first babies. I don’t think we need to worry. It’s down and back in two days.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Why don’t you come with us so you can be right there if I need you?”
“You wouldn’t mind that?”
“I’d rather you come than be wound up in knots the whole time I’m gone.”
“Sign me up.”
She caressed his handsome face. “Figured you might say that.”
“You were all ready for me, weren’t you?” he said with a hint of a smile.
“Maybe just a little.”
“What did I ever do without you to keep me calm?”
“When are you ever calm?”
“Haha, I’m a lot calmer with you than I was without you, and I’ll be back to what counts for normal for me after our baby arrives safely.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, knowing for sure he’d worry obsessively about their baby once he or she arrived, but that was okay. She’d be there to keep him sane. “That’s good to know. I don’t like to see you so spun up.”
“I can’t help it. You’re the most important person in my life. The thought of you being in any kind of danger makes me crazy.”
“I’m not in danger, Gav,” she said, laughing. “I’m pregnant.”
“Don’t act like shit can’t go sideways with having a baby, because it can.”
“I’m fine. I’m going to be fine.”
“You can’t know that for sure.”
“No, I can’t, just like we can’t know for sure that we’ll be okay every time we get into a car or leave the house or walk down the street.”
“Great, now I have all that stuff to worry about.”
She laughed and elbowed his ribs. “I understand the reason why you worry the way you do, but it makes me ache for you. I want you to find a way to relax and enjoy the life we have together.”
“I enjoy every second of our life together, which is why I worry so much about something happening to ruin it. Somehow I survived losing Caleb, but if anything ever happened to you…”
“It’s not going to. We just have to believe that everything will be fine. Have faith.”
“I’m working on that. It’s your fault for making such a mess of me that I can’t stand the thought of being without you for even a day or two.”
She arched a brow. “How is that my fault?”
“You relentlessly pursued me and made me fall in love with you.”
Flashing a satisfied grin, she said, “I was rather relentless, wasn’t I?”
“Thank God for that, because I was too stupid to see what was right in front of me, waiting to make me the happiest guy in the world.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
“I never could’ve gotten there without you.”
“I know! That’s what I tried to tell you for so long.”
Laughing, he drew her into a soft, sweet, lazy kiss that made her so, so thankful that he’d finally come around to seeing things her way. She’d always known, in her heart of hearts, that they could have something special. The only one who hadn’t been convinced was him, until she showed him the error of his ways by loving him as fiercely as she possibly could.
“I was thinking we ought to get married over Christmas,” she said. “Just us and the families, no fuss, no big deal.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “When I marry you, my sweet Ella, it’ll be the biggest deal of my life.”
Smiling, she kissed him again. “Mine, too, but we don’t need the fuss of a big production.”
“Every girl dreams of the big production.”
“Not me. I only ever had one dream when it came to my wedding, and it’s already come true because I got the groom I always wanted. So yes to a small wedding at Christmas?”
“Yes to whatever you want. Anything at all.”
“I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted already. This’ll just make it official.”
“I’m all for making it official so you can’t get away from me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Charley was as tense as she could recall being in a very long time. Hearing what her poor, sweet dad had gone through with his father… It made her furious. And sad. She banged around the kitchen, getting out pots to make pasta and sauce, her go-to dinner when she hadn’t given a thought to what to make until it was time to eat.
Tyler was home all day, working from his office, and made dinner most of the time, but on days he got too busy, it fell to her to make something when she got