Page 108 of Forged in Peril

Bristol swallowed hard.

Despite the joy that filled her heart when they kissed, she knew that there were a few more words she still had left to say before they could keep moving forward.

“I’m sorry for all of the times that I refused to rely on you,” she said carefully. “Both back when we were kids and now. I was so scared of making a bad choice and ending up like my mom that I let myself lose the most important kind of vulnerability. I guess God knew that it would just take a near death experience or three for me to realize it.”

A gust of wind whipped down the street, making her shudder as it bit at her exposed neck.

Cameron’s fingers tightened slightly on her waist, pulling her closer until her head was resting against his chest again.

“What kind of vulnerability do you mean?”

She let a sigh escape, glad to be able to hide her face against his shirt and to listen to the steady thrumming of his heartbeat.

“No matter which path we choose in life, pain is always a possibility. We risk failure. We risk heartbreak. We risk death.”

She paused, thinking of Jaclyn’s grief-stricken eyes.

“And the more people we choose to love, the more we have to lose.”

Cameron stroked her back gently as he listened, and at that moment, she felt brave. She felt safe.

And it wasn’t because of her. It was because of him.

“But God doesn’t want us to live in fear,” she continued, smiling an unseen smile against the firm muscles of his chest. “He wants us to trust him with this fragile life, because ultimately, it’s in His hands. Every minute. Every breath. And when it comes to my life, and my path, it’s become pretty clear where I should place my earthly trust.”

She pulled back a little, letting his blue eyes meet her green ones as she tilted her chin up to look at him.

“I love you, Cameron Forge. I don’t think I ever stopped. I was just scared. I hope you can forgive me.”

The words escaped with a finality, her hopes and dreams suspended in time as he continued to look down at her for several long seconds.

“I love you too, Bristol,” he said, his handsome face breaking into a smile. “I can think of no greater honor than being the man who gets to provide for you, to protect you, and to pray for you. Preferably for the rest of our lives, if you’ll let me.”

She closed her eyes and let him kiss her, the world falling away once more, the future stretching out before them.

She had no one else to be, nowhere else to go.

She was done running.

She was home.

EPILOGUE

BEN

THREE WEEKS LATER

It was way too early for this.

“Ben, hi! I’m so glad you picked up. I’m sorry about the time, but clearly I didn’t wake you up, so I guess I’m not actually that sorry,” Grace was saying, her voice pouring loudly from the speakers of his car as he attempted to adjust the volume dial. “Anyway, can you just swing by my house quickly on your way? Please? My car is in the shop. And no, before you say it, I didn’t crash it into anything.”

Ben rubbed at his temple with one hand, leaving the other gripped firmly against the wheel of his sedan as he considered it.

The Hinton family mansion was closer to Silver Grove than to San Antonio, hardly within the distance that would allow for ‘swinging by’. Fortunately, there was little traffic this early, aside from the occasional work truck, and he knew they could make it if they hurried.

He didn’t want Grace to miss the special occasion, even if, as usual, she was late thanks to her own lack of time management skills.

“Fine,” he said, suppressing a yawn as he took an eastbound turn. “I’ll see you in ten.”

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