"Hmm?" His arms were locked around her while her face rested against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.
"Can we get married now? Like at that Justice of the Peace?"
Scotty hesitated. "No. Not until this is over."
She looked up. "Why?"
Because if I go to jail Vanessa, I will not have you tied to a murderer. If things don't turn out the way I want them to, then you will lead the life that you were meant to lead—the life I want you to lead.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Vanessa … if I'm convicted you're not going to waste your life on me the way my Mother wasted her life on my Dad. There's no benefit being tied to a convicted murderer-"
"Stop it!" She brushed his hands from her shoulders and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You're not going to tell me how and who to love. I'll make that decision. As far as wasting my life, regardless of what happens to you I'll never do that. I'm not my mother and I'm not yours and you're not Juan Carlos.