Promised Land (28 page)

‘Is that what you want?’

Ella stood there overlooking the lake, unsure.

‘I’ll buy you the bloody farm, every bit of it, if that’s what you want, Ella. I’ll sell the garage and give up what I’m doing. I’ll come back to Kilgarvan and be the farmer you always wanted, if that’s what’ll make you happy!’

Ella couldn’t believe it. The garage was his life,
all
his ambitions and plans were tied up in the place and yet he was prepared to drop them all for her.

‘I should have done it years ago, married you! Christ we’ve wasted so many years and here we are again.’

‘I would have married you then.’

‘But we had nothing!’

‘That didn’t matter, Sean.’

‘Aye.’ He breathed in. ‘I know that now.’

She could hear the slapping waters of the lake below, the moonlight reflected in its surface as Sean kissed her, just the way he used to before, neither of them wanting to break apart.

‘You’re driving me crazy, Ella, I can hardly work with thinking of you. At the wedding all I could think of was you up there at the altar. When I see you there with Liam’s children all I want is our own children. You were and are the only woman for me. There never has been anyone else,’ he admitted.

She smiled. It had been exactly the same for her.

‘Will you marry me, Ella?’ he finally asked.

He had his answer as she nodded, and flung her arms around him.

‘Do you want the farm?’ he asked her later.

‘No, Sean. All I want is the two of us together wherever that may be.’

‘What about Liam?’

‘I’ve already agreed to lend him the money to pay off his debts provided he stays. His children
need
him. I don’t want to buy Fintra but I don’t want him to sell it either. This is Mary and Sally’s inheritance. Carmel would want them to have this place, where they were born and will grow up. An acre or two in return would be enough for us, somewhere we can build a house so we can come down and see the girls, watch them grow up, and for our children to come and visit their cousins.’

He kissed her slowly. ‘You’re a good woman, Ella.’

Even in the darkness she felt at peace, glad of all the good things in her life: the promises kept, the land of her father safe, the new life she’d built for herself. Sean was back and now there was someone to share it all with.

THE END

About the Author

Marita Conlon-McKenna is one of Ireland’s favourite authors and a regular number one bestseller. She is the winner of the prestigious International Reading Association award and is a regular contributor to Radio and TV. She lives in Blackrock, Dublin with her husband and family.

For more information on Marita Conlon-McKenna and her books, see her website at
www.maritaconlonmckenna.com

Also by Marita Conlon-McKenna

THE MAGDALEN
PROMISED LAND
MIRACLE WOMAN
THE STONE HOUSE
THE HAT SHOP ON THE CORNER
THE MATCHMAKER
MOTHER OF THE BRIDE
A TASTE FOR LOVE
THREE WOMEN
THE ROSE GARDEN

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PROMISED LAND
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN: 9781446437308
A BANTAM BOOK: 9780857501448

Bantam Books edition published in Ireland 2000
Bantam Books edition published 2001

Copyright © 2000 Marita Conlon-McKenna

All of the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, alive or dead, is purely coincidental.

The right of Marita Conlon-McKenna to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988

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