I laugh and cuddle him. Ryder watches with my favorite lopsided smile. The one that’s just for me.
“You didn’t give him away?” I ask, breathless.
“Nope.”
“And the house?”
“All mine.”
“And me?” I ask. I’m scared, even now, to hope that this is what it is. That I’m not dreaming and I’ll be devastated when I wake up.
“Mine too. If you want to be. Because I sure as hell want to be yours,” he says, his voice low and gruff.
“I want. I want to be yours,” I whisper, gulping back tears. “So damn bad.” I throw myself into Ryder’s arms, forgetting about poor Archie, who gets trapped between us.
Duncan clears his throat loudly, capturing our attention. He holds out his hands. I give the dog to him, and Ryder grabs me by the waist and pulls me back into his arms.
“Archie’s wearing a bow tie,” I say to Ryder in a wondering voice. “You put a bow tie on Archie?”
“Of course. It’s a party. But I don’t have the skills to accessorize him better. We need you for that. We need you for a lot of things.”
“So,” I say to his broad chest. He smells so damn good. Woodsy, but with a hint of dark musk. It’s addictive. “That performance. I never thought you were the type to make a public grand gesture.”
He tips my chin up. Our eyes connect. “I’m not that type. I’m so fucking not.”
“But you did. You said all those things about me in front of the world.”
“Well, I thought it would be only fair. Since you said a lot of things in your video about me.” His slow smile is devastating.“And even though I’m not the public grand gesture type, I’m pretty sure you are. And that’s what matters.”
I sigh. “You know me so well.” And then a thought occurs to me. “You know, my birthday is coming up soon. In case you want to practice more grand gestures. I double dog dare you.”
He groans, but his eyes are on my lips. “Only for you,” he murmurs.
“You!” Chase strides up to Ryder. He does not look pleased.
Ryder faces him calmly. “Chase,” he addresses my brother.
“Were you lying to me this whole time? Feeding me bullshit about fake dates. But secretly with Daisy? What the hell?”
“Hey. Hello. I’m here. This conversation is about me. And why are you trying to dictate what I do with my personal life?”
“She almost killed herself because of you,” Chase grinds out, still addressing Ryder. “Do you not remember that? And you’re still fucking with her heart. I won’t have you hurt her again.”
I hold out my hands. “Chase. Hear me now. What happened when I was younger was not Ryder’s fault. He’s blamed himself for it. And that’s not right. I was young and scared and needed someone to love so badly. I threw myself at Ryder, while he was a complete gentleman. But that has nothing to do with who we are now. I’m stronger. Wiser. I learned from that experience. It formed who I am today.” I stand up straighter. “Stop seeing me as that kid who couldn’t be relied on to make good decisions or know her worth. I finally know who I am. I know my own heart. And I can handle anything that life throws my way, believe it or not. Even paparazzi.”
“She does. She handles them like a champ now,” Olivia says, standing next to Chase. “My love.” She puts a hand on his arm.
He looks down at her.
“Remember before we were together, when I told you that you couldn’t make my decisions for me? Even if it was to protect me?”
Chase frowns.
“Well, guess what? Here’s your chance to learn that lesson a second time.”
He swears. And stares at Ryder for a long minute. But then his lips curve into a reluctant smile. “Sometimes I hate that you’re always right,” he grumbles, turning to Olivia.
“It’s a gift. Now give your best friend and your sister your blessing to do whatever it is they want to do.”
