Melissa and her sister-in-law Sheila were corralling toddlers on the living-room floor, amid a jumble of blocks, action figures and miniature cars.

“Mellie?” Caleb’s voice interrupted the game.

Melissa glanced up.

Her brother’s brow was furrowed with concern, and she quickly saw the reason why.

Jared stood in the foyer, his suit and tie contrasting with the casual T-shirt and jeans Caleb wore.

She scrambled to her feet, drinking in his appearance, wishing she wasn’t so pathetically glad to see him as she crammed her messy hair behind her ears. She hoped her eyes weren’t red. She hoped he couldn’t read how lonely she’d been the past few days. She’d fallen asleep each night with his image in her mind, longing to feel his strong arms wrapped around her.

She’d second-guessed herself a million times. What if she’d come clean right off? What if she’d told him who she was? Maybe he’d have thrown her off the ranch. But maybe he’d have given her an interview. And maybe, just maybe, they’d have had a chance to get to know each other without a lie between them.

She’d tried not to love him. She really had. But it was a hopeless proposition. And seeing him again told her that she’d be weeks, months, maybe even years getting over her feelings.

She heard a rustle from the kitchen and turned to see the rest of her brothers file in. They moved behind her, and Caleb joined them. As if it was choreographed, their muscular arms crossed over their chests and they pinned their gazes on Jared.

To his credit, Jared looked levelly back. “I see you didn’t lie about your brothers.”

The five Warner men straightened their spines and squared their shoulders. The toddlers’ coos and burbles were at odds with the tension in the room.

“How did you find me?” Melissa managed to ask, searching Jared’s expression, trying to figure out what reason he could possibly have for tracking her down. Had he somehow read an advance copy of the article? Had he hated it? Did he want her to change it?

“Your personnel file,” Jared surprised her by answering. “Caleb is your emergency contact.”

“How did you-”

“You’re not fired, Melissa.” He took a step forward. “I want you to know that up front.”

She felt her brothers close ranks behind her.

“Oh, yes, I am,” she responded, struggling to keep her voice from shaking. Seth had been crystal clear on that point.

Jared shook his head. “Ryder International bought Windy City Bizz. Nobody is firing you for anything.”

Melissa peered at him, trying to make sense of his words.

“It was the best way I could think of to kill the story,” he explained.

The babies played on in the background, while Renee and Sheila moved in beside their husbands.

Melissa subconsciously moved closer to Jared. “You bought the Bizz?”

“Yes.”

That was insane.

“You paid, what? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep my story out of the press?”

“I hadn’t read the story when I bought the magazine.” He offered a wry half smile. “Had I known it was so innocuous…”

“I did try to tell you,” she pointed out.

“I know.” His expression softened, and he moved closer still. “But you knew…” He glanced around at her family members, then peered at her to make sure she understood his code. “You know?”

She did, and she nodded. “I never would have used it.”

“You lied. And I couldn’t tell-”

“I am so sorry.” She wished she could start over. If there was one minute in her life she could do over, it would be the first time they met. She’d tell Jared she was a reporter up front and let him do whatever he would do.

“Mellie.” Caleb’s arm went around her. “You don’t have to apologize again.”

“Agreed,” said Jared, meeting Caleb’s eyes, squaring his own shoulders. “It’s my turn to apologize. I lied to her, too.”

Caleb tensed, but Jared stepped forward, anyway, clasping his hands over Melissa’s. His hands were warm and strong, sending sensory memories tingling along her spine.

His expression softened again, and his voice went lower. “I lied to you when I said I never wanted to see you again.”

Melissa felt a faint flicker of hope. But she instantly squelched it. She was going down a dangerous road, erasing any gains she’d made since that horrible night at the Ritz-Carlton.

“I do want to see you again,” Jared continued, and she was forced to redouble her effort at dampening her hope. “All the time. Every day from here on in.”

Melissa wanted to run. She wanted to hide. Her brain couldn’t comprehend that he might be serious.

“Excuse me?” Sheila popped out from behind the men. “What are you saying to Melissa?”

Jared flicked an annoyed glance at Sheila, and Melissa could feel her brother Ben bristle.

“I’m saying,” said Jared, a thread of steel coming into his voice, “I can propose to her here under, well, rather stressful circumstances.”

His gaze went back to Melissa while her heart thudded powerfully in her chest. “Or we can go somewhere private, where I can do it properly.”

Her mind scrambled in a freefall.

“I have a limo out front,” Jared continued. “A table on the deck at the Bayside, a florist and photographer on standby, also-” he tapped the breast of his suit “-a ring. I also have a ring.”

“Can we see it?” chirped Sheila.

Jared’s attention never left Melissa. “Only if she says yes.”

Melissa couldn’t do anything but blink. Emotions that had been close to the surface for days threatened to erupt. This couldn’t be happening. It must be some fevered hallucination.

She looked back at her family.

They were watching expectantly.

Could this be happening? Could it be real? If she’d had a free hand, she’d have pinched himself.

“Melissa?” Jared prompted.

“I think-” she nodded “-the restaurant is a good idea.”

“Yeah?” A grin split his face.

“And the photographer.” She assured herself it was all real. Jared had found her. And he wanted to be with her. “I have a feeling Stephanie will expect pictures.”

Jared’s grin widened.

Sheila spoke out. “But can we see the-”

Ben clapped a hand over her mouth.

It took her all of three seconds to escape. “Good grief. It’s obvious she’s going to say yes. They can reenact it later for the photographer.”

Everyone stared openmouthed at Sheila.

“What?” she asked. “Come on, Renee. Back me up. We want to see the ring.”

Adam’s wife stepped forward. “I have to say, I’m with Sheila on this.”

Melissa started to laugh. “Go ahead,” she told Jared. She was planning to say yes.

“In a minute,” he told her, stepping back to pull Melissa into the foyer, around the corner, beyond the view of her family.

He held her hand firmly, staring into her eyes. “I love you.”

The world disappeared around them, and Melissa’s chest filled with a warm shimmering glow. The worries lifted off her shoulders and the vestiges of pain evaporated from inside her.

“I love you, too,” she breathed, touching his face, letting his essence seep through her fingertips and into her soul.

Jared sobered as he leaned in for a kiss. His lips touched hers and magic seem to saturate the atmosphere around them. It was a very long minute before he pulled back.

“We can reenact this part later for the camera,” he whispered, reaching to his inside jacket pocket. “But will you marry me?” He flipped open the jewel case to reveal a stunning solitaire.

Melissa nodded. “Yes. Oh, yes.” She couldn’t imagine a more amazing future than one with Jared.

He slipped the ring onto her finger. Then he kissed her hand and whispered, “Go ahead and show it off.”

Though her family was waiting, Jared was her world. She went up on tiptoe, hugging him tight, and he lifted her off the floor to spin her around.

Sheila squealed in the background, and suddenly the entire family was pouring into the foyer, admiring Melissa’s engagement ring and welcoming Jared into the family.

BARBARA DUNLOP

writes romantic stories while curled up in a log cabin in Canada’s far north, where bears outnumber people and it snows six months of the year. Fortunately, she has a brawny husband and two teenage children to haul firewood and clear the driveway while she sips cocoa and muses about her upcoming chapters. Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her Web site at www.barbaradunlop.com.