The Man She Should Have Married

He was struggling to speak.

‘I’ve never loved anyone else. I couldn’t. You’ve always had my heart. And you always will.’

Nia could feel the tears filling her eyes. She loved him, he loved her and they had fought their way back to one another. But, more importantly, they were going to keep fighting to stay together.

‘You and I are poetry,’ he said shakily.

Her heart tumbled inside her chest. ‘And everyone else is prose,’ she whispered.

With a groan, Farlan pulled her into his arms. ‘I’m so sorry I left—’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

She could feel the tears in her eyes, but her voice rang with a love that matched his own.

For a moment they stared at one another, mute with relief and gratitude that after so much, after everything that had happened, they were finally in the right place at the right time.

‘How did you do this?’ she said wonderingly after a moment. ‘Diane said you’d left. I heard the helicopter.’

‘I did leave,’ he admitted. ‘But I didn’t get very far. I called the studio, told them if they wanted the interview they’d have to come to Scotland.’

She bit her lip. ‘Very masterful.’

He grinned. ‘Well, as we both know, I am a Hollywood Big Shot. Anyway, then I called Dee and she sorted everything out. Got you out of the cottage so the camera crew could get set up. Everything just fell into place.’

‘I guess it was meant to be,’ she murmured.

Stepping back, he cupped her face. ‘I know you said you’ve always felt like we were married, but I was wondering what you thought about maybe making that feeling legal?’

There was a silence.

Nia gazed up at him. Her mouth was dry and her eyes felt hot. ‘Are you asking me to marry you?’

‘Yes,’ he said simply.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘Then I’d like that very much,’ she whispered, her eyes closing as his mouth found hers.

‘In that case…’ He drew away. ‘We need to start planning our big day. You and I have a date at the altar, or rather the anvil at the Blacksmiths in Gretna Green in twenty-nine days.’

Catching sight of her stunned expression, he pulled her closer.

‘We’ve waited seven years, Nia, I don’t want to wait any more.’

Her brown eyes softened. ‘Neither do I.’

She was smiling, and lowering his mouth he kissed her, arms tightening around the woman he loved now and for ever.

Coming next month

PRIDE & THE ITALIAN’S PROPOSAL

Kate Hewitt

‘I judge on what I see,’ Fausto allowed as he captured her queen easily. She looked unfazed by the move, as if she’d expected it, although to Fausto’s eye it had seemed a most inexpert choice. ‘Doesn’t everyone do the same?’

‘Some people are more accepting than others.’

‘Is that a criticism?’