Page 97 of Sam's Salvation
She frowned and read the sign. It was for a theater. “Are we seeing a play?”
“No. I googled Spanish places in London. This came up. I’d take you to a restaurant, but that’s too crowded and noisy.”
“Okay?” She drew out the word, still confused about what was going on.
He reached into his back pocket. When he brought his hand around, he held a small burgundy booklet. Audra frowned as she realized it was a British passport. “Why do you have a British passport?”
“It’s one of yours.” He handed it to her.
She opened it. It was her Angela Brackley ID. “I’m so confused. Why are you giving me this? I can use my real one now.”
“I know. I was wondering if you wanted to make that last name official, though?”
Audra’s lips parted on a soft gasp.
He dropped to one knee, producing a small fabric pouch from another pocket. Opening it, he dumped a ring into his palm.
“Oh my goodness,” she breathed, covering her mouth.
“Aud, you know I want you to be part of my life for the rest of my days. I’ve been thinking about this since the moment we met again. We’re here”—he pointed at the theater—“because it’s about as close as I could get us to Spain without leaving the city. I wanted the forever part of our lives to start in the place where our relationship began. I love you. Will you be my wife?”
A bright, happy smile started behind her hands, crinkling her eyes. She dropped her arms to her sides. “Yes!” She didn’t even have to think about it. Secretly, she’d hoped he’d propose soon now that she was retiring. She wanted nothing more than to build her new life with him right by her side.
Standing, Sam took her hand and slid the square-cut diamond solitaire onto it. “No more fake names and false identities. From now on, you’re just Audra Brackley.”
Happiness propelled her into action, and she threw her arms around his neck. The noise of the busy London street faded away as she sealed her mouth to his. She liked the sound of that.
Epilogue
Asmall child’s laughter, followed by a splash, put a broad smile on Audra’s face. She turned her head against the spray of droplets Em’s mini-cannonball threw into the air. Max lifted her from the water and tossed her up, catching her.
“’Gain!”
“Again?” He groaned. “Em, my arms are tired.”
Audra chuckled, watching the pair. For nearly fifteen minutes, one of Margot’s twin toddlers had been jumping into the pool at Max. He would pluck her out of the water and toss her high into the air, then set her on the pool deck, where she’d jump in all over again.
“Honey, let’s give Max a break. How about you come over here and play with the fishies with your sister?” Margot sat in a wading pool with Em’s twin sister, Lily. She waved a colorful plastic fish at her daughter.
“That sounds fun.” Max tucked the girl to his chest and walked toward the steps. Em protested, but he kept going.
“She is a handful and a half.” Sam sank into the chair next to Audra’s and took her hand.
“That’s for sure. He’s really good with her, though. After seeing them together this week, I understand why you all say he’s taken.”
Sam grinned. “Yeah. It’s only a matter of time, I think, before he realizes he’s in love with Margot and asks her to marry him. He might be already and is just waiting for her to be ready. What she’s been through—” He stopped and shook his head. “It hasn’t been easy.”
Audra didn’t know much of the story, except that Margot’s husband had left abruptly and they hadn’t had any contact since.
“Edie, come on. You can’t go to your wedding in flip-flops and shorts.”
Audra turned to see Edie exit Max’s house, her sister, Esther, on her heels.
“I’m already married, Essy. It doesn’t matter.”
“But this is for the wedding pictures.”
“I have those.”