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“I can have you moved into my place before Jack’s wedding this weekend.” He pulled her against him until she was all but in his lap. Her wet feet dripped on the dock, drying quickly in the sunshine.
“Wow.” She laughed, delight bubbling up from a new well of happiness that would only deepen in her days with Danny. “That’s even better than an invitation. Seriously?”
She’d have to find someone to take over her work for the local shelters, but she’d had her eye on one of the adoption agency workers who liked helping her stage the photographs. The young woman probably knew enough from assisting her to do a good job with it.
“You can set up a new business there. You said it would be great to take pictures by the water, right? Plus, my neighbor across the street is a cop. I can let him know to keep an eye on you. For that matter, the security system is already there and state-of-the-art, so it solves that problem, too.”
Her head was spinning, the plans falling into place as easily as their long-ago scheme to get married in Vegas. Only this time, they were following through. Committing to the happiness they’d always been able to give each other.
“I would love that.” She could already imagine the homecoming she could give him next time, in a house they shared. “We could get a dog or two of our own now that I’ll be around to take care of it while you’re away.”
“Yeah?” He shuffled her weight and tugged them both to their feet. “We’d better get going then. We can figure out what we want on the plane, although I heard a rumor you like Australian shepherds.”
He picked up her shoes and his.
“We’re really going to do this?” She looked around at the big, beautiful Murphy home on the hill and thought about how amazing it was that this man had the ability to simply step on a plane and take care of moving her things into his seaside house in Virginia forever.
Most of all, she gazed in wonder at the strong, handsome man beside her who had loved her since they met.
It was a perfect moment she never would have guessed waited for her after the hardship she’d been through in the past years. An ending too magical for Stephanie Rosen, the daughter who’d never quite measured up.
Danny dropped the shoes back to the deck with a clunk before he wrapped his arms around her waist. His touch gave her a sweet thrill inside.
“We’re going to spend every second we have together making our dreams come true. It all starts today.” He tipped his forehead to hers, his warmth surrounding her. “I don’t know about you, but I think we deserve to be the happiest couple on the planet.”
“I can really get behind that plan,” she whispered, not trusting her voice enough to speak any louder than that. Happy tears made her throat close right up.
“And for what it’s worth, we can do Vegas and keep it secret until after Jack’s wedding so we don’t steal their thunder. Or we can do it up right in the biggest freaking wedding this town has ever seen when I come home next summer. Your choice.”
As the tears started leaking down her cheeks, she realized she was going to inherit a massive family with her marriage to this man. A ready-made group of siblings like she’d always wanted.
“I love all the choices.” Laughter swelled inside her, emotions too big to be contained. “It makes me feel very independent.”
“We’ll figure it out on the plane to D.C. But I don’t want to wait another second to start planning our future together. Sound good?”
“It sounds the best.” She arched into him, her body responding to his. “But I don’t know if I can plan a wedding until I receive a few reminders about how fun marriage to you is going to be.”
“There are several benefits of a private jet.” He kissed her long and hard until her knees wobbled beneath her. “As soon as we get airborne I’ll refresh your memory on why you’re going to be a very well-satisfied bride.”
Desire tingled through her veins, all the more delicious now that she knew how much love was behind it. She slid on her flip-flops and nudged Danny’s shoes toward his feet.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Taking him by the hand, she strode up the dock. “I want you like crazy, Danny Murphy.”
Epilogue
“TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM!” The hearty toast reverberated through the outdoor tents dotting a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Crystal chandeliers lit every tent as evening fell, and an abundance of bright poppies and dahlias spilled from cast-iron urns and centerpieces. The whole lawn glowed with color and happiness as the guests raised their glasses to Jack and his new wife, Alicia. The reception was in full swing on the Murphy family front lawn in Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. But when Stephanie heard the toast to the bride and groom, she couldn’t help a sly look over at Danny.
