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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

He hated publicity. But that ship had sailed. Once more, fame had found him, and Elle deserved all the formalities. He knelt. He took Elle’s hands and looked up at her. “Elladora Varela, will you marry me so we can be together forever?”

She knelt beside him. “Forever is a very long time...and even that won’t be long enough for us.”

This kiss was soft and sweet, a promise for tomorrow, and when they pulled apart, the Shivering Sherlocks were dabbing at their eyes.

Tamalyn had her hands clasped together while she smiled and sighed, “That’s real romance.”

Justin Scharphorn was taking notes and snapping photos.

Mrs. Kulshan had her arms around Mr. Kulshan’s waist while he honked his nose on a white handkerchief.

Rune hung on the top of the rail, shaking her head and muttering, “Even with the Pacific Coast Highway closed and only the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road open, this year will never be outdone.”

Yet Sofia clearly was not happy, and she scoffed, “No one ever asks the parent anymore.”

“Mom!” Elle glared. “Since when did you become a traditionalist?”

“Shh.” Adam softly put his hand over her mouth. “I’ll handle this.” He turned to Sofia. “Mrs. Varela, may I have your permission to wed your daughter?”

Sofia put her hands on her hips. “You’re going to marry her no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Adam was quite definite. “But we would prefer to have your blessing.”

“And Dad’s,” Elle added.

“He’ll be thrilled,” Sofia said to Adam. “My husband is the traditionalist. He has been fretting because Elladora is in her twenties and unmarried.”

Adam stood, helped Elle to her feet and offered his hand to Sofia again.

She shook it, then hugged him and Elle. “You have our blessing.” Still holding Elle, she looked in her eyes and asked, “You jumped off the Arcturus and landed here? Why here, Elladora? Of all places, why here?”

“What’s wrong with here?” Another woman’s voice, well-modulated, pitched exactly to reach their ears.

Angelica stood outside the arena’s fence. Rune opened the gate for her.

Angelica strode into the ring. She looked solely at Sofia, spoke directly to her. “Why shouldn’t my granddaughter be here?”

79

ADAM WASN’T AS SURPRISED as he might have been. He’d seen the photo of the young man on Angelica’s desk, the only photo there, with an inscription, To Mother, from your loving son, Bradley Lindholm. Even more than the resemblance between Bradley and Elle, Adam had been struck by Bradley’s eyes, one blue and one brown—and that explained so much about Angelica’s behavior whenever she was around Elle: skittish, intensely caring and almost bewildered.

But Elle... Elle was shocked. She took a hard breath. She staggered sideways. “What? Why? Mom? What is she talking about?”