Epilogue Mandy
EPILOGUE: MANDY
I swirled my finger over the tattoo on Chance’s chest. Adjusting my head against his shoulder, I purred, “I don’t think I can walk.”
A low rumble vibrated in my ear, and I grinned at his sexy laugh. “I’m not sure I can either. You’re insatiable, woman.”
“I had to burn off that adrenaline somehow,” I sniffed. “I can’t stop picturing you all beastly sexy, beating up those thugs in your slick black suit?—”
“Beastly sexy?”
I lifted my chin and winked. “You look like a caveman with all that scruff on your chin. And you act like one too, in a fight. And in bed. What would you call it?”
“I’m pretty sure I’d use almost any description but that.” He lazily stroked my spine.
“Chance?”
“Um-hmm?”
“Are you…your brothers are off having an adventure…” I stumbled to get my question out, terrified of the answer. “Are you planning on joining them?”
“No.” He shrugged, my head rising and falling with the movement. “I’ve had all the adventure I can handle for a lifetime.”
“So, you mentioned trying to figure out where you want to settle down. Have you come to a decision?”
His breathing paused, and my mouth instantly went dry.
Chance slipped out from under me and sat up. Without a word, he pulled a pair of shorts on and left his bedroom.
Oh no . This was it. He loved me, but he couldn’t stay. It was happening all over again.
Tears filled my eyes and I fell back against the pillow. Agony like I’d never known suffocated me.
“Mandy,” Chance called. “Come out here, please.”
No , I silently answered. Unable to move.
“Mandy,” he said again, his voice a bit sterner. “Please.”
I kicked the sheet off my feet and blindly reached for my shirt and shorts. Tears blurred my sight to the point where I wasn’t sure if I had my shirt on backwards, but I managed to put it on. Stumbling from his room, I used my hand to guide me down the hall to the living room.
“Sweetheart,” he begged softly. “You’re killing me. Wipe your eyes and look at me.”
I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. Blinking, I gazed ahead and froze.
“I didn’t want to do this in bed.” Chance smiled up at me from bended knee. Bruises bloomed over his face, chest, and knuckles, but I’d never seen anything more beautiful in my life.
He held a black velvet box up, then opened it. “Amanda Loomis, from the first day I met you, you stole my heart. We’ve traveled a hard road to get here, but I cannot picture a future without you in it. You once told me that you dreamed of owning the garage and marrying me. I hope to God you still want that.” He lifted the box higher. “Will you be my wife?”
Tears fell from my eyes, and I clapped a hand over my mouth.
His expression slipped. “I’m not making assumptions about the future. I swear. I’m asking you what you want, but I’m really hoping you want to be with me.” His words rushed together. “I can’t answer your question about where I want to settle down yet. We can buy out my brothers and live here, or live at your house, I don’t care. I only know I want to help you run the garage and live in Springwell, and maybe open a gym like Travis’s, but without that stink?—”
I rushed forward and tackled him.
He laughed nervously from flat on his back. “Does this mean yes?”
“Yes, you silly man.” I kissed him hard. “I’ve been waiting for twelve years.”
He chuckled and pulled the solitaire, round-cut diamond on a silver band out of the box. “Would you hate me if I told you I’ve had this ring for twelve years?”
“What?” I pulled back, balancing with a hand on his meaty chest.
“Saved every penny I earned in the garage for a year and bought it in Columbus so you wouldn’t find out.” He chuffed as if remembering. “The day you broke up with me, I had it in my pocket.” He lifted my left hand. “I was about to ask you to marry me when you told me never to contact you again.”
“Oh, Chance!” Horror filled me.
“I didn’t want to enter the Navy without you, and the only way we could stay together was if we were married.” He sat up, taking me with him. Nestling me on his lap and in his arms, he kissed me gently. “Since I’ve always imagined being your husband, I couldn’t wait to drop to one knee.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything.” He slid the ring on my finger and somehow it still fit. “I meant what I said earlier, I would have made you miserable if I’d stayed, and you would have hated leaving your dad and the garage if I’d convinced you to leave. I’m proud of who we are now and I’m impossibly more in love with you than before.” He squeezed my fingers. “I know what home means now, and you’re it for me. No matter where we live, I’ll be home.”
My heart sang— home , that was it. A place to feel safe. A place to live and grow. Chance was all that and more, and we’d found our way back to each other at last.