“That’s all right, beautiful,” I assure her, climbing onto the bed beside her and kissing her temple. “You don’t have to worry about a thing tonight.”
“I can’t believe you came for me,” she whispers, choking back a sob.
I scoot closer, lift her onto my lap, and tip her chin so I can look into her grief-stricken eyes. “Always.”
“You say that now, but what if you leave me and Grams passes away too? I’ll be all alone.” Her voice breaks as she clutches the collar of my shirt.
“Sweetheart, we’re not going anywhere. But even if we did, our friends and family will always be in your corner. Hell, if they had to choose, they’d pick you in a heartbeat.”
A small smile tugs at Charlie’s lips. “Of course they would. I’m fucking awesome.”
It’s a relief to see her cracking a joke at my expense, a glimpse of her usual spark shining through.
Her smile turns wistful, and I assume she’s reminded of the devastating news she received a few short hours ago.
“I know you’re hurting.” I press my nose against her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. “I might not be able to take away your pain, but I’m not leaving you. Not now. Not ever.”
“How can you be so confident when all this started as an obligation?” she asks, gesturing between us.
I take her hands and bring them to my mouth, kissing her fingertips. “What else can I do to prove that I’m all in? Your uncertainty after all we’ve been through is breaking my heart, beautiful.”
She peeks up at me through her eyelashes. “Help me understand how that’s possible when you could barely tolerate me before we found out we were having a baby.”
As tempting as it is to push off this conversation again, I can’t avoid it any longer. I have to be completely honest, even if thetiming isn’t ideal. It’s the only way I see to end her lingering doubts about us, and I’m prepared for whatever her reaction might be.
“Do you remember the day we talked with your grandma and Florence during our first visit to Meadowbrook together?” I ask as my thumb brushes over her wedding ring in slow circles.
Charlie nods tentatively.
“What about the part where I told them I knew you were the one after seeing you dancing on the bar at Blue Moon Tavern?”
She lets out a half-hearted laugh. “Yeah. They thought it was a swoony story. It absolutely helped you win them over.”
“It wasn’t just a story,” I tell her.
Her brows knit together. “I don’t understand.”
“I was at the bar the night of your twenty-first birthday. I watched you dance barefoot, belting out‘Jolene’with a wild kind of joy I’d never seen before. That’s the moment I realized I wanted you,” I confess, reluctantly meeting her gaze.
“If that’s true, why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”
“You were my sister’s friend, a hell of a lot younger, and too damn good for a moody workaholic like me.” My eyes rise to find Charlie with her head tilted as she studies me. “So I did what I do best and pushed you away when what I really wanted was to drag you down from that bar and claim that fucking mouth, making it clear who you belonged to.”
“Except I didn’t let you shut me out,” she states smugly.
A lazy grin crosses my face. “No, you didn’t. You constantly challenged me, and it made me want you even more.”
“If that’s the case, why let me go so easily after our first night together?”
“Because I thought that’s what you wanted, but it was a mistake. I should have fought for you from the beginning, which is why I’ve done everything to prove that I will always chooseyou and our little peanut.” I place a hand over her rounded belly, rubbing it tenderly. “My home is wherever you are.”
If this weekend has taught me anything, it’s that no business venture or investment is worth being away when Charlie needs me most. I’m not leaving her side again until after this baby is born, and even then, I plan to take her with me whenever I can, keeping any necessary time apart few and far between as possible.
This tragic situation has also solidified my decision to move forward with hiring a foreman. It’s the only way to give me the freedom to be as present as possible for Charlie and the baby. One of my biggest regrets is not listening to Pops’s and Walker’s advice. I should have implemented Briggs’s approach to innovate and streamline processes sooner. However, in my experience, it’s better late than never, and I’m looking forward to not being responsible for the day-to-day operations on the ranch.
“It feels wrong to be happy right now,” Charlie admits on a broken murmur.
“Grief is complex, and there’s no set roadmap for healing.” I bend forward, resting my forehead against hers. “For now, let’s take it one day at a time, okay?”
