I stop talking, not really knowing what to say. How do I explain that I was young, and immature, but mostly scared?
“You should have what?” he asks as he gets out of his chair and steps closer. He lifts my chin with his finger.
“Truthfully, I was petrified,” I exhale shakily. “I didn’t really understand what an enormous responsibility having a child is. I was nineteen and alone. So after searching for you, I just couldn’t stay here anymore. Everywhere I went reminded me of you. Aunt Judy decided I needed a fresh start; that’s when we started looking for the best nursing schools in the country. I decided on Texas. It seemed far enough away for me to be able to start to heal.”
At that, Luke pulls me into his arms.
“Shayne. I am so sorry, baby, that you had to go through this without me.”
“It’s okay, Luke. Really it is. Aunt Judy took several months off of work to get me settled, then she came back and stayed with me when Lucy was born, so I wasn’t alone.”
Luke heaves a heavy sigh, then adjusts me in his arms so he can look into my eyes. His finger tenderly caresses my cheek.
“There will never be enough words for me to express how sorry I am for not being there, but I can make one promise to you. I will never leave you again. You and Lucy are my reason for breathing. We are going to make it, baby, and gain back the trust and love for each other we once had. I need you, I want you, and I will love you for the rest of my life.”
Gently brushing a tear from my face, he leans down and softly brushes his lips against mine. Closing my eyes, I reach up and wrap my hands around his neck, digging my hands into his thick, dark hair as he coaxes my mouth open. Our tongues collide. This kiss is a kiss of promise and hope and pure passion.
Breaking away at last, Luke lightly kisses me on my cheek and pulls me in close.
“I love you so much, Shayne.”
“I love you too, Luke.”
Chapter Sixteen
I feel so much better after our talk, but I know we have such a long way to go to build our relationship back up. We linger for a little while longer, making plans for dinner. Luke wants to teach Lucy how to make a homemade pizza the Italian way, so he leaves to pick up a few ingredients he needs from the store.
I go and wake an irritable Lucy, who is not happy with me at all for getting her up. However, she quickly gets excited as soon as I tell her what her father has planned for her. Setting her up on the floor to play a game, I lean back on the couch and call Adam to check in with him. He answers the phone on the second ring.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Just wanted to check in with you and let you know things are going really well,” I answer, stretching my legs out across the cushions. “Lucy and Luke are perfect together. He was so nervous about not knowing how to be a father, but he is a natural at it. And Lucy is absolutely thrilled, Adam. You should see the two of them together. It’s the cutest thing I have ever seen.”
“That’s great, Shayne. I am so damn happy for all of you. Is my little love bug right there by chance?”
“Yes, she is. Do you want to talk to her?”
“I do. I want to take her to the county fair tomorrow night, if that’s okay with you?”
“You know it’s okay with me, Adam.”
I hand the phone to Lucy. Her eyes light up like the Fourth of July and she starts jumping up and down with excitement when she finds out about her treat. I get up to let her continue her conversation with Adam and hear Luke at the door.
I pull it open for him to get inside and gasp when I see he is holding four grocery bags in his hands.
“What the hell did you buy?” I ask incredulously, taking a couple of the bags from him.
“I don’t have any snacks here and you didn’t tell me what kind of stuff she likes, so I bought a whole bunch of cookies and ice cream and candy.”
I bust out laughing. Seeing his face fall, I place a kiss on his cheek to reassure him.
“Parenting lesson number one. Our daughter does not need all of this junk!” I grin, gesturing with my hand toward the bags.
He spins me around and wraps his arms around my waist.
“Parenting lesson number two,” he whispers in my ear. “If I want to feed my daughter all of this junk, I will, Miss Andrews. So deal with it.”
God, he feels so good around me, and the way he is seductively whispering in my ear has me letting out a long frustrated moan, completely forgetting about the food. Luke must sense my feelings because he pulls away and swats me on my ass, then starts to unpack the grocery bags.
“Now go get me my daughter so I can teach her how to make the best damn pizza she has ever had,” he says, winking at me.