Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
After we land, a car is waiting for us. We sit in the back of the chauffeured vehicle, the countryside rolling by. Jacob’s hand has a tight grip on my leg as if he thinks I’m going to run when we reach our destination, but nothing will send me running, not from the man of my dreams.
Finally, we pull up outside a large activity center. At least, that’s what it looks like from the outside, with the fence surrounding it and large swathes of open land. There’s an obstacle course, and then a golden retriever leaps out of a tire, yapping happily with a dachshund following swiftly on his tail. The dog runs in a circle, head thrown into the air, barking like it’s the best day of his life.
Jacob steps from the car. I’m about to do the same, but then the door is already opening. Jacob hurried around to my side to open it for me.
“What is this place?” I ask, gazing through the fence as more dogs emerge, all of them playing, all of them happy.
“It’s a nonprofit dog shelter,” Jacob tells me. “They were on the verge of going bust last week. Their donors had lost interest. So, in between tearing apart the deal with Trent, I bought this place and tracked down the dogs from the ring you busted.”
“But they have owners, don’t they?”
“Some,” Jacob says, “but the sad truth is, Maddie, some of the owners weren’t interested in getting their pets back. They ended up in shelters, so I brought them here. We’ve got five dogs from the ring, and there are many more. I wanted you to know… good has come from your work. You’ve made a real difference.”
“You made the difference,” I say.
“No—”
“Okay, can we say we did?”
He smirks, taking my hands. “You’re too stubborn for me. Sure, we made a difference, but it never would’ve happened if it wasn’t for you. I wanted to tell you here, surrounded by all this happiness… I love you.”
I stare, heart thudding, the world suddenly feeling as though it’s spinning faster.
“Don’t look so surprised,” he says passionately. “It’s what we told your mom. It was love at first sight. I’ve almost said it countless times this week, but I wanted to tell you here.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper, then say it louder, the emotion impossible to contain. “So much. I can’t even put it into words.”
“That’s good to hear. It will make this easier…”
He steps away, slowly lowering himself to one knee. In the setting sun, his smile is like a new morning. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring box, his fist closing around it. Behind him, a couple of the pups have wandered to the fence, watching us with their tongues hanging out, an audience to this moment.
“Maddie, you’re the best person I know. The most beautiful woman. You’ve got the kindest soul, but you’re fierce, too, never backing down. Every moment we spend together proves what an incredible mother you’re going to be. I can see our future so clearly, and at the same time, I want time to slow down. I want to savor every single second with you.”
Tears slide down my cheeks, driven by his words.
“Madison Lewis,” he says, opening the box.
The ring is like nothing I ever could’ve envisioned in my whole life. It’s a chunky diamond, the band elegant, the setting sunlight shimmering across the diamond’s surface.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes! I love you so much.”
He slides the ring onto my finger, then leaps to his feet, pulling me into his arms.
EPILOGUE
THREE WEEKS LATER
Jacob
“I’m so happy for you, bro,” Brad says, clapping me on the shoulder.
I grin, which feels far more natural than it once did. We’re standing in my office at the window, looking down over the city, having just finished a meeting with the watchdog investigating Metis.
I was right. Trent’s going to step down. The new CEO has a reputation for morality and the truth. I might have had something to do with getting him the position, but what did Trent expect? No retaliation? With all of that behind us, the future is beckoning so brightly that I can hardly believe this is my life sometimes.
“You seem happier,” Brad goes on. “People in the office have mentioned it.”
“Is that because I don’t bite their heads off every two seconds now?”
Brad chuckles. “Lay off it. You were never that bad. Just withdrawn. That’s not a crime.”
I smile, nodding. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been. It’s true. Every day with her is like a gift. No, not like. It is a gift. I’m just sorry she blew up the Metis deal. I know how badly you wanted that.”
I lay on the sarcasm, and Brad chuckles. “She saved our company by putting you on his trail. That stunt Trent pulled… I’d never work with somebody so dishonest and so sloppy, too.”