“You.” Jared caressed her skin, smoothing the sleeve of her shirt and tangling with her hair. “I love you, baby. I shouldn’t have dropped a bomb on you at GUNS before everything started, but I’m glad you knew where my head was before I ended up here.”

Sugar’s chin rested on his chest; her watery eyes looked up at him. The tips of her fingers stroked the stubble on his jaw. “I love you, too.”

“I was never the kind of man who believed in the long haul. In settling down with one woman who I liked as much as I loved. Just thought it’d be me and Thelma.” He brushed her hair with his fingertips.

A half-smile teased. “She’s a good dog.”

“She is. And she likes you. I think that makes me love you even more.”

Sugar batted his chest. “Very funny.”

“I know who I am. You do, too. We’re one and the same. So to say I never thought fairytale bullshit and love was possible would be an understatement. But we belong together.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“And a family? Well, hell. It seemed like a concept for other people. Worked out well for Winters. One of these days, Nicola’s going to show up, asking for maternity leave, and I’ll be out my Bond girl for a while. Christ, Cash will be a pain in my ass come time for Princess to deliver. What I’m saying is, I thought family was nice for them. Not me. But I was wrong. Me. You. Asal. Maybe more. I don’t know what we want, but that’s family.”

Tears streamed down her face. “I want that, too.”

Damn. He hadn’t meant to upset her, not after all she’d been through. “Now’s not the time to cry.” He wiped her cheeks, wanting her to smile and laugh, wanting her to feel the same detonation of love in her chest, burning to escape and explode, as he did. “What do you say, Lilly. You ready to stop running, give up the Chase, and become a Westin?”

A brilliant smile broke across her face, and her blue eyes beamed. If happiness and love had been tangible, it would’ve been Sugar, in his arms at that moment. “Join Team Westin? Hell yes, Jared. Hell. Yes.”

“Good answer, Baby Cakes.”

As he leaned down, his neck wound screamed, but he kissed Sugar. The top of her head. Her temple. Her cheek. It’d been one hell of a chase. He pulled her tight, vowing to never let go. He’d summited a hellacious battle between his head and heart and found victory with the secretly sweet Sugar, who was curled against him in his hospital bed.

EPILOGUE

“The happiest place on earth.” Disney’s tagline was no lie.