Kara sighed, wondering how she had ever been so lucky, how she had ever stumbled across a man like Simon, a man to whom she could surrender everything , a man who would always hold her love, her trust and her soul safely in his care.
“I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day,” she breathed softly against his neck.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart. I’ll love you forever,” Simon murmured against her shoulder, his arms tightening protectively, possessively around her.
Whatever challenges she and Simon might face, they would deal with them together.
“You’ll always have me,” she told him softly, sleepily.
“I know, baby. I’m the luckiest bastard in the world,” he rumbled.
Kara fell asleep with a smile on her lips, and the contentment of knowing that she had found a love that would last forever. For a woman who had once been so alone in the world, it was the best Valentine’s gift she could ever receive.
Epilogue
Maddie turned the page of the book on her lap, wondering why she just didn’t give up and go to bed. It wasn’t like she was really absorbing any of the written words.
“Damn it,” she whispered, slamming the book closed and dropping it on the table beside the sofa. Honestly, she didn’t want to go to bed. If she did, she would just keep remembering her encounter with Sam, torturing herself with memories of that scorching hot kiss earlier in the evening.
Swiping the remote control from the table, she pushed the button to activate the television, hoping she could drown out her thoughts with the ten o’clock news.
Her doorbell rang just as the news anchor starting recounting the top stories of the day.
Who the hell could it be? She had no real family to speak of and none of her friends would come to her door at this time of night unless it was an emergency. She sprang to her feet and sprinted to the door, her heart racing. Looking through the peephole, she saw a man in uniform, a Hudson security uniform.
“Who is it and what do you want?” she called loudly through the door.
“Special Valentine’s Day delivery for Dr. Reynolds.” The man called back.
“Leave it and go.” There was no way she was opening her door, even if the guy was apparently from Hudson.
“I understand, ma’am. I’ll just leave it here on the doorstep.” The uniformed man bent over briefly, then straightened again and left.
Maddie opened the door a crack, leaving the security chain in place. She watched the man get into his truck and drive away. Closing the door, she lifted the chain and opened the door, her eyes widening.
On her doorstep was the most incredible bouquet of red roses she had ever seen. There were several dozen, too many for her to count in her stunned condition. Lifting the heavy, sturdy vase that appeared to be crystal, Maddie lugged the roses to her dining room table. Placing them in the middle of the circular oak surface, she plucked the card from the middle of the arrangement.
She sat, her shaky knees barely able to support her legs. The card was small, the outside of the tiny envelope decorated with hearts and a cute little Cupid in the corner. The only thing on the front was her name. She opened it with trembling fingers, yanking the cardboard notecard from its surrounding paper. There, in handwriting she still recognized, were only two words.
I’m Sorry.
There was no signature, no other identifying markings.
Dropping both the envelope and card on the table, Maddie buried her face in her hands and wept.
~The End~