But he’d accused Chelsie of wanting his ready-made family and then walked away instead of accepting her word, instead of believing she loved him separate and apart from Alix. He’d hurt her so deeply he still saw it in her expression every time they were together.
Her shadowed eyes haunted his dreams. She was the last person he’d ever hurt intentionally. He saw only one way to make amends and hopefully assure their future. The only means he had to convince her of his trust was to offer the one thing he’d accused her of wanting more than him. His niece.
He couldn’t think of another way to bring them together, except to risk everything. He knelt down and stared into her eyes. “Listen to me. I love you. I want to marry you and be a real family. But if you can’t see beyond my mistakes, I understand. I’ll accept any type of shared custody arrangement you want. I’ll...
She cut him off by throwing her arms around his neck and toppling them both to the floor. “I take it this arrangement works for you?” he asked, out of breath but still needing to hear the words.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “You’d do that for me?”
“Love you? Yes. Marry you? Yes.”
“Share custody of Alix even if I said no to your proposal,” Chelsie said softy.
“In a heartbeat.” Although right now he was fairly certain his own heart had stopped.
She blinked against moist eyes. “Can you move?”
“Your point?” he asked. Because if she didn’t answer him soon, he might not make it another minute.
“You’re not going anywhere, Griff, and neither am I.” Chelsie looked down at the man she loved, the man who had risked his emotional nightmare to give her what he believed she needed. What he failed to realize was the depth of that love. “You didn’t need to do this. I believed you when you said you trusted me. It’s just that I can’t give you all you deserve. The family you want, a child of your own...”
He grasped her cheeks in both hands, forcing her to look him in the eye. “Your words, Chelsie. Not mine. I said more children. Our children.”
She swallowed hard and tried again. “Are you sure?”
“Sure that I love you? Yes. Sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with you? Yes to that, too.”
“Sure that you can accept not having children of your own?” She asked because she had to be sure. More importantly, he had to be sure.
His eyes never left Chelsie’s face. “I already have all that I want. And you’re right. I do want more kids.” His fingertips brushed at the tear on her cheek. “So why wouldn’t I love any child you and I decided to adopt?”
“Adopt?”
“We both love Alix as if she were our own. As long as any other children are ours to raise and love together, why would I want more?”
Her throat hurt from holding back tears. “Are you sure?”
“That again?” he asked with a grin. He pulled her down onto the floor with him until his arms encircled her, squeezing her so tight she couldn’t help but be certain. “I’m sure,” he whispered. “Are you?”
Beyond words, Chelsie merely nodded. She had all she ever wanted and more than she’d ever dreamed.
“Now that we’ve got that settled, we can plan ahead.”
She lay her head on his shoulder and felt his strength. He’d be there for her always. She laughed. “Okay, let’s plan,” she agreed.
“For starters, I guess it’s a good thing you sublet your apartment after all.”
She feigned a loud gasp and propped herself up to look at the face she adored. “But what about that town house I rented?”
Panic flared in his eyes, causing her to shake her head in laughter and denial. “Gotcha,” Chelsie said with a grin, grateful for the love and the laughter she had found.
“That you do,” he whispered.
She wrapped her arms around him, thankful she’d been given so much.
“I don’t plan on ever letting you go.”
She smiled. “Who asked you to?”
“No more doubts? Because from now on we share everything, good and bad.”
Chelsie smiled. “I’ll share my life with you, Griff. All you had to do was ask.”
* * * * * * * * *
The Right Choice
ONE
Carly Wexler stood back and admired the window display. Rays of sunlight streamed through the plate glass, illuminating an assortment of gold and diamond wedding bands. The enduring symbols of love and commitment caused her stomach to bunch into a tight knot. She closed her eyes, firmly convinced that a fresh glance at the sparkling rings would calm her nerves. After all, nothing could go wrong when a wedding had been planned as meticulously as hers.