“But if I wasn’t in the way…”
“Then Veronica and I would figure out how to be co-parents alone. But we would never return to the relationship we used to have. That ended long before a baby turned up at my door. And long before you and I spent the night together.”
This time when he tugged her hand she went, stepping closer to him. “You weren’t a rebound relationship. It wasn’t about necessity. We didn’t end up together for any of the reasons swirling in your brain.”
“Oh? Then why don’t you tell me why,” she said, a touch breathless.
“Because we love each other. That’s why, Clara. That will always be why. And if I have to wait another ten years to convince you to be mine I will.”
The breath left her lungs in a rush. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out. We should have ended up here years ago. At the very least, I should have told you last night before—”
His words stopped when she slipped a hand over his mouth. “You asked where I was going,” she said, her voice soft. “I was leaving to find you. To tell you I don’t give a damn if the best thing for everyone is if I bow out gracefully. There is nothing noble about giving up the people you love. If Veronica was going to take my boys away from me, she’d have to do it while I kicked and screamed and held on for all I’m worth. You are my family, Walker. You and no other. And I don’t lose those I love easily.”
His fingers wrapped around her wrist, lowering her hand from his mouth. “Say it again. What you wrote in your letter. Say it to me now.”
She didn’t try to misunderstand what he meant. “I love you.”
The fingers on her skin tightened.
“Again,” he demanded.
“I love you. I’ve loved you since that first year, and I’ll love you till my last breath. You and Hunter. Wherever you go, I go. I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“Never again,” he agreed. “We’ve spent too many years missing each other.”
“I know how to stop.” She took a breath and said the boldest, most wrong, thing she’d ever said in her life.
“Marry me.”
He blinked. “What did you just say?”
“I asked you to marry me,” she said, stepping closer. “I’m done waiting. I love our family. I love you. I don’t ever want to be left on the outside again. So marry me. Let’s spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out how to make all the wrong decisions together.”
He shook his head and her heart fluttered.
“Unless you don’t want that,” she said, stepping back. “Did I just blurt all over you? I can take it back if you want me to.”
“No, it’s not that.” With a rueful smile, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box.
“Oh,” she breathed.
“For once in my life I was going to do something the traditional way, and then you went and stole my thunder.”
“Well, like everything else in your life, at least our engagement will be unconventional.”
He leaned forward with a smile, brushing his lips over hers. “Did we just get engaged before I even asked my question?”
“Looks like,” she agreed. “Want me to take it all back? I refuse to marry you even if you were the last man on earth.”
“Nope, I don’t like that any better.”
“Then maybe you should ask the question we both know the answer to, and we can move on to the making out part.”
“Screw rings, let’s skip to the end.” Grabbing her hand, he tugged her toward the bedroom.
“Walker.” She laughed in protest.
“All right.” Taking her hands in his, he came back to her, the look in his gaze infinitely tender. “Maybe I don’t want to skip this part after all.”
Meeting her eyes, he dropped to one knee.
“Clara, you’ve been my best friend for years, but you were always more than that. You’re my family. My rock. I need you in my life for me to have any chance at ever being happy. For a long time, I thought all I needed was your friendship, but I was wrong.” He squeezed her hands. “I’m in love with you. Completely. Utterly. I see what an incredible mom you are to Hunter and what an amazing friend you are to Diane and Emily, and I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you are the most wonderful woman in the world. Please be mine. After all these years of missing each other, let’s finally live our lives together.”
He looked up at her without any hesitation on his face. “Marry me,” he said, using her simple words.
“Yes,” she said. There was no other answer. No need to think about her decision. She’d never been sure of anything the way she was sure about Walker.