Page 88 of Look for Me

A long time ago, Corinne was an office manager. Then she became an FBI informant. And now she was going to be a school teacher.

So much had changed.

“What about you? What are you doing these days?” Corinne asked.

“Dad and I still run this place. We’re still fixing old cars. I’m still in the office doing all the paperwork.” Martin realized that little had changed in his career in the last several years. “I work at home some days so that I can look out the window and see the beach and ocean and think of you.”

There. He said it.

“You mean they pay you to daydream?” Corinne laughed.

“I’m not daydreaming anymore. You’re here. You’re really here.” Martin held her hand. Just one hand, in case he came on too strongly and she pulled away.

“And you were there for me,” Corinne said. “Remember when you first showed up in Key Largo?”

Martin nodded.

“Looking back, I’m glad you went there to look for me.”

“I had to know.” Martin continued to hold her hand. “I often wonder if I could’ve gotten an answer from you that day on the beach.”

Corinne’s eyes brightened. That told Martin that she knew what he was referring to.

“It might have seemed abrupt and sudden, but I meant it,” Martin said. “Under different circumstances—if you didn’t have to disappear—would you have answered me?”

“I would have said yes.”

Martin sensed no hesitation at all. It warmed his heart.

“Would you have said yes now?” Martin was on his knees.

Corinne gasped.

“This is not a knee-jerk reaction. Picture us on a beach.” Martin’s voice was soft and low. “Corinne Anderson, you’re the one woman I’ve ever truly loved. Will you marry me?”

“Martin MacFarland, you never gave up. You’re also the only man I ever loved. I never stopped loving you, even when I was far away from you.” Tears streamed down her face. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Still on his knees, Martin held both of Corinne’s hands. “I’m sorry I don’t have a ring with me. I’ll re-propose when I do, but we can pick our rings together if you like. I want you to like them and wear them the rest of your life.”

Corinne pulled him to his feet.

“One more thing.” Martin gently wrapped his arms around Corinne, as though she was the most fragile, the most precious person in the whole wide world.

“What is it?”

“Do you mind if Dahlia and Liam have my last name?”

“MacFarland’s a long last name.”

“So is Anderson.”

“Well, maybe Anderson-MacFarland?”

“That’s even worse.” Martin chuckled. “That’s a mouthful.”

“And so is this.” Corinne lifted her lips toward his.

Their kiss was warm and full of memories—of past grief, old sufferings, forgotten heartaches…

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