Killing Fear

FORTY-TWO

Two weeks later

Will watched Robin closely to make sure she didn’t overdo it. He hadn’t wanted to come to the wedding-Robin had only been out of the hospital for a couple days-but she’d insisted.

“Carina is your best friend. You can’t miss her wedding.”

By the look on Robin’s face, the formal Catholic ceremony had been lovely. Will didn’t pay much attention to it, watching Robin for signs of fatigue.

“Stop it,” she said as they walked into the reception at the Kincaid family house an hour later.

“You want to go home?”

“No. Stop treating me like I’m about to break. I’m okay, Will. I’ll let you know if I need to go home, I promise.”

He relaxed. Some. “If you promise.”

He’d almost lost her. Again. She’d lost so much blood after the showdown with Glenn.

But that was over.

Nick and Carina came up to them shortly after the newly married couple arrived in the backyard. “I’m so glad you came,” Carina beamed at Robin. “You haven’t met my husband, Nick Thomas.”

Robin smiled. “The wedding was beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Carina said.

Will hugged his partner. “You’ve never looked more gorgeous, Cara,” he said affectionately. He shook hands with Nick. “Congratulations.”

“It was perfect,” Carina said.

“Almost,” Nick said, his face clouding a bit. “If only Patrick could have been here.”

Carina nodded. “I prayed every day that he’d be back up and around in time for my wedding. We even considered postponing it, but what would that do? Put Nick and me on hold on the slim chance that Patrick recovers? When? This month? This year? Five years from now?” She glanced at Will, her dark eyes glistening. “Don’t wait, Will. Love, and life, needs to be your priority.”

She took both Will and Robin’s hands into hers and squeezed, then walked off with Nick to talk to the rest of the guests.

“Robin-”

“You don’t have to-”

“Shh.” He looked around the crowded backyard. All the Kincaids were here. Even Dillon Kincaid’s elusive twin brother hovered around the periphery. All Will wanted was a quiet place to talk to Robin.

“Come with me,” he said, finally spotting a place to escape.

In the side yard, wisteria climbed a trellis, giving privacy to a bench. Will sat Robin down, then knelt in front of her.

She grinned. “Don’t do that, Will.”

“What?”

“You’ll get your pants all dirty.”

He shook his head. “I love you, Robin.”

“I know. I love you, too. We’re missing the-”

“Shh.” He cleared his throat, glanced up, saw the scar on her throat.

Theodore Glenn almost killed her. You almost lost her, Will. Why are you wasting time now?

“Marry me.”

Damn, that came out pathetic.

“Is that a proposal?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Yes.”

When she didn’t say anything right away, his heart skipped a beat. “We can wait-” he began.

“I don’t want to wait. Of course I’ll marry you, Will.”

He sighed in relief, pulled a small box from his pocket. “I’ve been carrying this around with me for the last two weeks. I was going to ask you to marry me when you were in the hospital, but that wasn’t really romantic. This isn’t all that romantic, either, but-”

“It’s the perfect time,” she said, grinning like a kid, as she took the box from his hand.

Her face lit up when she opened it. The solitary deep blue sapphire sparkled in the sunlight. “Oh, Will.”

“I remember once you told me you thought sapphires were prettier than diamonds. But if you want a diamond, I can trade-”

“Stop right there. I love sapphires. And I love that you remembered.”

Tears coated her eyes.

“Don’t cry. I can’t stand to see you cry.”

“They’re good tears.”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

She nodded, leaned forward, and kissed him. She tasted like heaven. And she was going to be his wife, his friend, his lover. Forever.