“You came back?”
“Of course, I came back. There is nowhere else I want to be in this world than with you.” He stroked her cheek.
She nibbled on her lip. “You got my text?”
He pressed a hand to her stomach. “It’s why I drove like a crazy man to get to you. We’re going to have a baby.”
“Yes. I … I thought…”
He kissed her. “I know what you thought, and Macie, I’m not the kind of guy to tell a woman that I love them and not mean it. I love you. I have loved you for a long time, and you’re the only one I want to spend my life with.”
“I love you too.”
Wilson reached into his jacket pocket. “And I’ve been keeping a hold of this for some time, waiting for the right moment to give it to you.” He lowered himself down to one knee. He opened the box and lifted the ring. “Macie Green, I love you more than anything in the world. I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Macie frowned, touching his jacket. “Wilson?”
“It’s nothing.” He hadn’t been able to contain his wince as she grazed right over the spot that hurt like a son of bitch.
“No, this isn’t nothing.” She tried to remove his jacket, and he took her hands.
“Do you want the long or short version of why I’m a little late for you this evening?”
“Tell me what is wrong,” she said.
“First, tell me if you will be my wife.”
She chuckled, and he saw the tears in her eyes. “Yes, you know I will. I love you so much.” She cupped his face and kissed him, hard. “Now tell me.”
“Well, I kind of, sort of, may have, been shot.”
She gasped and instantly recoiled from him.
He saw he had no choice, and Wilson told her the complete story. About finding the perp, getting shot. He left out the part where he’d read her text and his patience had grown thin as he wanted to get to her fast.
“We’re going to the hospital,” she said, grabbing his hand.
“Wait, wait,” he said. He wasn’t going to deny how much he loved how protective she was.
With the ring in his hand, he slid it onto her finger. “Now, we can go to the hospital.”
****
Wilson smiled at her, and Macie stepped closer to him.
“See, I’m fine.”
Macie shook her head and then threw herself at him, all the while trying to be careful and not hurt him. “I was so scared.”
He wrapped his arms around her and chuckled. “Not as scared as I was,” he said.
She pulled back. “You were scared?” She glanced at the bandage on his shoulder. She hated the thought of him being terrified and her not being there.
Wilson put a finger beneath her chin and turned her head so she had no choice but to face him. “Not about the bullet. I wasn’t afraid of being shot.”
“That’s not normal.”
“I’ve been hit before. It’s all part of the job. No, what I was afraid of was you being alone. I got that text and I knew I had to get to you.”
She glanced down at his chest. “I’m sorry.”
“Macie, the way I feel about you, it’s not normal. I can’t stand the thought of other men talking to you or even getting close to you. I’ve felt this way from the moment I saw you in the diner. I’ve wanted you. You have nothing to fear about me wanting you. Not a moment goes by when I don’t think of you.”
Tears filled her eyes. She waved her hands in front of her face and tried to stop the tears from falling, but it was no use.
Wilson gripped the back of her neck, pulling her close. “You’re stuck with me, Macie. From now until eternity. Where you go, I go.” He kissed her hard. He let her go and took her hand. “This here, this is my vow to you. I keep my word. You’re mine.”
“And you’re mine?”
“One day, you will say those words and they will not hold a single ounce of doubt. I love you, Macie. Only you.”
She couldn’t resist kissing him, and feeling his arms wrap around her was the greatest feeling in the world.
The sound of a clearing voice forced her to pull away, and the doctor was there. She listened, trying to take it all in. Wilson, as usual, handled everything.
The doctor clicked his tongue, and then they were discharged.
Wilson grabbed her hand, locking their fingers together, and Macie realized this was exactly how she wanted to spend the rest of her life. She didn’t need or want anything else, just Wilson.
He pulled her against him as they stepped out into the cold, and she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest, feeling the heat and warmth of him surround her. It was still frostily cold out.
“Come on, baby, it’s time to go home.”
For the longest time, she had seen it as Wilson’s home, but now, she knew it was her home as well.
Their home.
Epilogue
Seven months later
Macie screamed as the pain rushed through her entire body.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.”
She loved her husband with her whole heart, but right now, she didn’t like him very much. Their first baby, and the pain was unlike anything she had ever felt. This was even worse than attempting to take an exam. She had been studying like crazy the last seven months, and in fact, just as she was about to enter the exam, her water broke. This was her luck right now.
Wilson took hold of her hands, and she was so thankful because she didn’t think she was going to be able to cope. He had this power that always helped her to realize just how strong she was. He kissed her head. “You’ve got this, Macie.”
She nodded her head.
Women had been doing this all the time. It was the most natural thing in the world.
Another contraction, and the urge to push was so strong. The pain intensified, and she felt like she was going to burst.
The doctor between her thighs nodded, and Macie couldn’t stop. She screamed as the pain swept over her body, and then she heard it, the precious sound of their baby girl as she let the world know that she was born.
Seven months ago, Macie couldn’t believe how incredibly miserable she was. She thought Wilson had left her, and in fact, he’d been a hero, saving a young woman and putting a man back behind bars. This time, no good behavior was going to help him.
“You did it, sweetheart,” Wilson said.
They held hands, and Macie looked down at their locked fingers. They’d been married a month later in a sweet ceremony on a small Caribbean island. Wilson had paid for Carl to be there to walk her down the small aisle. Some women wanted big luxury weddings, but she’d only wanted her closest family. Carl and her man.
The last seven months had been … insane.
She still worked for Carl, even though Wilson found every single reason to dispute it. She adored the older man so much. He was more of a father to her than anyone else.
Her life with Wilson had been perfect. Macie couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have found him. The day he stepped into the diner, he’d changed her world.
Their baby girl was placed into her arms, and Macie stared down at the most precious person in their world.