“You know they’re my favorite.” His eyes narrowed at her and he realized that she probably knew more about him than he knew about himself. “Are you sure you want to go through all this?”
She turned to him, her eyebrows shooting up. “Really, Tom, it’s just blueberry pancakes.”
Suddenly it dawned on him. No. It wasn’t just the pancakes. When he looked deep into her eyes, he knew exactly what she was saying.
Standing up, he walked over and pinned her against the counter. “What’s this all about?” he whispered.
“You know,” she said back at him. “All my life I’ve wanted only one thing.”
“To be a star,” he supplied. He’d heard her talk about it long enough that he knew that had been her dream.
She shook her head, stopping him. “You,” she said under her breath.
He couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d clocked him over the head with the pan she’d just pulled out of her cupboard.
“What?” He dropped his arms and took a step back.
Her smile grew. “Yes, you. From the first moment I can remember, all I’ve ever wanted to be was with you as your wife. To grow old with you.” She moved forward, this time pinning him against the counter. “And this,” she held up her wrist. “Was the proof I needed to know that you wanted me.”
“I ...” He shook his head.
“Do you know, when I was younger, I spent a day with your grandmother. She told me then, that she saw what was in my eyes. How much I loved you, and more importantly, she knew for a fact that you loved me. But, she told me sometimes it takes a man a while to realize that he loves someone in return. She told me the story of how your grandfather had given her this bracelet.”
He swallowed. Hard. He knew the story too. His grandfather’s family had been in Europe during the Second World War. They’d sold everything they had to help fight the rise of the Nazis. Everything except that bracelet. The bracelet was to be given to his love, and passed down to generations. Each time being handed down to the oldest son to give to his wife.
“Most families have rings, mine had this,” he said, running his finger over the delicate flowers of silver.
“Tom, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he saw her twitch with slight pain at the movement. His hands went up to her back to support her. “I would gladly give up my second dream, if it meant I could have my first.”
He smiled. “I love you, Amber. Marry me,” he said, knowing then that it had really been on his mind from the moment he’d pulled the bracelet out of his home safe.
“You didn’t even have to ask.” She leaned in and kissed him. “Now how about some pancakes—and then we can head downstairs and relay our story to the press as an engaged couple?”
He leaned in and kissed her once more. “I think we should call your family first.”
She chuckled. “They already know.”
She jiggled the bracelet and he laughed.
Also by Jill Sanders
The Pride Series
Finding Pride
Discovering Pride
Lasting Pride
Serving Pride
Red Hot Christmas
My Sweet Valentine
Return To Me
Rescue Me
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The Secret Series
Secret Seduction
Secret Pleasure
Secret Guardian
Secret Passions
Secret Identity
Secret Sauce
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The West Series
Loving Lauren
Taming Alex
Holding Haley
Missy’s Moment
Breaking Travis
Roping Ryan
Wild Bride
Tessa’s Turn
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The Grayton Series
Last Resort
Someday Beach
Rip Current
In Too Deep
Swept Away
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Lucky Series
Unlucky In Love
Sweet Resolve
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Silver Cove Series
Silver Lining
French Kiss
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Entangled Series – Paranormal Romance
The Awakening
The Beckoning
The Ascension
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St. Helena Vineyard Kindle Worlds
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For a complete list of books: http://jillsanders.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2016 Jill Sanders
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved.
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Published by Grayton Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-942896-81-4
ISBN-10: 1-942896-81-6
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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-942896-81-4
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About the Author
Jill Sanders is The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Pride Series, Secret Series, West Series, Grayton Series, Lucky Series, and Silver Cove romance novels. She continues to lure new readers with her sweet and sexy stories. Her books are available in every English-speaking country and in audiobooks as well as being translated into different languages.
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Born as an identical twin to a large family, she was raised in the Pacific Northwest and later relocated to Colorado for college and a successful IT career before discovering her talent as a writer. She now makes her home along the Emerald Coast in Florida where she enjoys the beach, hiking, swimming, wine tasting, and of course writing.