“I have, actually. That was the other place I was contemplating running off to besides Blossom Peak.” Her eyes widen after she finishes speaking.
“Everything okay?”
She clears her throat. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
Nodding, she licks her lips. “Yeah. Continue your story, please.”
I push my curiosity aside for now. “Well, Carrington Cove is where my mom died. She and my father took a long weekend just the two of them, which they never did, and that’s where her aneurysm burst.”
Vienna sucks in a breath. “Oh my God.”
“Yeah. So when Sarah told me that, I took it as a sign, like my mom had sent me this woman to bring me back home.” I take another drink. “We fell hard and fast for one another, and she was the reason I chose not to reenlist. I wanted a life with her. For the first time in four years, I had felt something other than grief and anger. She lit up any room she walked into and had a smile that rivaled Julia Roberts’,” I say, remembering what her smile looked like, how she sounded when she laughed, and what it felt like to hold her in my arms. Vienna’s thumb moves over my hand again. “She reminded me so much of my mom, and I know she would have loved her. It was fast, but I proposed to her within a year, and soon after we were married, we found out we were expecting Ellis.”
A tear slips down Vienna’s cheek, and I brush it away. “She gave you one of the best gifts anyone can give you, Rhonan—the unconditional love of a child. Trust me, there are people out there that will never get to experience that but wish they could.”
“I know she did, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be raising my daughter without her. That day…” I shake my head while gathering my thoughts. “It was the best and worst day of my life so far.”
“I can’t imagine how you can even begin to navigate something like that.”
“Honestly, Vienna…I’m not sure that I have.” Reaching out, I stroke the side of her face. “And no one has made me want to until you.”
“Wow.”
“Which is why I need to say thank you.”
“What? Why are you thankingme?”
“Because you’re helping me conquer my fears.”
“I think you’re giving me too much credit.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m not. Don’t you have things you’re terrified of that have impacted your life?”
Her eyes move to her wine glass, but she doesn’t pick it up. Instead, she stares at it in contemplation.
“I have two big fears,” she starts. “One is regretting not taking risks.” When she focuses back on me, she continues, “And the other is never having kids.” There are tears in her eyes, but she blinks them away. “Let’s just say I’m working on the first one more than the second, and that’s definitely because of you, so I guess I should say thank you as well.”
With my eyes locked on hers, something inside pushes me to reciprocate. “My worst fear is losing my daughter.” I shake my head. “You got a glimpse of that fear firsthand the day she disappeared from the yard.”
She places her hand on top of mine. “I can’t imagine what that must have felt like.”
“And I took it out on you.”
The corner of her mouth lifts. “You already apologized for that, so no need to bring up old wounds.”
I lean forward and press my lips to her chastely. Scooting closer to her in the booth, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my chest now, getting lost in her magnificent green eyes. “You know, my other worst fear was that by dating someone new, Ellis would get attached to the woman and then things wouldn’t work out. But Ellis was attached to you before I ever gave myself permission to pursue you.”
“You’re pursuing me, huh?” she teases.
“If you didn’t know that, then I haven’t been very clear.” I reach up and cup the side of her face. “I want you, Vienna. And…I’m willing to see where this goes. I can’t make any promises, and I’m sure I’m going to make mistakes. But for the first time in five years, I’m choosing not to let my fear make the decision for me.”
Chapter 21
Vienna
Everything I’ve Been Missing
