“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Yeah?” he said, but was already moving to Cisco.
“We’ll take it slow.”
“I trust you.”
He brought Cisco right up against Lady, grabbed me, pulled me close and kissed me.
The horses’ handler opened the gate; Cisco led the way, Lady right behind him. We didn’t go far, and we didn’t go fast, but there was something so tranquil about the ride. Man and horse, nature. It was amazing.
“I get it,” I said, glancing over at him. “This is incredible.”
He didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. I turned back to the view, but I was thinking about Killian and how far we’d come. To say I fell, and fell hard, wasn’t an understatement. He had too. Sometimes, I woke myself up, thinking about the events that led me here. I never thought I could have a happily ever after. Not after what I had lived through. I thought the best I could hope for was finding peace. And then I found him, this intensely quiet and beautiful man. It was like someone guided me here. Someone pointed me down the path to not just find happy again, but the kind of love people wrote books and songs about. Tears burned my eyes because I believed it was my mom. She told me once, she hadn’t fallen for my dad, right away, that it took being together. That’s how it was with Killian. It wasn’t love at first sight, but we slipped into love, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
I didn’t realize where we were until my house appeared through the trees. “What are we doing here?”
“Need to show you something,” Killian said, climbing off his horse before he helped me from mine.
Graham’s crew had already packed it in for the day. The work was almost done. The gazebo was being built, the final touches on the outdoor fireplace. I really did love this spot, but it didn’t make sense to keep both, to leave this empty, when someone could enjoy it.
Killian took my hand and led me to the garage, going through the door to the stairs that led up to the extra room.
We stood at the door; he turned to me. “It’s just an idea.”
Then he pushed open the door and stepped back, so I could enter. The walls had been plastered and painted pink with bright polka dots. My sewing machine was setup on the table. Another larger table sat across the room, one I knew he designed and built. A desk sat under the window with my sketchbooks and colored pencils. All of my craft supplies, from fabrics to crystals, were arranged in bins. Mannequins were lined up against the wall, racks for clothes against the back wall. My eyes burned, seeing the designer studio he created for me.
I turned to him; he was leaning against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest.
“When did you do this?”
“Been working on it since I showed up that first day.”
“A studio.”
“You need to make more like that dress, which you still need to wear…”
I threw my arms around him. “I love you. God, I love you.”
His arms locked around me.
I hadn’t told him the news, we’d barely come up for air in the last two days, but I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out, not that I wanted to. “I’m pregnant.”
He tightened his arms, almost to the point of pain. “Come again?”
“I’m pregnant.”
He released me, his focus moving to my stomach, before he looked back up at me. I would never forget the look on his face for as long as I lived. For a man who didn’t show emotion, he was showing it now.
He touched my stomach then he yanked me to him and kissed me senseless. We were both breathing heavy when he ended it. “We move you in and get married, not in that order.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Is that you asking me?”
“You’re carrying my baby. Not asking.”
How like him. I touched his face, kissed him, then asked, “Is it later?”
Later, I wore my dress. He fucked me in it, hard and fast against the wall, and then he undressed me and took his time.
Liam, Killian and I stepped from the bank. I was now a silent partner in the tavern that Liam now had full control of. Killian pulled the key for the tavern from his ring and handed it to Liam.
“Congratulations, man,” Killian said. “Dinner, my treat.”
“Won’t get an argument from me,” Liam said.
Killian turned to me, pressed a kiss on my forehead. “Wait here. I’ll get the truck.”
I watched Killian for a second. I had wondered what I liked more, him coming or going, it was definitely him coming back to me, but I did like looking at him going, too. I shifted my focus to Liam.
“What’s going on with you?”
He didn’t pretend when he said, “I’ve been a fuck up my whole life.” He pulled a hand through his hair. “I’ve never done anything on my own. I’m too fucking old to be counting on others.” He fisted the key. “I’m not going to fuck this up.” He glanced at me and grinned. “Don’t get too comfortable, Boss, cause you won’t be boss for long.”
“I’m not your boss, and good, because I don’t know shit about running a bar.”
Silence settled, and for as happy a day as this was for Liam, something was bothering him. “What happened with Natalie?” I asked.
He looked up the street, before his gaze drifted back to me. “Like I said, I’m a fuck up.”
“It’s not too late,” I said.
“She needs someone who has his shit together, not waiting around for a guy who may never figure it out.”
“I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”
It was then I saw it, the shadow behind his eyes, one I knew because I carried a similar one. He had ghosts, too. I reached for his hand; his gaze dropped then lifted to mine. “I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
He
