Page 182 of A Forgotten Promise

“As you know, our relationship started as a sham, because I needed to close a deal.”

“So it’s true?” Corm’s mom gasps, and Declan snorts.

“Shit, I guess not everyone here knew. Sorry, Mom.”

I laugh. “It’s not fake anymore, Dorothy.” I bite my lips.

“Details, please,” Xander calls.

“No,” several guests protest.

“Shut up, everyone. Where was I?” Corm takes over. “It started all wrong, not the way Saar deserved. And I’m not talking about my need to close an important deal… I wanted her back then, but I believed that when I wanted something, I could just take it.”

Everyone goes still at the rare moment of public honesty from this man.

“But I know better now. As I said, Saar deserved better then. And she deserves better now, but she seems to have chosen me, and I’m the luckiest bastard. I want to earn her trust, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve her.”

My vision blurs, and my eyes widen when he gets down on one knee, a ring in his hand. “Saar, will you marry me?”

I plaster my hand over my mouth, as if that can help me contain the emotions.

“Dude, you’re already married,” Xander shouts.

“Is amnesia contagious?” Cal asks.

“For fuck’s sake,” Corm growls. “Let her answer.”

I giggle through my tears. “We are already married.”

He sighs. “I got an annulment.”

Several people gasp, and someone whistles. My heart jumps to my throat. “You divorced me?”

“How else would I be able to propose?” He smirks. “You deserve better than a fake start.”

I sniffle through a grin. “Wedeserve better than a fake start.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

He pushes a beautiful ring—an understated rose-gold band with a sparkling diamond—to my finger, and jumps up to kiss me.

“How could you even divorce me without my consent?” I grin, completely drunk with love.

“The same way I got us married without saying the vows.” He kisses me again. “We’ll do it the right way this time. A big wedding with carnival food.”

“Carnival food?” I frown. Has he lost his mind?

He laughs. “Or whatever you want.”

I look at my finger. “It’s beautiful. What am I going to do with the other one?”

“I was thinking we can give it to Ethel. It should help them expand and take care of many more animals.”

I think my grin will split my face. “I love you, Cormac Quinn.”

The doorbell rings once, twice, three times. I groan. “What time is it?”

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