"Yep, you're in tune," he said.
"Oh, I don't know, don't you think you should recheck?"
"You're right. I'll reconfirm all night long."
The second time they made love, she lay with her head on his shoulder and her hand over his heart. Mercy had never been so satisfied in all her life, but something was still niggling in the back of her mind.
"So, you're not going back to play with the band?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't need the band. The only thing I get from going on tour is a paycheck, and I'm pretty pat when it comes to money. I thought I needed the validation, but all I need is you and Maddie."
"How did this happen?"
He kissed the top of her head. "You tried to be a groupie."
Once Maddie drew her family on the back of the list, Mercy no longer thought about what she wanted. She didn't need to be a groupie when she had her own rock star. Didn't need to wish for a child when she had Maddie. Earth-shattering Os were a given anytime she and Alex found the time to pleasure one another.
"I'm the last groupie you'll ever have."
He kissed her long, hard, and passionately. "You're the only groupie I want."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Several weeks later.
Alex walked through his home, and it was different. Not because of the art on the walls, or the touches of light and life Mercy infused with her throw pillows and knickknacks. No, it was different because love lived here.
"Are you almost ready?" he called to Maddie.
She burst out of her room, wearing a pretty pink dress and stood beside him. Mercy was due home soon from setting up her classroom. While she didn't spend the night with him and Maddie regularly, they made his house their home base for all family activities.
The nights were the hardest to bear, but after tonight, he hoped they could consolidate. He didn't care if they moved to her house or she moved to his. All he wanted was to get his family in one place.
Her crazy Volkswagen bug pulled into the driveway.
"She's here, Mads. Get the flowers."
He'd been as calm as a tranquil sea until a minute ago. What was about to go down would either be the biggest accomplishment of his life or the greatest disappointment. He checked his pocket and waited for her to walk inside.
The door swung open, and Mercy entered.
"Hey, guys." It took her a second to realize that Maddie was in a dress, and he was in a suit. "Is there something I should know about?"
Maddie ran to her and handed her the flowers. "Yes, Daddy wants to know if you'll marry us."
He couldn't hold the laugh back. "Honey, that was my part." He studied Mercy to see what she might be thinking, and all he saw was love in her eyes.
"Is this—"
"Come here, beautiful." He held out his hand and walked her to the couch, where he helped her take a seat. On one knee in front of her, he said, "Mercy Meyer, nothing in my life has been the same since I met you. The thing is, up until then, I thought my life had everything. But you taught me that it was nothing without love, and it is nothing, without you."
He pulled the box from his pocket; it wasn't a huge diamond, but it was a perfect diamond to reflect how perfect she was to him. "Will you marry me?"
"And me," Maddie said.
"Isn't this too soon?"
That was an argument he expected. "You're right, it is soon, but that doesn't mean it's wrong. What do you say, take a chance on me?"
She lifted her chin. "Will you write me more love songs?"
"Absolutely."
"What about the fence outside? I never once dreamed of a house with a chain-link fence."
"I'll get Wes on the pickets tomorrow."
"I want to plant things."
He bit his lip and quirked a brow. "Me too, Maddy wants a brother."
"Can we name him Strawberry Sam?" Maddie asked.
"Not if you want him safe at school," Mercy said. She turned to face Alex. "You want to marry me, have more children, and put up a white picket fence?"
He opened the box and removed the diamond. "I want to love you, and the rest we'll figure out along the way." He grinned. "However, I'm totally up for the planting as soon as you are."
A tear slipped down her cheek. "Yes. I'll marry you both."
He slipped the ring on her finger, and for the first time in his life, he felt whole.
He didn't need fame. He still liked having his fortune, but if it all went away, as long as he had Mercy and Maddie, he'd be happy.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mercy rushed out of Doc's office with a smile on her face. She had to give it to Alex. When he put his mind to something, he was all in. A week after he put that ring on her finger, he asked Doc to marry them. They stood at the end of Katie and Bowie's dock and said their vows.
The picket fence was up, and the backyard was tilled for next year's garden. She said goodbye to her little place on Daisy Lane and moved in with her family.
She glanced down at the test results in her hand. Pregnant.
Months ago, her life was hard, but hard didn't turn out to be hollow or hellish or any other negative H in the alphabet; it turned out to be heavenly, happy, and hopeful.
She loved her new life, but Alex didn't have a clue just how much was about to change, but she entered the corner store hoping to find a way to drop the hint. Maybe a package of diapers or a baby bottle on the table would be perfect.
Instead, she found Deanna and Red in an argument, and the new owner, Jewel, sitting behind the counter, taking it all in.
Jewel nodded. "What you're looking for is in aisle three."
Mercy cocked her head to the side. "What?"
"Just trust
