Worth the Risk(107)

The love in her voice nearly undid him and he dropped his gaze to the side of the bed. “I didn’t think you would ever want that. Could ever accept that.”

“But I understand more than anyone. I can accept that more than anyone.”

His eyes found hers again, liquid gold. God, he loved her. “I couldn’t let myself feel anything without being afraid I’d come apart. Wouldn’t risk it even for my family. Until you. I wanted to be someone else with you. I am someone else with you.”

“Maybe we’re someone else together.”

He let go of the burning breath he’d been holding, and with it everything else. “I love you so damn much.” He touched his lips to hers.

He rolled to his back, bringing her with him and held her tight. “So you’re really going to marry me?”

“Yes. What’s that smile?”

“What? Why shouldn’t I smile?”

“No, that’s an I’m-about-to-be-really-bad smile.”

“Just thinking about how much fun it’s going to be telling your brothers.”

They wrestled and laughed as she tried to punish him, which only made him hard and want to be inside her. “I love you,” he said again, knowing he’d never get tired of seeing her.

They rolled until he was above her and he began the beautiful task of showing her just how much.





Epilogue


TEN MONTHS LATER…

Streamers of every color blew in the wind. Groupings of pink and purple balloons jerked wildly. Shrieks of joy and general pandemonium erupted to a new level when another one popped against a wooden beam of the playground structure. Gracie’s sixth-birthday party was in full swing.

Hannah didn’t have parties here, but her niece was the exception. Allie and Lola followed Gracie down one of four slides. They rode together and had become best friends.

Standing at the railing, looking at it all brought tears to her eyes. Just a year ago she’d watched Stephen’s family with longing, and now they were her family.

Her husband—still getting used to that—slid his arms around her from behind. She covered his hands with her own, the ones that protectively covered her flat stomach. There was a baby growing in there, the news so recent, the idea so fresh, they were both still absorbing it. She hadn’t thought it could happen, could still hardly believe it.

Marrying Stephen four months ago had been the most beautiful moment of her life. Until two days ago. When she’d told him they were having a baby and his eyes had filled with tears. Now that was the most beautiful moment. Standing here with him close enough to feel his breath on her cheek, watching the kids climb over the structure they’d recently finished, was another one. Her life was a series of better and better moments.

He buried his nose in her hair and kissed her neck. “You’re not going to tell them, are you?”

“No.” They’d decided not to say anything about her being pregnant, not for a while. Stephen liked knowing they had a secret and he didn’t want to share it. That was fine with her.

With the other adults they managed the kids, watching them enjoy Stephen’s new creation. This party was the christening of the special-needs playground. Some of the most ingenious features had come from J.T. Though only via drawings, as he still refused to come home. No matter how hard Stephen and his other brothers tried, it didn’t seem to make a difference. It made her wonder if there was something other than his amputation that was keeping him away.

Hours later adults and babies covered Hannah’s small wooded porch, spilling off to more chairs at the bottom of the steps. Stephen, his dad, and his brothers had cleared a section of woods right in front of the cabin for a wooden swing set. They knew what they were doing and the park-worthy structure had gone up in two days. Stephen said the kids in his family would need an outlet when they came over and he was right. He was also working on plans for a bigger house a hundred yards up the rise.

“Can we go in the woods?” Jack asked alongside his cousin Alex.

Matt adjusted his three-month-old baby girl, Caroline, on his shoulder. “Stay where I can see you.”

“Okay.” Jack and three more of the older kids turned to run.

“That means if you can’t see us, we can’t see you,” Matt added.

“Got it!”

The black Lab puppy Stephen had given Hannah shortly after their engagement ran after the boys. Not to be outdone, her brothers had delivered Bailey, a German shepherd, shortly after. Nick still claimed they’d technically been first since Bailey had been in training for several months. Lexie had also given her a dog, Bingo, a rescued Australian shepherd mix, who lay exhausted at her feet. Zach was determined she would have a barn cat. She didn’t mind.