He wasn’t sure he’d ever been so happy in his life as he had been since he’d arrived.

“What?” Lorelei said as she walked up, her long hair shining in the sun. “I can tell you two were talking about me.”

“You American women know nothing of marriage,” Kinsei said to her. “Ask my wives-they will all tell you they are happy being married to me.”

Lorelei looked as if she didn’t doubt it. On the flight over, she’d said that in spite of Western ideas about marriage, Kinsei’s family was at least as functional and happy as any she’d ever seen.

“Kinsei, tell me you weren’t just pressuring him to make me his bride or some nonsense like that.”

“Nonsense? This is the most important thing you will ever do, getting married. It will bring your heart what it desires.”

Ryan would have expected Lorelei to roll her eyes at the triteness of the sentiment, but he knew she was faced with Kinsei’s track record. He was, against all reason, inexplicably always right, or so she claimed. And he could tell now how much weight she really did give the medicine man’s words.

His heart did a little joyous flip-flop.

He’d told himself it didn’t bother him at all that Lorelei wasn’t really keen on marrying. He’d been happy enough that they were together, now cohabitating in her family house. They’d just finished renovations in the fall.

But Ryan understood in that moment that he really did want to marry her, not just live with her. He wanted to declare to the world that they were together for life.

Lorelei looked from Kinsei to him. “What do you think? Want to get married?”

“Of course he does,” Kinsei answered for him. “Look at the man! He’s hopelessly in love with you.”

Ryan couldn’t help laughing. This was not how he’d ever have envisioned his proposal of marriage going, but, with Lorelei, it was completely perfect.

He looked at the medicine man. “Could we, um…?”

“Okay, okay, I will give you privacy, so you can talk about your marriage. And when you are ready, I will marry you. Tonight, yes? Before the feast.”

Without waiting for their approval, he turned and hobbled away on impossibly thin legs.

Ryan turned to Lorelei and smiled. “Are you sure you want this?”

“You heard the man-it’s what my heart most desires. Don’t make me get all mushy now.”

She pulled him close and stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his lips. When they finally pulled away, she said, “I can’t think of a place I’d rather get married.”

“Really? Right here, in the village?”

She nodded, smiling. “The wedding garb involves a sarong and no top. Are you convinced yet?”

“You mean, you’ll be topless, or I will?”

“Both of us.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do it.”

He picked her up and kissed her again, this time with the soul-deep satisfaction of his heart finally finding its greatest desire.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

USA TODAY bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in Tahoe surrounded by her family, a few wild creatures and some of the sexiest firefighters on the planet. She is hard at work on her next romance novel. Visit her at www.jillshalvis.com/blog.