Foxfire (24 page)

Her pulse quickened. A soft woof brought a
smile to her face. She'd recognize Tiffany's bark anywhere.

“Go on,” Brad said. “Don't keep the young man
waiting.”

Grace made her way to the kitchen on
trembling legs. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Tyler.
His eyes were that same shade of green, deep, dark and
mysterious.

****

Tyler patted his pocket to make sure he
hadn't forgotten the package. “Hi, Grace,” he said.

“You didn't call.”

Yep. Same Grace. “I'm sorry. I didn't get
here until late last night. I wanted to surprise you, but your
lights were off.” God she was even more beautiful than he
remembered. Her hair curled softly around her face and he wanted to
crush her in his arms. “Adam left a message asking if I lend a hand
repairing Brad's house. I stopped by your place on the way this
morning, but you were still sleeping. I didn't want to disturb
you.”

“Are...are you back to stay then?”

He took a step toward her. “Absolutely. I
turned in my gun and gave Jake my notice. I would have been back
sooner, but I spent a few days with my dad. He's going to move here
and work in the clinic with us.”

“Us?”

He closed the gap between them and circled
his arms around her waist. “Yes, us. Dad can't wait to meet
you.”

“Me?” Her voice squeaked out.

Tyler nodded. “I told him all about you. How
brave you are, how beautiful you are, and how stubborn you are.” He
watched the emotions chasing across her face. She started to
protest, but Tyler stopped her with a warm, consuming kiss. She
clung to him and he knew then that he'd finally come home. Tyler
broke the kiss and smiled down at her. He lifted her off her feet
and kissed her again. Their eyes were now on an even level.

He touched his nose to hers. “I love you,
Grace Wilkins.”

“I love you back.”

Tyler eased her feet to the floor and reached
one arm out to open the screen door.

Tiffany raced into the room wriggling between
them. Tyler rested a hand on the dog's nose. “I wanted the two of
you to be together for this.” He looked deeply into Grace's eyes,
now dark as the bluest seas. He took the ring from his pocket and
knelt on the floor. He took her hand.

“I've already gotten permission from Brad.”
He smiled. “Grace, will you and Tiffany marry me?”

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”

Tiffany barked her acceptance.

And Tyler knew he'd found the peace he sought
in the love shining from Grace's eyes.

-END-

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed your stay in Foxfire as
much as I enjoyed writing about the fictional town. I’ve always
loved the Smoky Mountains. My husband and I have spent many
vacations there, enjoying the early morning sunrises and the
gorgeous sight of the smoke caressing the mountain tops.

Thank you for purchasing this story, which
was written by the characters. They led me through their journey to
forgiveness and love.

I enjoy hearing from readers. You may contact
me via my website at
www.CarolAnnErhardt.com
.
You will be able to access other books I’ve written, as well as
some free reads directly from my website.

If you’d like to follow my blog, Inside the
Writer’s Mind, please go to
My Blog

You can also follow me on twitter or
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Happy reading,

Carol Ann Erhardt