Page 34 of My Girl to Ruin

Lachlan

Dinner is quiet. It’s mostly quiet with us. It took me a while to work out that she prefers it that way.

Tatum sits across from me at the small table in our loft, the soft glow of the lights casting warmth over her face and the space we built together piece by piece.

I was proud of her today. I told her so, and it wasn’t half of what I felt. It still feels strange sometimes, saying things out loud after so many years of keeping everything locked down. But I feel it. Every second of it.

“I saw Wilder this morning,” I say. “Picked up the last of the mail he’d been holding for us.”

“How is he?”

“Same.” I turn my glass. “He’s got somebody new in my old unit. Didn’t say much about it. Just that they turned up with one bag and didn’t want to talk about why.”

Something soft moves across her face. “He’ll look after them.”

“Yeah,” I say. “He will.”

“You’re staring,” she says softly, glancing up with a small smile that tugs at something deep in my chest.

“Yeah,” I reply without looking away. “I am.”

Her cheeks warm, but she doesn’t look away either. She sets her fork down after a moment, her fingers tightening around mine, like she’s gathering her thoughts.

“I’ve been thinking about something…” she starts.

I straighten, my attention narrowing on her immediately. “Okay.”

“I want to start a family,” she says finally, her voice soft but steady, her gaze locked on mine. “I know the timing isn’t perfect, with law school starting soon and everything changing, but…I don’t want to wait.”

The words are unexpected, but knowing Tatum, I should’ve expected them. When Tatum makes up her mind, nothing can shake it. I’ve thought about kids more than I’ve let on, but I wanted it to be hers to raise.

“I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want to pressure you,” I admit, my voice lower now as I lean back, studying the seriousness in her face, the hope beneath it. “You’ve worked too hard to get here. I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to choose.”

Her expression softens. “I’m not choosing,” she says gently. “This is part of it. This is what I want.”

My heart swells from the reality of what she’s offering, what she’s asking for. A future. With me.

“I’ve got the shop running steady now,” I say, my mind already moving through the logistics, the responsibilities, the things that need to be in place. “I can bring in more help, cut back when I need to. We’ll make it work.”

“We always do,” she says softly.

Yeah. We do.

Silence falls for a moment. “You’re sure?” I ask. Because I need to hear it. I need to know she’s not rushing into something because of me.

Her lips curve, revealing that same soft, knowing smile that still gets to me every time. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

That’s all it takes. I nod once, the decision settling into place firmly. “Then we start trying.”

She laughs, her eyes brightening. “Just like that?” she teases softly.

I push back from the table, standing before she can say anything else, my gaze locked onto hers as I move around to her side. “Yeah,” I say simply. “Just like that.”

She barely has time to react before I scoop her up, her surprised laugh spilling into the space between us as her arms instinctively wrap around my neck.

“Lachlan—” she starts, but the protest doesn’t hold, not when she’s smiling like that.

I kiss hers, swallowing whatever was coming next. It’s a heady feeling knowing I have the woman of my dreams in my arms. Her fingers grip my nape as she takes as much as I give, sending shivers of need down my spine.