“Are you really that surprised?” Had he been that surly about it? “You were right, you know. Life will be easier if I let that old animosity go.”
Sahara rested a hand on his chest. “You have a right to your animosity. But if Becky is happy, she’ll be an easier burden to bear.”
Amazing that she’d understood when he hadn’t. “True. It just took me a little time to see it.” Already his heart felt lighter. “Don’t ever feel obligated, but do feel free to do what you want with her, okay?”
She drew in a breath. “Okay.”
“You should also know that I’m going to fight again. Not in Japan, but sometime after that.”
Her eyes widened, but she said, “If that’s what makes you happy, then—”
“After that fight, I’m retiring.”
“Oh.” Sahara bit her lip. “To do what?”
“I was thinking I’d be a bodyguard.”
Her eyes flared again. “Here?”
“I want to be close to you.”
Color flushed her cheeks as she struggled to repress a grin. “Anything else?”
He didn’t bother to look at Scott when he said, “If your brother can be polite, I’ll be polite. If not, he and I are going to have problems, because I’m done letting him insult you.”
Objecting to that, Scott said, “I wouldn’t!”
“You do,” Brand insisted. “Every time you act like a man would only be interested in her money, you do her a disservice. Every time you assume she’s not smart enough to make her own decisions, you underestimate her. Sahara is not only beautiful and business savvy, she’s also scary smart, clever, independent, resourceful—”
Scott laughed, saying in an aside to Sahara, “I’m starting to like him.”
Sahara grinned.
“You might’ve intimidated other guys,” Brand continued, “but that’s not me. She loves me, so that means I’m around for the long haul.”
Sahara said to her brother. “Can’t you see that he’s perfect for me?”
“Because he thinks you’re perfect?”
She actually blushed. “No, because he loves me as I am.”
Scott smiled at her. “Then that’s good enough for me. You don’t need my blessing, but you have it.”
Brand rolled his eyes, but since it obviously pleased Sahara, it also pleased him. “Then yes,” Brand said, smiling, “I’ll marry you.”
Before she could get too excited, Scott said, “There’s one more thing to discuss.”
Sahara quickly turned on her brother. “No, Scott, there isn’t. I already told you—”
“I don’t want Body Armor. You need to keep it.”
Brand stifled a laugh over her arrested expression. Maybe her brother was a smart guy, after all.
Floundering, Sahara whispered, “You...what?”
Scott took her hands. “You’ve done an amazing job here, sis. No one can deny that. I see you everywhere, in the new designs, in all the changes you’ve made. Before that, I might have run the place, but I was never a part of it, not the way you are. Does that makes sense?”
“It does,” Brand said.
Scott thanked him with a small nod, then continued to Sahara, “It’s yours now in a way that it was never mine. Taking it back wouldn’t feel right—to me, or to the people who work for you.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
He bent his knees to look into his sister’s eyes. “It’s not like you to be coy. I don’t want it, but I know you do. Admit it.”
“It does feel a part of me.” She huffed out a breath. “But what will you do?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought and decided that I’d enjoy doing some charity work for a while. I met a lot of different people while I was hiding out, people in dire situations but without my means. I’m thinking I could help, maybe make a difference.”
And just like that, Brand’s animus toward Scott changed to respect.
“The suite, along with everything else at Body Armor, is yours, but I’m not sure I’ll keep the house. If you want it—”
She said quickly, “I don’t. I stayed there only because it made me feel closer to you.”
Since she’d been attacked there, Brand wondered if the house now held negative feelings for her. He should have punched Ross a few more times.
“Where will you go?” Sahara asked with concern.
“You know the lake property Mom and Dad left us? If you don’t object, I was thinking of making that my home base.”
“I think that sounds wonderful.”
“You’ll still visit there sometimes?”
She glanced at Brand, and when he nodded, she said, “We’d love to.”
Scott slowly smiled. “I guess everything has worked out.”
“I guess it has.” Sahara launched herself into her brother’s arms, but only for a second.
After giving Scott a tight squeeze, she pressed away and landed against Brand—and there she stayed.
He helped with that, keeping his arms tight around her.
*
THEY VISITED HIS parents together to give them the news. After a second of shocked silence, his mom screamed, danced around the kitchen, kissed John enthusiastically, then hugged Sahara until she squeaked.
Brand couldn’t stop grinning. It was a great feeling, seeing the people he loved most all together.
When Ann asked if they’d have a big wedding, Brand explained that with the arrests and her brother coming back from the dead, they had their hands full.
“You don’t live a dull life,” John remarked.
Brand knew it would never be dull with Sahara, but he looked forward to putting the danger behind them.
“We’ll have a small ceremony,” Sahara said, “as soon as I can get it arranged. Then later, maybe a year from now, we’ll have a wedding party.”
“A small ceremony?” Ann asked politely, trying to keep her expression contained.
“My brother and my friend Enoch, and of course, Brand’s friends and their wives.”
“They’re our friends, Sahara.”
Smiling over that, Sahara said to Ann, “I hope you’ll both join us.”
With exuberant relief, Ann hugged her again. “You couldn’t keep us away.” Cautiously, she glanced at Brand. “What about Becky?”
“I invited her.” He moved to sit by Ann. “You’re my mother in all the ways that matter, so I hope you don’t mind.”
Ann put her palm to his face. “Oh, honey, I think we’re so blessed that we should only spread happiness, not bitterness.”
Damn, when it came to the women in his life, he’d struck gold. Brand smiled. “I figured you’d feel that way.”
“Becky gave John and me a very special gift when she handed you over.”
“She did,” John agreed. “We’re grateful to her.”
Since he felt the same, Brand nodded. “So am I.”
Understanding, supportive, always there for him... Ann’s voice broke when she said, “Becky might never realize what she missed, but having you for a son has been one of the greatest joys of my life.”
“Mom.” Brand brushed the tears off her cheek. “I love you.” He looked at his dad. “Both of you.”
Suddenly he heard Sahara sniff.
Surprised, Brand turned his head and saw the tears tracking down her cheeks. His heart softened and he reached for her.
Sahara quickly stood, saying in a brusque tone, “Show me that new gun you mentioned, John. Let’s do some shooting.”
His dad jumped up so quickly, it was like he’d had a spring on his butt.
Ann started to rise, too, but as Sahara swiped at her cheeks, she said, “No, you two stay and finish your chat. We won’t be long.”
“It’s a new Smith & Wesson 9 mm,” John enthused as he latched an arm through Sahara’s and led her away. “Got a good deal on it, including a rebate and some accessories.”
Brand grinned as he and his mom stood. “She’s bossy.”
Ann stared after her husband and Sahara. “In the most remarkable, loving way.”
He laughed. “Exactly.” Everything about Sahara was remarkable, and she was all his.
He’d been lucky as a boy, and now he was lucky as a man. That left no room in his life for resentment...only love.
EPILOGUE