“Ryan, you promised.”
“I only promised I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
“What if he calls the police?”
“He won’t. It doesn’t matter anyway, because I’d do the same thing a hundred more times and go to jail each time. I had to make sure he understood if he ever hurts you again, he’ll have to deal with me.”
The look of worry ebbed from her features. Her eyes softened. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Keep me.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Did you get him good?”
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
Her face broadened into a grin. “Good.”
Ryan looked around. “All right, what do you need me to do?” he asked, halfway turning away from her to assess the work that needed to be done.
Shawna took his arm and pulled him back around to face her. She rose up onto her toes and kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Thank you.”
Her staff whistled and made kissing noises. “Get back to work,” she said.
When they did, she kissed him again.
Epilogue
One year later
Paris Fashion Week wrapped up days ago, but Ryan and Shawna still had three more days in Paris.
In the beginning, she’d managed to get him into a couple of the less restricted venues to see the unveiling of the designers’ collections. When he dozed off during one of the runway shows, she told him he didn’t have to suffer through any more events. At first he insisted it wouldn’t happen again, but she’d finally gotten him to admit that he’d rather drink turpentine than see another designer outfit.
Armed with a book of common English-to-French phrases and lots of advice from Shawna, he explored the city on his own while she went to meetings and attended industry shows.
They paid an exorbitant fee to stay at their particular hotel on perhaps the best-known avenue in the world, the Champs-élysées. Shawna’s first visit to Paris had involved much more modest accommodations, but they’d both agreed that it was worth the splurge to have a good time and create new memories together.
“Oui, oui. Je sais, mais j’étais occupée. Et ce soir, Ryan et moi, nous allons sortir. Demain, je viendrai là, je te promets. Gros bisous. Muah.”
Shawna hung up the phone. Tomorrow they’d visit some of her old friends, including her former landlord who owned the bakery she’d lived above years ago. She’d just apologized for not coming by sooner and told him she would stop by tomorrow. Tonight she and Ryan planned to have dinner at one of the fine dining restaurants within walking distance.
“This one or this one?” Ryan held up two ties against his white shirt.
Shawna pointed to the one on the right with a black and blue grid pattern. “That one, and wear the blue shirt.”
“I’m pretty sure I knew how to dress before I met you,” he said with a frown.
Shawna wrinkled her nose. “Barely.” She bent to slip on her shoes.
“What was that?” He grabbed her from behind and she screeched. “I got you though, didn’t I?” he said into the crook of her neck.
“Yes, you did.”
With one arm still around her, he lifted her left hand. The three diamonds in her engagement band reflected the light and glimmered on her finger. He’d proposed the night before during a romantic candlelit dinner.
She hadn’t had a chance to tell her sister yet. As she watched Ryan get dressed in the blue shirt and tie she’d suggested, she decided now was as good a time as any and picked up the phone. She walked over to the window to gaze out at the night.
“What time is it there?” Yvonne asked after they’d greeted each other.
“A little after seven. We’re about to go out to dinner.” Her ten-month-old nephew bellowed in the background. “What’s he hollering about?”
“He’s being greedy. Hang on a sec, let me give him his bottle.” Moments later, the loud screams stopped. “Whew. He is the greediest little thing.”