Forever Your Rogue

by Erin Langston

“But if you refuse me, then I’ll find him myself. I’ve become quite proficient, you see, at keeping my family together.”

Nate, as easy as ever. As easy as always. Like he had only been waiting for her to find him.

“You maddening woman. Do you hear yourself? You are the love of my goddamned life, Cora. You are the reason for my goddamned life. I am insanely, irrevocably in love with you, I’m in love with your children, I’m in love with the family we created this summer. I’m going to be in love with all of you until the day I take my last breath, and then the dust of me will keep on loving you thereafter. You’ll never be free of me, Cora.”

Cora’s eyes found Nate. The blue hit him first and then the amber. Cora, in two parts. All of her, his.

“Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to impose yet another biscuit tax. And Tess is severely in debt, as it were.” Next to him, Raymond chuckled knowingly. “Like father, like daughter?”

“Ah, Mrs. Carleton, it is you.” Nate smirked. “I could have sworn it was the wrong address, what with the lack of biblical plagues.”

“Cora…all summer, I allowed you to dwell under the ridiculous premise that it was fine to not ask anything of me. That it was permissible to have no expectations.” He touched her face. “But no more. I’m telling you, love, ask me. Ask me for everything. Demand more of me. Let me become.”

“You aren’t my beginning. And I hope that won’t make a chasm between us.” Her brow furrowed, but he pressed his mouth there, unyielding to her worry. “But…I rather think you’re my ending.” She found her smile and gave it to him. “I thought I was done. But there you were.”

“September,” he murmured. “Hmm?” “Marry me in September,” Nate said, kissing her softly. “That…wasn’t a question.” He pulled back, his face as serious as she’d ever seen it. “No. It wasn’t.” He kissed her again. “It’s not really a question at all.”

I’m sure you never expected to find your future with a rogue, but every day I’ll do my damnedest to hold you to it. As long as you hold me.

He had four children—two he made and two who had made him—and Nate loved them all fiercely, equally, differently.

Me and you, mate.

“We got there. In our own way. After all…” He looked down at Tess. “Families come together in many different ways. Don’t they?”

“Incorrigible. You remain, as ever, the absolute worst rogue of my acquaintance.” His eyes glinted, and two decades evaporated. “And thank God for it.”