Page 88 of Forsaken Trail (Runaway 4)

I chuckled. “You’re doing a damn fine job at the moment. You’re shredding it to pieces here, baby.”

“We can’t have that.” She touched a fingertip to the ring and smiled. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

I surged to my feet and sealed it, crushing her to my chest as I swept my tongue into her mouth. Mine. She was mine. From now until forever, the one thing in this world not for sale was the best gift of my life.

She laughed, breaking the kiss. “That ring is too big.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Aria leaned into me. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I kept her in my arms as we faced the sunset again. “What do you think? Want to stay in Arizona? Or go back to Oregon?”

“Arizona is growing on me. And besides, it’s where the Cadillac brought me.”

“So?”

She tipped her chin up and smiled. “You can’t argue with that Cadillac.”

Epilogue

Aria

Three months later . . .

“Drive safely.”

Clara nodded and slammed the trunk of the Cadillac. “I will.”

August was buckled into his car seat, his legs bouncing wildly as he waited for them to get on the road.

“Call when you get to Phoenix.” I pulled her in for a hug.

“Okay. We’re going to swim and relax tonight. Then Elyria tomorrow.” Her voice shook as she clutched me tight.

“Are you sure about this?”

She let me go and squared her shoulders. “I need to do this. And it’s my turn in the Cadillac.”

The car gleamed cherry red under the bright and beautiful Arizona sun. I’d miss it. That car had brought me to the home I hadn’t realized I’d needed.

“Be careful,” Brody told her.

“We will.” Clara stepped closer, giving him a sideways hug as she touched the baby’s foot. “You two try and rest. I know it’s hard when they are so little. Take naps whenever you can.”

Here she was worried about Brody, me and our five-day-old newborn son. We’d be fine. Tired, but fine. It was her I was worried about.

Clara had finally planned her trip to California. She’d waited until the baby was born and probably would have waited longer, but with August on summer break, it made sense for her to go while things at work were quiet. Brody’s paternity leave meant Clara wasn’t needed in the office all day.

And when she’d asked Brody for a week off, he’d encouraged her to go. We both had. My sister needed this trip, not only for a vacation with her son, but also because the longer she waited, the longer the car sat in her garage, the more anxious she became.

After twelve years away, Clara was facing old demons. At least she’d have August, her little pillar of strength, with her on the way. And the car. There was courage in that car.

The Cadillac was finally returning to California.

To Karson.

“We’ll be back soon.” She forced a smile and went to the driver’s side door. She patted her pocket where she’d tucked a note with Karson’s address.