

“Maybe when the shock wears off. For now you and I have other matters to take care of. I’ll run over to the lodge and check back in, then drop by the resort office to let Maureen know I’m ready to start work on Monday. After that, we’ll go out for dinner and celebrate our engagement. How does that sound?”

“Like you’re not going to be back here soon enough to suit me.” She flung her arms around his waist. “Every time you walk out of a door, I’m afraid I won’t see you again. I know that sounds paranoid, but I can’t help it.

“The other night when I went to the lodge and couldn’t find you, I almost went out of my mind. Until the clerk assured me you hadn’t checked out, I was afraid you’d decided to just leave Gardiner early.

“Even when he told me you had to be somewhere around, I was terrified I might not see you slip in, and then you’d be gone from me forever.”

She tried to fight tears, but they spilled down her face anyway. “I couldn’t take it if that happened. Not now.”

“Do you think I could?” he demanded emotionally. His hands cupped her face before he kissed her with exquisite tenderness. “I gave up a whole other life for you. I did it of my own free will and volition because you fulfill something in me I could never experience otherwise.

“I know our path won’t always be smooth. There will be stormy moments, but I swear before God we’ll make it through the good and the bad times because we’ve found a love too rare to be denied.

“I love you, Sydney. I need you in ways you can’t imagine. Don’t ever give up on me.”

His body strained against her. He was trembling. It filled her with awe the way his vulnerability caused him to cling.

“Oh, darling. As if I could.”

He made a sound in his throat. “You used to whisper that endearment to me in my dreams. To hear you say it aloud—to me—”

For this strong, fantastic man to reveal some of his deepest secrets, even for a moment, catapulted her love to achingly new heights.

She wasn’t naive. She knew there were other secrets. Maybe he’d share them one day, maybe not.

“Never be afraid to tell me anything, Jarod. The only thing that could hurt us would be for you to hold back.”

He grasped her hands. “That works both ways, Sydney. In our special case, honesty will be the crucial ingredient, no matter what.”