“Grizz, I don’t want you angry about this stuff. I just—”
“How can I not be?” he snaps, but I know it’s notatme.
“I just want to move on from it.”
“And let them get away with it?”
I shake my head, sitting up straighter.
“I can’t live my life trying to get revenge. What kind of life is that? I have a daughter. I have you. I’m happy, Grizz. I just wantto forget about all of it and move on. I want to have a normal life.”
He pulls me onto his lap, and I straddle him. He cups my cheeks. “You are so fucking brave and strong, but I can’t agree with that. I’ve gone back and forth on what to do about this, and it keeps going back to one thing.”
“What?” I ask.
He gives me the smallest shake of his head. “It’s better that you don’t know—”
“Grizz—”
“Angel, please. I’m sorry. I know I can’t say shit like that and expect you to forget it. I’m just a mess over all this shit. I know it’s new to me, and you’ve had time to deal with it. But I love you so much. So fucking much. And the thought of what happened to you…”
“Stop thinking about it, then.” Tears form in my eyes again. “That’s what I do.” I huff a humorless laugh. “I pretend that was all someone else’s life. Not mine.”
He frowns, jaw tensing again.
“Just think about our future,” I plead.
Holding my gaze, he finally nods.
“I think about it every single day.”
I smile, my chest tightening with emotion. “Me too.”
Tucking some hair behind my ear, he smiles softly. “What do you think about?”
Good. A safe subject. A happy subject.
“Dorothea running around in the yard on a summer day. Having more babies.” I press my hands to his chest, right over his heart. “Getting married.”
“You want that?” he asks, his hands sliding up my hips.
“So much. But…”
“But what, Angel?”
“Only if it’s with you.”
His response is to kiss me, soft and slow. Then he helps me back onto the couch, and I cuddle into his side as he presses play on the remote and the movie starts.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Grizz
It doesn’t take long for Anastacia to fall asleep, but I stay up and watch the movie. I’ve never seen it before. I’m not much of a romance movie kind of guy, but I’ll say… this was a good one. It was funny and sweet. She would have liked it, had she stayed awake.
Dorothea fusses softly, so I carefully move Anastacia’s feet off my lap and walk to the room Dorothea is in. She smiles at me when I lean over the travel crib to get her, her feet kicking.
“God, you’re so damn cute.” I pick her up. “Are you hungry, sweet pea?”
