“Why?” Amy looked confused. I was making a hash of this, and Phil didn’t appear amused, although Duke did.
“Amy, I thought you understood I wanted to build a life with you,” I began.
“Oh look, there’s a swing set,” Duke said, pointing it out to Declan, who’d been listening in. He took Declan over to Inglorious’s house, and Phil went with him.
“I do.”
“Amy, I want this to be our home. I want you to settle down with me. You can check the plans over. If you don’t like them, Apache can change them. We can apply to adopt Declan if that’s what you want?”
Amy stared at me in a long silence. I immediately felt edgy. Was she going to refuse me?
“You want us to move in together and make a home?” Amy asked in a strangled voice.
“Yes. I want to grow old together. Amy, I told you that,” I said, taking her hands and moving closer. I bent my head to hers. “Amy Wright, I love you, and that’s never going to change.”
“I love you too,” she whispered, and I claimed her lips, and triumph rolled through me. This, right here, was my reward for coming back to South Dakota to support Nanci. I’d found my soulmate, and she was perfect.
“We’re adopting Declan. I know some people,” I murmured.
Amy laughed. “I hear you do.”
“Nanci been tittle-tattling?”
“Yup. But she’s funny with it.”
“So, what do you think of the house?” I asked.
“I don’t care what it looks like as long as it’s big enough for us, Declan, and a few other children. Perhaps an office I can work in,” Amy replied.
“How many kids?” I demanded, needing to know.
“Three or four? No more than that,” Amy said.
“That sounds wonderful to me.”
From across the road, Declan let out a belly laugh, and we turned to gaze at the boy who’d be our son one way or another.
???
Why does something perfect always have to get ruined? As we walked back to the clubhouse, I was surprised to see two familiar cuts heading inside. I shoved open the doors and saw Drake and Ace. They stood to one side with Inglorious, and I winced as I saw their old ladies in a huddle with Nanci and Daisy-Duke.
“Run!” I muttered to Amy, who’d come to a stop behind me. Her hand snuck up and caught hold of my cut.
“I thought they were friendly?” she murmured.
“Sure, they are, the women rabidly so. By the time that lot has done, you’d have undergone the equivalent of a Spanish Inquisition, and they’ll have henpecked me to death. They’ll have our future planned and kid’s names picked too.”
Amy’s eyes went wide, and she began backing out. “Oh, hell no, babe, you ain’t leaving me alone to face them.”
“Papa!” Amy whispered, and Phil approached. His stern gaze swept the room, and Nanci, who’d been standing up to wave Amy over, paused.
“Amy, would you like to come and join us?” she called.
I snickered; she’d been planning toorderAmy to join them.
“No, thank you. My dads are here,” Amy replied.
Duke snorted behind me, and I moved out of their way so they could grab a table. It was close to lunchtime, and Meadow was busy at the serving hatch.
