Lydia shook her head. “No buts. You lied to me, and that is never okay.”
Rick let his head drop. “I know.” He raised his gaze. “I had no choice. I knew I could never take you away from the General and the others and there was no way I could let you die. That’s why I told them you were dead and the general changed your name.”
He took a step toward her. “I won’t ever keep anything from you again. You have to believe me.”
Lydia walked over to him and put her arms around him. “Good, see that you don’t. At least you didn’t kill me… literally.”
Rick lifted his arms and pulled her in tight. “Never and I’ll kill anyone who tries.”
Lydia leaned her head back and looked up into Rick’s eyes. “I love you.”
A grin formed on his face. “You mean it? You’re not just toying with me because we have great sex?”
Lydia balanced on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “I mean it with all of my heart.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. “Good.”
Chapter 26
Lydia glanced around the reception hall and smiled. Her heart was full. She’d come full circle. General Lister sat across from her, looking ever so debonair in a tuxedo, as all father of the brides were made to wear. Her sisters sat around her in their emerald-green gowns. The men by her sisters’ sides looked sexy enough to be on calendars. Mike and Elizabeth were dancing to their special song on the dance floor. Her empire waist white wedding gown flowed behind her. Lydia’s brother looked dashing. The hard lines of his face were softer as he glanced down at his new wife and soon-to-be mother of his child.
Lydia leaned against Rick’s shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. “Are you all right?”
Lydia knew her eyes were twinkling. She couldn’t have been any happier than she was tonight. It wasn’t possible. Rick lifted her hand and played with the new two karat diamond on her ring finger. “Did you get any ideas for our wedding?”
Lydia leaned in and pressed her lips to his. “Let’s elope.”
Claire, sitting next to her, gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Across the table, Abby’s son, John, grinned and placed his elbows on the table and winked at both of his aunts. “She would, and she does; I’ve seen it.”
The general cleared his throat. “Why didn’t I know about this?”
Lydia laid her head back down on Rick’s shoulder and considered the general’s question. “Because our wedding isn’t technically any of your business.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not what I’m talking about.” He motioned his head toward John.
Lydia sat up and put her palms on the table. “Not tonight, not here, or I’ll take you out, old man.”
Rick rubbed up and down Lydia’s back. “He wouldn’t do that.” He narrowed his eyes at the general. “Would you?”
The general sat back and grumbled. “We’re going to need all the help we can get in our fight against Floyd. Another person with your abilities isn’t something that I’m just going to forget.” He nodded toward Lydia. “You can keep tabs on him and help train him like Brody did with you. He’ll be an asset.”
Claire, Abby, and Emma narrowed their eyes toward the general.
Lydia chuckled. “He’s still too young and I want him to have a chance at a normal life. Something that I never knew, so if you know what’s best for you, you’ll drop it now… or I walk and take Rick with me.”
The General grumbled but dropped the idea all together. Lydia closed her eyes and leaned against her fiancé’s chest. Her life was never going to be boring.
The End.