I’ll fight to be the man she believes me to be.
“Sydney,” I say as our lips brush.
I can feel her breath mingling with mine. “Yes?”
“Tell me you forgive me.”
Her hand lifts to my cheek, and she rubs her thumb softly against the scruff on my face. “I have loved you my entire life, Declan Arrowood. I never stopped, and I don’t know if I ever could.”
I kiss her tenderly and then pull back. “But do you forgive me?”
When Sydney looks at me, the vulnerability in her expression would drop me to my knees if I weren’t already sitting. I see the fear swirling in those blue eyes. “Will you leave me again?”
“No.”
She sighs.
Unable to resist the sweet sound, I kiss her again.
I kiss her as though the world around us can crumble because I have everything I need right here. Sydney is what I fought for through all the hell I’ve endured in my life. She’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and God help me, but I want her.
Her hands snake around my neck, and she pulls me tighter. I smooth my thumbs against the soft feel of her skin and send another round of thanks to whoever answered my prayers.
“Uncle Declan! Aunt Sydney!”
I freeze, and Sydney pulls back. “What is it with my family and their timing?” I say quietly, but Syd laughs.
“Hey, Hadley,” Sydney says around me to my niece.
“Mommy and Daddy are parking the car, and they said I should come in here and make sure you were okay. Are you okay? Was Uncle Declan and you kissing?”
I turn to her and shake my head. “What do you know about kissing?”
“Umm, I’m eight years old. I’m almost a teenager, and … I watch YouTube.”
Great. “You should be playing with dolls.”
“Well, she could be riding a horse, but her uncle hasn’t gotten it for her yet,” Sydney adds on.
I give her a playful glare.
“Yes! I need my horse, Uncle Declan.”
The women in my life are trying to kill me. But, I did promise her one, and I know it’ll piss my brother off, which is always an added benefit.
“How about we go visit Devney’s parents this weekend and see what they have?” I offer.
Devney’s parents run a farm that has horses and other animals in need of new homes, and they always have options for newer riders since the horse I was looking at from the Hennington farm still isn’t ready for her. Maybe she is going to end up with two freaking horses.
“You mean it?” Hadley asks, her green eyes bright and hopeful.
“I mean it.”
“What do you mean?” Connor asks as he enters the room.
“You’re getting a horse!” Sydney tells him, ruining my moment of joy.
“I’m going to have a brother or sister and a horse! It’s the best day ever!” Hadley yells and then launches herself at me.
I catch her, pulling her into my arms and laughing.
Yes, it really is the best day ever. I have everything going my way.
“Declan?” Sydney’s voice is quiet in the dark as she pokes me in the chest.
I sit up, alarmed that she’s waking me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Are you sleeping?”
I look over at the clock sitting on the side next to the recliner I’m in. It’s two in the morning. “Not anymore.”
“Good. I wanted to talk.”
I rub my hand over my face and try to shake off the drowsiness. “Now?”
“Well, I figured now was as good a time as any.” Sydney stands in front of me, hands on her hips.
Yeah, that makes total sense. “Okay.”
“Why do you want a relationship now? What’s changed? Why didn’t you realize how much you wanted this before the possible death thing? Also, why the fuck did you buy my farm?”
That’s a lot of questions, and my brain isn’t really working, but even in my half-asleep haze, I know I have to answer this without pause.
“Because I realize that my life is complete shit without you. What has changed is me? I’ve stopped trying to think I know better than you. You said you love me and want me in your life, and I’m really too exhausted to pretend that isn’t what I want too.” She doesn’t say anything, so I continue, hoping I don’t fuck this up. “As for why it took me so long? Well, it really didn’t. It just took me a while to be able to accept it. I knew the minute I saw you again at the pond that I had never gotten over you and that I was still hopelessly in love with you, but didn’t want to hurt you. As for your farm, I bought it because you wanted it.”
She’s still quiet, and the fear I had about fucking it up is growing. “It’s millions of dollars.”
“It’s a good thing I have a really good job then.”
“Declan.”
“Sydney.”
She huffs. “I don’t know how you did it.”
“I got the cash from my company line of credit and sold my apartment. Well, I’m selling it this week. I should accept the offer I got yesterday.”
“You what?” she yells.
Here’s where I had to really hedge my bets. “I’m not going back to New York. I am selling my apartment, so the options are either to live with you or in that tiny fucking house thing on my farm. And just so you know, I really hate that goddamn thing.” I get to my feet and take her face in my hands. “I’d much rather be with you.”
“You sold your apartment and risked your company just … to buy the farm?”
I lean in and press my lips to hers. “I’d sell it all for you, Syd. I’d give it all up if it meant I’d be with you. I’ve been a fool for a long
