again to stop the words from flowing. Then, he pulled back, such gentleness in his eyes as he continuously swiped at my endless tears. “Everyone who comes in contact with you falls in love with you.”
I shook my head, but the sincerity in his eyes stilled me.
“It’s true. My brothers. The girls … me. I thought I’d never love again, and”—his voice hitched—“you changed that. You changed me.”
He cupped my chin, bringing me even closer, and I couldn’t look away this time. I was transfixed.
“I lived my life by going through the motions, living for others, not myself. But for the first time since Nat died, I feel like I can finally live for myself, be in love, be loved without the guilt. Growing up, seeing how my parents were, I thought there was only one person for everyone. You would spend eternity with them, and that one person for me was Nat. And when she died”—he shuddered—“I thought I would never find a love like that, but I was wrong. So wrong. Because I love you, Becky Summers, and for once, I’m going to do what my brothers and Sarah and everyone else have told me to do. They want me to be happy, and I’m the happiest with you.”
“I don’t deserve you,” I croaked out. Because I didn’t.
He was everything good in the world—provider, light—and my past dimmed in his presence.
“Says who?” he asked, his voice tender.
“Me!” I crumpled against him, my eyes downturned as all the emotions from the day rained down on me like a tsunami.
He let out a slow breath and lifted my chin with the lightness of his fingertips. “If you feel like you don’t deserve me, then I most definitely don’t deserve you—your kindness, your patience.” He stood then, taking me with him. “We’re done.”
“Where are we going?”
“Home,” he said, pulling me to his side. “You don’t think you deserve me. I don’t think I deserve you. We can both live undeserving lives … but together.”
“Charles …”
Charles’s take-charge attitude was coming out. “Becky, I’m not taking any more of this nonsense. You’ve been through a lot. And I’m going to do what I know—I’m going to take care of you, okay? I’m going to run you a bath, feed you a good meal, and tuck you in next to me so that you can’t leave. Ever,” he added at the end like he was reading my mind.
There was a fierce determination in his eyes, the same look I’d witnessed so many times before.
“I mean, if you really hate me and don’t want to stay, that’s another story, but you’re not going to leave us because you’re scared or you feel guilty because that’s all bullshit. Everything is going to be okay.” He paused then, his fingers tightly intertwined with mine.
“I know how that sounds. After Nat died, after my parents died, everyone told me that it was going to be okay. It was repeated over and over again like a broken record. I never believed them because that’s what people said when something tragic happened in someone’s life. But for the first time, I believe them. Life might throw other curveballs, but I’ll be able to handle them because I have another person on my team who’s playing catcher.” Playing for cute, he tapped the tip of my nose with his fingertip. “We’re on the same team, Becky—Team Brisken. And you’re going to be okay. Maybe you won’t feel like it tomorrow or the day after that, but once everything turns back to normal and you’re not worrying about the stress of the past, you’re going to be okay.”
The cops had my mother handcuffed and were ushering her into the back of the cop car. There was no doubt I’d spend hours being questioned. I watched the car pull away until it was a blurry figure down the street.
Finally.
She would spend her time in jail, away from me, away from the people that I was close to. And not only for a few months, but because of what she’d done today, it would be years. She was no longer a threat to Charles and his family, and Kate could never use them for money ever again.
Charles’s tender hand brushed against my cheek. Peering up into his chestnut-brown eyes, I believed him. It was in the strength behind his voice, the intense look in his stare. That hope bloomed in my chest because I believed him, believed that everything would be okay.
So, for once,