Page 73 of Luke

"We didn't talk about you. She told me about school. It sounds like she's settling in."

"It sounds like you and she have become friends."

"I hope so." He stepped forward, his brown eyes dark, deep, intense, as he settled his hands on her hips. "I don't want to leave you again. I don't want to keep running around the world looking for something—someone—I've already found. That empty hole in my heart—only you can fill it."

She licked her lips. "Luke—"

"Wait. I'm not done yet. You can come up with a thousand reasons why you and I don't work, but the truth is we do work. We're incredibly good together. We balance each other out. We can talk about things that matter. We can laugh and play and be serious, too. I trust you, and I think you trust me."

"But—" she began.

"No buts," he interrupted, putting a finger against her lips. "If you can't tell me you love me now, then I'll wait—as long as I have to. Or maybe I'll just love you enough for both of us."

She was so overwhelmed by his words, her eyes started to water.

"I want to be where you are," he continued. "If that's here, then consider this my new address."

"Seriously? You want to live here?"

He nodded, a smile playing around his lips. "I do. I was thinking that we could turn the last un-remodeled cabin into a studio, and I could do my film editing in there. I could limit my filming to a couple of months out of the year. Maybe the summer months or winter break. Perhaps you and Kaitlyn could come with me on some of those trips—when school is out."

"You've thought about this a lot," she said, feeling amazed.

"Ever since I left here, I haven't been able to think about anything else."

"I really didn't believe you were coming back, Luke."

"And how did you feel about that?" he challenged.

"Incredibly sad." As his gaze burned into hers, she knew it was past time to tell him how she really felt. "I don't just want you or need you, Luke. I love you. I don't know why it's taken me so long to tell you that, because it's been true forever."

He drew in a sharp breath, and she could see that her words meant a lot to him. "You weren't ready to say the words before. I'm happy you are now."

"Me, too, because I don't want to lose you again, either. You are too important to me."

"Then we're finally on the same page."

"And the same continent," she said with a laugh.

He grinned back at her. "That, too." His humor faded as his expression turned serious. "I want you to know that I'm ready to put you first—you and Kaitlyn. Because my dreams now are really only about you, about being your husband and maybe a father figure for Kaitlyn."

She drew in a quick breath. "Really?"

"That's not a proposal. I'm doing that up right one day, but I just want you to know exactly what I'm thinking."

"And I want you to know that when you want to ask me, the answer is going to be yes. If it were just me and Kaitlyn wasn't around, I wouldn't ask you to stay here; I'd follow you to the ends of the earth. Because I know now that my life is never going to be completely right without you."

"I don't need you to follow me. I need you to be next to me. I want us to be together, whether it's me making a film or you playing in a concert hall or both of us watching Kaitlyn do something amazing."

"I want that, too," she said, her heart overflowing with emotion. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the love she was feeling. Then she said, "I can't believe this, Luke. I can't believe we're back together after all these years."

He smiled down at her. "And it pains me to say this, but my father was right. We were meant for each other."

"I guess he knew you better than you thought."

"I guess he did. I had a lot of growing up to do."

"So did I. I'm sad we missed years together, but I think we both needed to find our own way. Who knew it would be here—in a beautiful resort in the woods?"

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