Page 90 of Breached

“I’m sorry I ever underestimated you, Miss Winter. Yes, I think I can do that. Get word to me through Logan whenever you need to.” He held out his hand. “Welcome back.”

I shook his hand. “Thank you.”

He left, and I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face, making my heart flutter and my stomach dance. I was back in the game while still able to have my happy life.

“So, are you thinking of going back to it?” Paul’s voice made me whirl around, and I spotted him in the dark, walking around the side of the house. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “You don’t have to explain, you know. I want you to do whatever makes you happy.”

“What?”

“He offered you your old job, didn’t he?”

“He did,” I sat my coffee down and moved down a step, “but I told him I didn’t want it, at least not the way it was. I said I wanted to work from here and sometimes work in the field when you guys were in Mexico. But my life is here, my son is here, the man I love is here.”

He grabbed me by my waist and pulled me to him. “Smart answer.” He grinned before he kissed me. “I really didn’t want to have to return your present.”

“Present?” I gave him a questioning look. “You bought me something?”

“Not something, but someone.” He sat me down on the ground, took my hand, and led me down a path.

“You kinda lost me on the whole ‘I bought you someone.’ Maybe it should be stated that I’m not into that kind of kink.”

He tossed his head back and roared with laughter. “Well, that’s good, because neither am I. Glad we got that cleared up.” He stopped at the stables, pushed open the door, and let me step in first. “I was going to wait, but after hearing you trying to take the fall for our team today, I knew I couldn’t wait another day to make this right.”

“Um, cryptic sentences are always fun,” I teased.

He stopped in front of a stall and flicked on a soft, glowing light. I peeked inside, and there stood a stunning horse with the same brown and white color as the horse I loved when I was a child. His pink nose pushed out toward me and brushed over my cheek.

I put my hands over my mouth as my emotions rushed to the surface. “You remembered?”

“I did.” He kissed the top of my head. “His name is Navigator, or Navi for short. I like it because, after all, it was a map that led you to me.” His lips moved to my neck.

“I don’t know how to ride.” I half laughed, half cried, thinking how amazing this moment was. He had given me such an amazing gift—a childhood moment brought to life. I still couldn’t believe he remembered my story.

“He also comes with a little frosting.” He pointed to the side of the bridle, and my eyes went wide when I spotted a diamond ring tied to it with a piece of ribbon. I gasped as he removed the gorgeous thing and held it up. It was huge.

“Paul.” I suddenly grew nervous. Is it too soon?

“My whole life, I’ve waited for someone I could truly be myself with—someone who felt like home, instead of just a place to land. Then I met you. From the very first moment, I knew there was something rare about you. And the way you loved my son… I think Chase knew it before either of us did. Everyone who crosses your path sees the light you have inside you, but I’m the lucky one who gets to stand beside it. Nicole, I love you more than I ever thought possible, and I don’t want to spend another day calling you anything less than mine.” He moved to stand in front of me and held the ring out. “Will you marry me?”

I nodded a bunch of times and tried to find my voice. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Paul.” He slipped on the ring and slammed his lips to mine, kissing me with such force I blushed for the horses around us.

I laughed when I came up for air, my emotions scattered all over the barn.

“Come,” he kissed my fingers where the ring now resided, “the others are waiting for us!”

“They knew you were doing this?”

“Of course,” he laughed, “these special events are always a group effort thing.”

As we headed back to the house, my phone rang and against my better judgement, I looked at the screen.

“Oh,” I stopped mid-step and showed Paul, “what should I do?”

“Answer it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” He nodded and stepped back a few feet so I could get my head on straight. If he was calling, it must be for a reason.