Then Logan hauled back and punched Trevor so hard she heard something crack. Trevor’s head snapped back. He fell like a hollow tree, hit the ground and didn’t move.
When the threat was no more, Logan turned to her. Allison sat up as he dropped to his knees at her side. He slid his hands over her, checking for wounds. “Did he hurt you?”
“I’m okay.” She nodded shakily. “Just hold me.”
Logan gathered her in his arms, clutching her tight as sirens in the distance screamed toward them. The fear eased like an ebbing tide. She was free. Trevor would be taken into custody. He’d never stalk her or hurt her again.
Face buried in Logan’s coat, she gathered her courage. “Logan, can we give us one more try?”
He tipped her chin up. Their eyes met in wordless need, relief, passion.
“I love you, Allison.” He captured her lips in a searing kiss. “Be my wife. Let me love you for the rest of my life. And we can have as many tries as it takes to get it right.”
“Promise?”
He smiled with aching tenderness. “I told you, I’d only ask the love of my life to marry me if I knew the answer was yes.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He kissed her passionately.
The worst was over. They were together. That’s all that mattered. At last, she had everything she’d always wanted, all she could ever need, with Logan.
“Then, the diamond you gave me is finally an engagement ring?”
His warm brown eyes shone with enduring love as he revealed, “It always was.”
EPILOGUE
“Now that’s a baby bump.” Devon stared at Allison’s round belly, draped with the elegant satin folds of her wedding dress. They stood in front of an etched mirror in the changing room of the banquet hall.
Allison rolled her eyes. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” She sighed. “I told Logan we should just go to the courthouse.”
“He’s getting married—he wants a real wedding, all the bells and whistles.”
“And a pregnant bride?”
“Go big or go home.” Devon grinned.
“Stress on the word big .” Allison curved her hand around her six-month baby bump. “When I pictured a dream wedding, it didn’t include me waddling down the aisle.”
“You look amazing.” Devon fluffed the train of the dress then adjusted the veil cascading down Allison’s hair. Her blond waves were pulled back in a half-up-do, a few tendrils framing her face. Honestly, she felt fantastic. Once the first trimester of sickness and exhaustion ended, she breezed into the second trimester with no problem. She was so excited about their baby. Our baby boy . The ultrasound last month confirmed what her dream had told her, what she’d known in her heart.
Then Allison noticed a hint of nostalgia softening Devon’s dark eyes. “What is it?”
Devon blinked away the sheen. “I hope I’m half as beautiful—and happy—as you on my wedding day.”
“You’ll be twice as gorgeous, and crazy happy. I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t know.” Devon’s shoulders sloped under the lavender straps of her bridesmaid dress. “What you and Logan have is really special. I’ve never seen two people more in love. I just don’t think it’s in the cards for me.”
Allison squeezed Devon’s arm supportively. “The past doesn’t determine the future. Trust me.”
Devon snorted. “Please. I’ve got serious baggage.”
“And I didn’t when I met Logan?”
“Plus mega trust issues. Did I mention those?”
A pang of remorse hit Allison. Trevor had manipulated Devon with online romance into thinking he was her dream man, when he’d really been using Devon to get to Allison. Now, Trevor was behind bars and would never see the light of day except in a prison yard. “Believe me, I understand. But the right man will look past all that. He’s going to sweep you off your feet and blow your mind, before you know what hit you.”
Devon looked unconvinced. “We’ll see.”
“Yes, we will,” Allison stated as if it were fact. In her mind, Devon would find love, no matter her internal scars. “There are great men in the world, I know that now. I’m marrying one today.”
Devon shook off her self-reflection and gave a bright smile. “Let’s get this show on the road.” She glanced at the clock above the mirror. “The ceremony starts in fifteen minutes. You sure you’re ready?”
“More than ready—and more certain than I’ve ever been about anything.”
Heart swelling with honor and gratitude for her husband-to-be, Allison held up the necklace Logan had given her an hour ago, when he broke all the rules and peeked in to see how she was doing. He’d stolen a swift passionate kiss from her, messed up her lipstick, told her he was the happiest man alive, and dropped something into her palm before he left. She’d unfolded her fingers to find a sparkling sapphire jewel ringed with diamonds. Tears almost ruined the rest of her makeup. Last night, she’d been in a panic about having nothing blue to wear on her wedding day, to go with the old wives tale: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue .
The something old was a wonderful surprise, when she’d learned Logan had contacted her parents and flew them into Denver from Spain for the wedding. She’d feared the reunion would be tense with years of unspoken thoughts and feelings. Her mother brought her a brooch to pin to her wedding gown that had been in their French background for generations. True to her parents’ demeanors, they were all drama and flair, but in a good way. They gushed over the baby, over Logan, over Allison even. Showered her with praise about how their little girl had grown up. The light in their eyes was genuine, their thrill to be in her life again, tangible. Maybe it was the distance and the time apart, or the joyful occasion that brought them all together again, but the bitter residue coating Allison’s heart over long-ago expectations washed away.
Her father would walk her down the aisle. She couldn’t ask for more.
The something new was an elegant pair of pearl earrings Devon gave her as a wedding present. The something borrowed was Vivi’s garter belt from her and Rick’s wedding, which slightly mortified Allison, but she decided what the heck. It apparently brought them many happy years of marriage and four kids. Allison couldn’t say no to that.
Something blue . That’s what had stumped her last night, as she lay in bed tossing and turning, fretting over details she couldn’t control but wanted to anyway. Logan, amazing groom that he was, had made love to her and promised everything would work out fine. Today, he’d brought her the something blue that had been missing. Symbolic of how this man had come into her life and provided the caring and love she’d been missing, even if she’d been blind and resistant to it at first. He always came through. She loved him so much. Logan was everything she wanted, all she would ever need.