“I would have, if I'd known. Do you remember your promise to me?”
She closed her eyes and spoke solemnly, like a child, and for the first time in a long time, it was the voice of Nancy McAllister, the voice he had loved, not the smooth new one she had learned. “I promise never to forget what lies buried here. Or what it stands for.”
“Did you forget?” The tears were sliding slowly from his eyes now. He was thinking of Gregson, and of the two years that had passed.
But she shook her head. “No. But I tried very hard to.”
“Are you willing to remember now? Nancy, will you—” But then he couldn't speak. He only walked toward her and took her very tightly into his arms. “Oh God, Nancy, I love you. I always have. I thought I would die when you did … when I thought you had. I died the moment they told me.”
But she was crying too hard to speak, remembering the endless days and months and years of waiting foe him, and then giving up hope. She held tightly to him, like a child to a doll, as though she would never let go. And at last she caught her breath and smiled. “Darling, I love you, too. I always thought you'd find me.”
“Nancy … Marie … whatever the hell your name is—” They both laughed like children through their tears. “Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife? This time like civilized people, at a wedding, with everyone there, and music and He was thinking of his mother's wedding only a few weeks before. It was odd how totally free of anger he was. He should have hated his mother for what she had done. Instead, he wanted to forgive. He had Nancy back now.” That was all he cared about. He smiled down at her in his arms, thinking of their wedding. But she was shaking her head, and he thought his heart would stop.
“Do we really have to wait that long? Do all that stuff about music and people and—”
“Are you suggesting—” He didn't even dare say it, but she nodded in his arms.
“Yes. Why not? Now. I don't want to wait again. I couldn't bear it. Every moment I'd be afraid that something would happen again. Maybe this time to you.”
He nodded silently, and held her tight as the surf roared in softly and the pale eastern sun peeked through the clouds. He understood.
a cognizant original v5 release october 15 2010
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eISBN: 978-0-307-56696-6
August 1989
OPM
v3.0
Table of Contents
CRITICAL RAVES FOR DANIELLE STEEL
Also by Danielle Steel
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32