“Sweetheart, marrying you, adopting Griffin, and having more babies with you are what I’ve always dreamed of since the day you walked into my life, and we brought Champ into this world.”
Those big, gorgeous eyes of hers rounded like saucers before those tears that had trickled minutes before, picked up speed, sending a steady stream down her face. My hands cupped her cheeks, but not making an attempt to wipe them away.
It was a day for happy tears.
“Really?”
“Since that first day, I think I’ve been living my life for you. For us to be together. We were young and I may not have been able to admit it, but from that day on, I’ve been building my world around you hoping for this moment to come.”
Her hands plunged into my hair, holding me in a tight grip as she stared at me.
“Me too,” she whispered.
I ran my hands back down her arms before moving them around to her flat belly. “A baby,” I said softly.
“I haven’t taken the test yet,” she told me, biting that darn lip again.
Gently rubbing my palms across her stomach, I told her, “We can take one. But even without it, I feel it. We’re going to have a baby.”
That’s when my smile broke like the morning sun, rays of energy coursed through me, and my whole body lit with an abundance of love—old and new.
“Thank you.”
Patience tilted her head, her hands moving to the back of my neck, but never letting me go. “Why are you thanking me?”
“For giving me your heart, sharing your life with me,giving me Griffin, and making a family with me.” I brought our faces together, so our mouths touched when I spoke. “We're having a baby.”
I felt her smile move across my lips and the salty liquid of tears that still fell, splashed on my face. I reveled in the moment, the feeling, and soaked it up. But I wasn’t done.
“Will you marry me?”
She pulled back. “But we’re?—”
I pressed my mouth to hers, silencing her and kissing her senseless. Then I broke the kiss and locked my eyes on her.
“Marry me. Again?” I wanted to do it right. “I robbed us of the real wedding you deserved and want to give it to you with all our family and friends. We can do it at Gramps’s place.”
Holding my breath, I waited for her response.
“Say yes.”
Her eyes sparkled, a wave of emotions rolling through them.
“Yes.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her into my chest, our hearts thumping in perfect sync with one another.
It was time to put the plans in my head in motion.
Marrying her was one, adopting Griffin was another, but I had something else up my sleeve that I think she might just like.
The future was ours.
Chapter Forty-Three
PATIENCE
I didn’t think anything could burst the happy bubble I’d been in.
