I shake my head. “I give you the support to realize you’re strong, Em. The fact you’re choosin’ to share your life with me and let me love you,that’smy gift. If anythin’, you’ve givenmethe strength to go after what I want in life.”
She cocks her head, a playful smile appearing on her plush pink lips. “You mean goin’ after me, right?”
A growl rumbles out of me before I’m smacking a kiss on her mouth. “Wouldn’t marry anyone else at first sight. You’re the only woman I’d ever go up against her brothers for and confess to bein’ legally married to as well. You were chosen for me by themountain to love, cherish, and spend the rest of my life with, and that’s not ever somethin’ I’ll take lightly.”
“I really hope my brothers get to hear it too,” she adds, talking about the Call.
“There ain’t no way they won’t hear it, wifey.”
Moving onto my back, I tuck my wife into my side. Her arms drape over my chest as she tangles her legs with mine and tucks her chin into the crook of my neck. “I want that for them. I want them to feel as complete and as happy as I do.”
“It’ll happen.”
“You promise?” she asks, knowing that there is no way to control the Call.
I chuckle. “I’ll try my best, how ‘bout that.”
Marion’s diary entry
I’ve never been as happy as I am right now.
Henley Cooper asked me to marry him. It was the quickest–and easiest–decision I’ve ever made. He took me to sit under the canopy of the big tree near his family house. He had even carved an HC 4 MW into the bark. Then he kissed me breathless and I knew I’d never love another.
He makes me feel complete. It’s like there’s always a Henley-sized piece of my heart missing that I didn’t realize until he gave it back to me.
Henley says the mountain gave me to him, but there’s no way a man as magnificent, handsome, thoughtful, caring and kind as him would ever need a mountain spirit to bring him a wife.
Instead, I think I must’ve done something good in a past life to catch his eye. It’s the only way I could’ve been blessed to be chosen as his One.
I’ve been showing everyone I meet my gorgeous ring, and Hen and I have already talked about getting married as soon as possible. We’ve met with the priest and everything.
I can’t wait for the day that we’re pronounced husband and wife. Then we can start creating a life together on the mountain. There’s even a stone cottage built right on the boundary between my family land and his that Henley said will be our home.
I get to make a life with Henley Cooper, the best boy, man, and future husband a girl like me could ever dream of. I can’t wait until the day we can start filling it with Wilson-Cooper babies and grow old and gray together.
Marion.
Chapter 21
Em
Two weeks later
“Why areyounervous?” I ask Jude from the passenger seat.
“Because I’ve never done this before,” he mutters, fiddling with the radio for what I swear is the tenth time in the hour or so we’ve been driving.
“Wait.” I turn and stare at my husband, dumbfounded. “Don’t you think that's somethin’ you should’vetold me?”
“Whyyy?” he replies, somewhat cautiously.Smart man.
“The fact I’m the first girl you’ve ever taken home to your mom and dad is important information, hubby.”
He shoots me a wary side-glance. “Then we’dbothbe nervous, and it would undoubtedly end in disaster. Why would I put you through that?”
Now my head was threatening to explode. “As opposed to tellin’ menowwhen we’re almost there? Besides, why would it be a disaster? I’m awesome. Your parents are goin’ toloveme.”
His shoulders drop down from around his ears and a slow-growing smile transforms his whole face. Lifting our joined hands up, he brushes his lips over my knuckles. “You’re right, theywilllove you. Heck, they already do. You and Mom were talkin’ for hours on the phone the other night.”