“So you’re not totally evil?”

“Is that a question and if so, do you expect me to answer it?”

“I guess not. But you surprise me. You were so icky about Julie and Ryan.”

“I was not icky and I thought Julie was in it for the money.”

“She would never do that.”

“I know that now.”

“You should have given her the benefit of the doubt. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Not if you have my past.”

“Oh, I see. So you’re going to punish every woman you meet because you had the poor judgment to pick badly in the past. That’s something to look forward to. I’ll be sure to tell Marina.”

Todd looked both pained and amused by her comments. “You know about our date.”

“Oh, yeah. We’re all counting the hours.”

One corner of his mouth twitched. “Is she more like you or more like Julie?”

“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself. But I will tell you that she’s incredibly smart, so don’t try any of your smarmy crap on her.”

“Smarmy crap?” He grinned. “I’ll remember that. Leave the smarmy crap at home.”

She hated that he was amused. “You know what I mean.”

“I do.” His humor faded. “It was delightful to meet you, Willow. I’m sorry Kane was moronic enough to let you go. I think you would have been good for him.”

She nodded, mostly because her eyes had started burning and she knew where that road led.

She maintained control until Todd had left, then she let the tears fall. She wanted to believe that his visit meant something, but how could it? Kane hadn’t sent him. She would bet he didn’t even know about Todd stopping by.

Todd had said Kane was in bad shape. Did the fact that he was hurting mean anything? Would he want to fix the problem or simply muscle through it?

Despite everything, she wanted to go to him and hold him until he felt better. But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t force the man to love her and she was no longer interested in someone who only saw her as a convenience. She’d thought she meant more, but she’d been wrong.

That night Willow curled up in a corner of her sofa and tried to get interested in the movie she’d rented. It was a comedy and it seemed to be pretty funny, but none of the jokes were making her laugh. Maybe because she hurt too much inside.

She reached for the remote control, thinking she would just go to bed and try the movie another time, when she heard an odd noise outside. It sounded like scratching. Or whining. Or both.

She listened and heard the sound again.

She crossed to her front door and pulled it open. A black, fluffy, furry, adorable puppy stared up at her, then yipped.

Delighted, she dropped to her knees. The puppy plunged into her arms and began licking her face.

“Who are you?” she asked as she laughed and tried to hold on to the wiggling buddle of kisses. “Where did you come from? Are you lost?”

“He’s not the one who’s lost,” Kane said, stepping out of the shadows.

Her heart froze. She actually felt it stop midbeat. Her breath caught in her throat and she momentarily lost her hold on the puppy who used her inattention to lunge forward and knock her onto her back.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Kane stepped forward and grabbed the puppy under one arm. He used his free hand to pull her to her feet. “He gets kind of rowdy.”

“I can see that.”

She didn’t know what to think, what to feel. “Why are you here?”

“Can we come in? He should be okay. He just had his way with a couple of your rosebushes out front, so I think he’s safe on carpet for a few minutes.”

The only man she’d ever loved, the man who had so clearly rejected her, was talking about whether or not a puppy would pee on her rug?

She stepped back and let them both in. Kane set down the puppy, who ran to her and began licking her bare feet.

She dropped to her knees and gathered the puppy close. “Does he have a name?” she asked because talking about the dog was a whole lot safer than talking about anything else.

She wanted to believe that Kane’s presence here meant something, but she wasn’t sure. And she hurt too much to hope.

“Not yet. I thought you’d want to name him.” Kane crouched next to her. “He’s yours. I bought him for you. But he lives with me, so if you want him, you’re going to have to come back to me.”

She swallowed. Okay, sure, now there was hope, but there was also fear and a broken heart. “You want me back?”

“Want?” He shook his head. “Want is such a small word, Willow. I thought I knew what I wanted. Solitude. My peaceful world. I had it all planned out. I was careful—I never got involved. I knew what caring meant and I wasn’t going to be a sucker twice. No one got in, ever. Until you.”

The hope got a little bigger and brighter. Her breathing quickened.

“I thought I wanted to live on an island somewhere, by myself. I thought I wanted what I had. I did—until I met you. Everything changed after that. Now I want noise and confusion and conversation and laughter. I want candles and plants and food and your mess everywhere.”

“I’m not that messy.”

He smiled, then reached out and stroked her cheek. The puppy licked them both. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I said and I’m sorry for how I hurt you. The pain in your eyes, pain that I put there, haunts me. I miss you, Willow. I don’t just want you. I ache for you. I need you with a desperation that leaves me weak. You made me into a man I never thought I could be. You have changed me as fundamentally as a man can change. It took me awhile to figure all that out. I’ve never been in love before, so I didn’t recognize the signs.”

Love? Love!

She released the puppy and reached for Kane. “So you’re saying…”

“I love you.” He gathered her close and held on tight. “I love you. For always. Through sickness and in health and through babies and houses and whatever else happens. If you can forgive me. If you still love me.”

She pulled back and stared at him. “What? Because you thought I might just fall out of love with you?”

She saw the fear in his eyes and knew he’d been afraid of just that. “I hurt you,” he said. “I was cruel. I can’t excuse what I did. I can only promise I’ll never do it again.”

He was not a man who gave his word lightly. She trusted him to love her for always, just as she trusted him to be there for her and their children and pets and whatever else might enter their lives.

“I do love you,” she said.

“Will you marry me?”

She smiled. “Yes. Do we get to keep Jasmine?”

He grinned. “Of course.”

“And at least one of the kittens?”

He sighed. “It’s your life, too. You get to decide.”

“I hope they like Bobo. He’s got some big paws on him. I’m thinking he’ll get to fifty or sixty pounds.”

He closed his eyes and groaned. “We’re not calling the dog Bobo.”

“Muffin?”

“It’s a boy, Willow. Can he have a little dignity? What about Blackie?”

“Oh, that’s original. I’m thinking he looks like a Stan.”

Kane groaned.

Willow curled up in his arms. “We’re going to need a bigger house. Not that I don’t love Todd, but do we have to live that close?”

“We’ll move. And since when do you love Todd?”

“It’s family love. Don’t worry. He’s not a threat.”

“Good to know. We’ll buy a bigger house on its own lot.”

“With a yard,” she said.

“And a garden.”

“Ooh, yeah. A big garden. And a big bedroom, because we’ll be spending lots of time in it.”

“I like the way you think.” He stared into her eyes. “I love you, Willow. You’ve changed everything for me.”

“I rescued you.” She grinned. “Although I’m retired now. The world will have to get by without my rescuing skills. Except for plants and pets. We’re going to have kids, right?”

He began unbuttoning her blouse. “Of course.”

“As many as I want?”

“You’re the one who has to carry them.” He removed her blouse.

She glanced over his shoulder and saw Stan had collapsed on a cushion by the sofa.

“We’ll have to be very quiet,” she whispered.

Kane stood, then picked her up in his arms and carried her down the hall. “I was thinking we’d just leave the room.”

“That works, too.”