“Let me guess how Carter approached you. He brought up that we’re not married yet, and he’s willing to give you what I never will.” He quirked a brow.
“Of course he did.” I glanced around the room. “Do you have a monitor somewhere recording my house?” I started tickling his side.
“Quit it.” Grey tried to hide how ticklish he was by grabbing my wandering hand. “He called me earlier and told me to do right by you, or he would. He sees how beautiful and happy you are, and now that he’s single again, he wants another shot.”
“I can’t believe he called you. Wow.”
Grey brushed my twisted hair off my face. “I used to be so jealous of him. Not so much that he was with you, but more of how he seemed so sure of love and relationships. That day on the beach, when we almost fought, he told me he knew he would marry you one day. He said it with such certainty that I envied him. Wondered if I would ever be that sure of myself. Too caughtup in my head to truly understand that I’d always been sure of you...of us...of myself. I do want us to be married, but I don’t need to be married to remain devoted and loyal to you and only you for the rest of our lives.”
“I don’t need to be married to you either.”
“Oh...then I guess I’ll just return the ring I bought.” He rolled over as if he would get rid of the ring right then.
“No...no...I want the ring and to be Mrs. Grant Jameson.” I wrapped my arms around his waist.
Grey’s expression sobered before he captured my lips in a soul-wrenching kiss, pressing me back into the mattress. His throbbing erection pressed against my pulsing center. God, how I wanted him.
His doorbell reverberated through the house, startling us, and he broke the kiss. “What time is it?”
“Almost five. Who’s that?”
“Why don’t you open the door and see?” He pushed off the bed and looked down at the tentpole in his shorts. “Um...I need a moment.”
“Okayy...what’s the big surprise? Christmas is next week.” I drawled and walked to the door.
Ethyn stood on the other side, dressed in a light gray suit, holding a bouquet of pink, red, and white roses and a sheepish grin. “Hey, Ma.”
I squealed and hugged my handsome son tight. “What are you doing here?”
“Coach thought it was a good idea to show you how much I appreciate and love you.” He shrugged as he gave me the flowers. “I agreed.”
I inhaled the beautiful bouquet. “This is gorgeous and smells so good.” I tiptoed to ruffle his growing locs as he entered Grey’s home. “I was hoping you would be with your father.”
“He’s on his way here with Elle.”
My stomach dropped. “Excuse me?” It’s one thing to be over your ex-husband, and it’s another thing to have him stop by your current man’s home when neither man cared for the other. At least when I dropped the twins off by Carter and Joi, we became friendly with each other.
“Yeah, Elle wanted to be here too.”
“For what?”
He frowned, searching the living area behind me. “Where’s Coach?”
“Hey, those flowers were from me,” Grey called behind me. He was gorgeous in a tailored dark gray suit with a pearl white shirt, making his hazel eyes appear blue. “He’s just the delivery guy.”
“Okay...we’re coordinated. Where are we going?” My head swam with possibilities. I chuckled nervously as I looked at Grey, whose countenance had changed from playful to solemn. “What did you do?”
The doorbell rang again, and Ethyn stepped back to answer. Elle rocked a fitted, velvet, long-sleeved pink dress and gave me a small wave. Carter stood right behind her, dressed in a cream satin shirt and light gray slacks similar to his son’s suit. He gave me a slight smile that warmed his eyes as he and Elle joined Ethyn. My twins standing with Carter in Grey’s home seemed surreal. My past, present, and future were all in the same space.
Grey stepped forward and beckoned everyone to stand around me. He took my hand. “We all thought it was time to make our love official.”
“Yeah, Mama.” Elle chimed in. “You’ve been with Poppy for years and known him forever. I want to see my parents together.”
Ethyn nodded. “He asked my permission to marry you the day I moved out, and I asked him what had taken so long. When he said it was because he didn’t want to seem like he was tryingto take Daddy’s place, how could I do anything but give my permission?”
Carter’s eyes watered before he started speaking. “If it weren’t for Grey, we all wouldn’t be here. I knew he loved you before you knew it. As much as I wanted to hate him when you and I first met and when he came back into our lives, I couldn’t. When he couldn’t be there for you back in college, he asked me to be there because he loved you that much.” He glanced at Grey before looking at his daughter. “Years later, your father forgave us for keeping you a secret and wanted to be sure that you still considered me your daddy. I know that had to be so damn hard.” He then gripped Ethyn’s shoulder. “Grey bonded with you when he didn’t have to. A son whom I love and hope can forgive me for not always considering you in any decisions I’ve made and knowing that I plan to do better by you.”
Ethyn placed his hand over his father’s, and for the first time in a very long time, he smiled approvingly at Carter. My ex looked at his children again before addressing me.
