I was so upset was the night was supposed to be special.”
“I remember,” I reply with a smirk. “You said you’d have me howling.”
A slight grin plays at her mouth, but she shakes her head. “Not that. I was going to ask you to officially come home. For good. So let’s put this marriage back together and recommit to one another.”
I go dizzy because I was not expecting that. My hand closes over the one she still has on my chest, and I bend closer. “Are you serious?”
“I sat on your hard porch for two hours to tell you this,” she says tartly. “I stalked you here. Of course, I’m serious.”
I frown. “That’s not what I was expecting.”
“I know, and that makes me feel even more awful. I had hoped that maybe you’d understand I was just overly emotional. And I hope you realize I love you now more than ever. I’m worried that because you didn’t know those things that perhaps you might not be in a position to accept my offer to come home. I mean, I thought it was all about me opening up to trust you again, but maybe now you need to decide if you trust me. Because when I say I want you to move back, Jim, it’s forever. This is it for us. There’s no separating again and we’ll be committing to each other—new vows so to speak—that we’re not ever going to let ourselves get lost again. But if you need time—”
My mouth slams down on hers, cutting off any further suggestions she might make that more time is needed to decide.
I’m decided.
I’m fucking going back home tonight, and I’m not leaving again.
Ella groans with relief, her arms wrapping tight around me. I walk her back into the side of the building, then kiss her even harder.
We make out like two teenagers, putting words aside. It’s only when I feel Ella’s hips wiggling against mine and realize we are getting a little too hot for public viewing that I pull back.
“I’m coming home with you tonight, Ella,” I say. “I trust in our love. I trust in our bond. I know that neither of us is ever going to accept less than what we have right at this moment.”
“And do you accept my apology?” she asks, eyes filled with worry.
“I accept everything about you, just as you do me,” I assure her. “I love you, Ella. For all the days of our past together, and all the days of our future. I will never fail you again.”
“Nor I you,” she assures me. “I love you, Jim. Never more so than this moment, and I’ll love you even more tomorrow.”
My hands go to her face, and I pull her in for a soft, gentle kiss of promise. When I release her, I take her hand. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 20
Steele
Five days later…
As we walk out of the building, Lucy is on my right… crying.
Ella is on my left… crying.
My arms are around both their shoulders as I steer them across the parking lot toward my Range Rover. We just relinquished Brody back to the service dog organization, so he can go on to do amazing feats for someone special.
I had anticipated Lucy and Ella being a bit heartbroken, but I had not expected how attached I’d gotten to the damn dog. Still, I maintain the lump in my throat is from watching my girls cry, not from watching the volunteer carry Brody away from us.
But we knew it would be emotional. We talked about it last night at dinner, trying as a family to buck ourselves up. It worked… a little.
We walked into the building with Lucy holding Brody, and we left devastated.
“We are never fostering again,” Ella declares with a sniffle. “That was way too hard.”
“He was such a good puppy,” Lucy reminisces. “The best. Such a smart boy.”
“Easy to potty train,” I say, my favorite thing about him.
“The sweetest cuddler,” Ella murmurs.
“But he did like to chew,” I point out. “He ruined the legs on the couch and the foyer table.”
“And my headboard,” Lucy adds.
“He ate the heel off one of my favorite shoes,” Ella says, her voice not so fond anymore.
“I’m glad he’s gone,” I say fervently.
“He was an awful dog,” Ella validates.
“The worst,” Lucy chirps. “We should just stick to turtles or fish.”
And we all bust out laughing. I pull them into me for a hard hug, then let them go as we resume walking toward the car.