With an armful of my own clothes, we walked up to the register.
“She’s wearing all this.” Hailey dropped the tags and box on the counter.
The teenage boy looked me over and smiled. “I can see that.”
“But not for long,” Hailey added with a little wink.
Seriously, what’s with the winking today?
Hailey paid using Beckett’s credit card, and I felt that same flash of guilt I had at the salon. But I didn’t have time to focus on it as we raced for the courthouse.
Beckett stood outside in a perfectly tailored suit, his hair styled in sexy disarray. When he saw me, he smiled slow and wide, taking the time to drag his eyes from my polished toes to the soft waves of blond that fell to just beneath my breasts. He finally met my eyes and visibly swallowed.
“Wow.”
“Four thirty-one, and she’s all yours!” Hailey declared, handing Beckett his credit card.
“Thanks, Hailey.” He tucked the card inside his breast pocket.
“What do you say, Ella MacKenzie? Want to make me a dad?” He offered his arm, and my heart fluttered like the thousand butterflies that had taken up residence in my stomach.
“You could definitely go for that later,” Hailey whispered as I walked by, but I just shot her a little glare and turned my attention to Beckett.
Then I forgot all about Hailey and took his arm.
He smelled incredible and, as he opened the door for me, I leaned in to take a deeper breath. It was like the guy rubbed himself in new leather and wind and really yummy things. Whatever it was, it absolutely worked for him.
We walked through the foyer, and I paused at the sweeping staircase.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone gentle.
“The last time I was in this courthouse, I walked out married to Jeff. And as wrong as that decision was, I can’t regret it, because it gave me the twins. It led me to this moment. To you.”
His grip tightened on my hand, and his attention flickered to my lips.
Kiss me.
“There you two are!” Mark called from the head of the stairs. “Let’s get this show started, shall we?”
“Shall we?” Beckett asked, his voice low and rough.
“Yes. Let’s.”
A half hour later, we walked out of the courthouse with a piece of paper that said Beckett was now Maisie and Colt’s father.
I knew it was only to protect Maisie, to give her the very best shot she had at beating the disease, but the moment we’d both signed, it felt more significant than a business transaction.
A tiny but undeniable flame of hope had flared in my heart that it wasn’t just on paper—it was real.
My kids were now Beckett’s, too.
And I was head over heels in love with him.
…
“I hate him!” I swore as I slammed my front door four hours later. Beckett’s headlights faded as he headed back to his cabin.
“Hate who?” Ada asked, coming out of the kitchen.
“Beckett is my guess,” Larry said from the mudroom floor, where he was repairing Maisie’s dollhouse.
“Yes, Beckett!” I snapped. “Oh, thanks, Larry. I really appreciate that.”
“Did the adoption not go well?” Ada asked quietly, pulling me into the office.
“No, it was great. The whole night was perfect! He took me to dinner and ordered wine, and then took me up the gondola to the Village for one of those little open-air concerts and danced with me. The man danced with me! And then he brought me home, walked me to the door, and hugged me. He hugged me good night.”
The worry fell right off her face, and she sighed with a soft smile. “Oh, Ella. You’ve gone and fallen in love with him, haven’t you?”
“He hugged me!”
“Not that I blame you. He’s a good man; he really is. He’s spectacular with the kids, and kind, and dependable, and really easy to look at. Add in his knight-in-shining-armor complex, and you were bound to fall for him.” She took my hands.
“He hugged me,” I whispered.
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing. He’s already made it clear that’s off the table, and I can’t blame him. I’m not exactly baggage free, you know. Two kids, one who is sick, a business to run, huge trust issues. I’m not really what someone like him would look for.”
“And what exactly is he like?”
“Pretty perfect.”
Ada sighed and dropped my hands. “Okay, well, you feel free to stay in here and pout. But just in case you feel like acting your age and doing something spontaneous, Larry and I are taking the guest