Worth the Wait (McKinney_Walker #1)(22)
She turned, gave him a quick kiss, then sat on the edge of her bed. “My father spoke to you.”
“Yes.”
“And? What did you talk about?”
“Oh, this and that.”
“Nick.”
He grinned. “You look nervous. Did you think I wouldn’t survive it?”
She picked at a thread. “I don’t know. You’re still here.”
“Of course I’m still here, and we did talk of this and that. But of course, it was mostly of you. He loves you very much.”
“Yes. He does. Sometimes, I wonder if he loves me too much.”
“Is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I guess not. I’ve often thought, though, that if there’d been more children, especially boys, he wouldn’t be so… dependent on me, I guess. Maybe that’s not the right word.”
“He made me promise not to ask you to marry me.”
Mia’s eyes went wide with shock. “He what? Please tell me he didn’t say that.”
“Not until you finish school.”
“Oh. Okay. I never considered getting married in school. Did you?”
He hadn’t thought that far ahead, not about specifics. He loved her, knew he wanted to be with her. “No. And I get where your dad is coming from. We talked about the future. He wants you to finish school, med school, before I tie you down, barefoot and pregnant, washing dishes.”
Mia groaned. “Please tell me he didn’t say that.”
“No. But I understand his meaning.”
“Do you?”
He rubbed at the worry between her brows. “Yes. We’re both still in college, but I let him know my intentions toward you were pure.”
She laughed softly.
“I didn’t give details, of course.”
“Of course.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry. He… he hasn’t had an easy life. He’s lost a lot of people he loves. I know, in a lot of ways, he feels he turned his back on his family, his culture, but he has a different dream for me.”
“I understand. And I agree as long as it’s your dream, too. I want you to be happy. I want you to have your dream.”
“And I want you to have yours,” she said quickly.
“I know. Med school is—what? Six years?”
“More like eight with surgical residency.”
“Okay. Eight. And hopefully I’ll be in the FBI—”
“Will be. Not hopefully.”
“Maybe, but we have our entire lives.” He cupped her face. “I’m not worried.”
“You don’t need to be. My heart is yours. You stole it, remember?”
“Yes.” His lips curved against hers. “And I’m not giving it back.”
“Good. I don’t want you to. I’m not giving yours back either.” She opened to his kiss as he caught the back of her head and held her there. He hadn’t kissed her since he’d arrived. It’d been way too long.
Their tongues danced in a practiced rhythm while her fingers twisted the shirt on his chest. She always did that when she sank into his kiss, like a cat flexing its paw as it settled in. A dark thought about those years apart they’d discussed moments ago knocked at the edges of his mind, but he shoved it back, sliding his hand around her waist to pull her closer.
“Mia?” Her mother called from the other room. “Come and sit.”
“Coming.” She rolled her eyes. “Well, we had five minutes.”
He gave her a quick kiss. “Maybe we can go for a walk later. You can show me the neighborhood.” He tugged her off the bed.
“And let you pull me into the shadows?”
“Exactly.”
* * *
THE WEEKS AND MONTHS had flown and turned into years, and Hannah’s first day of kindergarten had arrived well before he was ready.
“Another pancake?” Mia asked.
“No, thanks.” Hannah sat patiently at the kitchen counter while Nick finished the second long braid.
He wound an elastic band on the end. “Done.”
Hannah pulled it over her shoulder to see. “Nick does it good.”
“Yes, he does. He’s a pro.” Mia looked at Nick.
Nick swung her from the stool. “Do you want ribbons on the bottom?”
“Yes!” She raced halfway down the hall then turned back. “Pink or purple?”
“Lady’s choice,” he called after her then turned to Mia. “Damn. When did this happen? And brush your teeth,” he yelled, then slumped against the counter.
Nick’s expression was so pained. Mia came to him, touched his face.
“God. Why did I think she was so big? She’s not. She’s too little.”