“I couldn’t do it,” he said, “couldn’t leave him down in Texas, where I’d never get to see him. I just met my son, just learned to love him, and I wouldn’t have been able to stand having him so far away.”
She stepped back. If he touched her, she’d be lost. “Bo, you shouldn’t have come here—”
“I need to explain about Yolanda,” he said, coming closer. “Just listen, okay? I didn’t marry her.”
The words resonated through her, but still, she thought she’d heard him wrong. “You…didn’t…”
“Didn’t have to. Now, don’t get me wrong—I would have, if that was what it took to keep her in the States. I would have done that for AJ’s sake.”
A cold knot formed in her stomach. “Are you…going to?”
He stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket. It was a Yankees jacket, still bright with newness. “See, when I went down to Texas, the lawyers’ investigators told me they’d found some irregularities in Yolanda’s family records, and we needed to do more research into her family background.”
“What kind of research?”
“The birth records for her parents were the key. Yolanda always thought they were both born in Mexico, but, well, that was just an assumption. Her mother was born in Nuevo Laredo—that’s in Mexico, just like she thought. But her father—Hector Martinez, who passed away—turns out he was born in Laredo, on the U.S. side, although he grew up in Mexico. Took forever to locate the records, but we did. And because of that, Yolanda qualifies for an expedited temporary visa, and she can apply for naturalization.”
“It’s…that’s amazing, Bo. Why didn’t you call me?” She braced herself for some other unexpected blow.
“Honey, I wanted to tell you what was going on, but we agreed, I wouldn’t call. Things kept changing on a daily basis, and I didn’t want to jerk you around or make you a promise I’d have to break. It was like being lost in a maze, all the paperwork and regulations. I couldn’t declare victory until Yolanda was officially back in the States. And now, finally, she is. I wish you could’ve seen AJ,” he added. “I wish you’d seen the look on his face when he saw his mom again.” He paused, a faraway expression on his face. “I can hardly describe it, Kim. It was like watching a light turn on inside him, and he’s been lit up ever since.”
“She’s going to be living…here. In Avalon.”
“That’s right. She’s staying at the Inn at Willow Lake for the time being. I couldn’t stand being away from my son,” Bo said. “Almost as much as I can’t stand being away from you.”
Her heart stumbled. Did he know how much this was hurting her? What was he thinking? “Let’s not do this again,” she said, folding her arms across her middle and edging back a little more. She was just on the verge of figuring out how to go on without him, and now he was back, finding his way to her heart again. She blurted out the only coherent thought that occurred to her—“I’m still in my bathrobe.”
“And I’m still in love with you.” He gently cupped his hands around her shoulders. As if he could feel the objections welling up in her, he touched his finger to her lips. “Let me finish. I never wanted to leave you,” he said, “but it was my decision. I had to do it for AJ’s sake. That’s not the case anymore, and when I figured that out, I got scared.”
“You? Scared of what?” She searched his face, wondering how she’d survived even a day without him.
“That we weren’t meant to be together. That night at the Pierre, watching you work the room, I lost my confidence in us. You almost had me convinced we were too different, that we come from places too far apart. But guess what? None of that matters. I’m perfect for you. Maybe we did a lot of things wrong, but we were right about the one thing that matters. I love you, Kim. I always will.”
She felt a tear escape. “I love you, too, but—”
“No buts, and I’m still not finished. I need to ask you something.”
Kim didn’t breathe, didn’t take her eyes off his face. “I’m all ears.”
He laughed gently, took both her hands in his. “Okay. Here goes—what are you doing for the rest of your life? See, I got these big plans, but nothing’s going to work without you. Because you’re the main reason for all my big plans—to make a home with you, love you for the rest of my life, that kind of thing. Plus, I come with a free bonus kid, and he’s the best kid in the world.”
Kim imagined being with Bo—a man who had become her best friend, her lover, the keeper of all her hopes and dreams—and she was afraid to be this happy. Afraid to trust that she deserved it, or that it could last. “You know, when I got up this morning, I wasn’t expecting…whatever this is.”
“Aw, honey.” His hand darted into his pocket again, this time emerging with a tiny jewel box. “What part of Will you marry me do you not understand?”
The diamond winked at her from its velvet cushion.
“Say yes,” Bo urged her. “Come on, you’re killing me.”
She threw her arms around him and whispered yes into his ear so many times, she lost count. Then when she looked up at him, a world of possibility bloomed in her heart. Everything lay before her. Everything was going to happen. Starting now.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2723-5
FIRESIDE
Copyright © 2009 by Susan Wiggs.
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