“He would have.”
“I can promise you I’ll love you as long as I live. Is that enough?”
“That’s more than enough,” she said, rubbing her thumb against his bristled cheek. “It’s everything.”
“Tell me more about your plans. Now that you’re officially living here…” He bit his lip, looking concerned. “Uh, that is what you’re saying, isn’t it? I didn’t misunderstand?”
She laughed at how adorably uncertain he looked. She knew that was foreign to him. He was usually the guy who had it all together, who knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it. “You didn’t misunderstand. You can count me among Landon’s newest residents.”
He grinned and released a dramatic sigh of relief. “Awesome. So does that mean you’ll want to start looking for a place? If you’d like to stay on at the inn, you’re more than welcome.”
“I would like to stay on at the inn,” she said, resting her hands on his shoulders. “And I thought of a way for me to do what I love and help you too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you said you wanted a partner. Someone to help you run the inn.”
“Ugh, I didn’t mean to make it sound like I expected you to give up your passion to help me with mine.” He shook his head. “That’s not what I want at all. I mean, I want you with me, of course. But not if it means you have to give up any more. I already feel like I’ve asked you to give up too much… leaving Brockville, your family, friends—”
“Leaving Brockville was the right thing to do,” she insisted, feeling more certain of that than she ever had. “Living there, surrounded by all the bittersweet memories, would have made it harder for me to move on. Landon is a clean slate, a beautiful new phase of my life, and I’m really excited about it.”
“I’m excited too.” He smiled, bringing her hand to his lips. “The thought of having you with me every day makes me so happy.”
“About that…” She felt she’d come up with a plan that would make her happy, but Brady still had to agree. “You said Dana wants to retire, right?”
“Well yeah, but that doesn’t mean I expect you to step in and fill her shoes, babe. I know how much teaching means to you.”
“Working with kids is important to me. But there may be a way I can do both.”
“Dana’s not in any big hurry to leave. She said she could stick around as long as it takes for me to find someone to replace her.”
Claudia raised an eyebrow, certain she already knew the answer to her question. “And have you been trying to find her replacement?”
“Well, no,” he said, rubbing his jaw. “But it’s not easy. When I think about everything Dana does around there…” He sighed. “If I wrote an ad outlining everything I was looking for, I wouldn’t get any responses. I couldn’t pay enough!”
She laughed at his exasperation. She would work alongside Brady for free just to have the chance to spend every day with him. “Maybe Dana could cut back to part-time? She could train me and—”
“Wait a minute.” Brady rolled back on his heels, shaking his head. “Hold up. You’re a teacher. That’s what you should be doing.”
“Maybe I could do both?”
Before she’d returned to Brockville, she made a call to find out whether Landon needed any substitute teachers. Even though most of the administrators were on summer break, Helen had been able to put Claudia in touch with the powers-that-be at the local elementary school. As luck would have it, they were in desperate need of substitute teachers. She sent her resume and, within hours, got a response asking her to come in for a meeting as soon as she returned to town, which they assured her was just a formality.
“How would that work?”
“Well, I could be a substitute teacher and work part-time at the inn.” To her, it seemed like the perfect solution.
Brady didn’t seem convinced. “That wouldn’t be the same as having your own classroom, your own students.”
“No, but it would allow me to try teaching different grades, something I’ve never had a chance to do. Teaching older kids could be a fun challenge. And the nice thing about substitute teaching is that I wouldn’t be obligated to go in every time they called. They have other teachers on the list, so if one isn’t available, they just move on to the next.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Brady asked, looking torn. “It’s not up to you to fix my problems. It won’t be easy, but I’m sure I could find someone to replace Dana eventually.”
“You said that you wanted a partner, right? Someone who could help you run the inn, who would be there by your side, helping you grow the business?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself…” She couldn’t even believe what she was about to say, but she’d learned the hard way that keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself was a recipe for disaster.
“Say it. Whatever you’re thinking,” he said, holding her hand. “Just tell me.”
“Well, I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I even considered the possibility of homeschooling my kids, the way my mom did, but that wasn’t an option for us. We needed two incomes, and I was happy to contribute.”
“But?”
“But it would have been awesome to be able to stay home with them.” She hated to think, now that they were gone, all of the precious moments she’d missed out on, moments she would never get back.
“So when we have a baby,” he said, grinning, “you want to be a stay-at-home mom? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Well, I know it sounds like I want it all, which may be impossible, but working at the inn would allow me to work and be a mom, maybe even homeschool.” She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as soon as the words left her mouth. “I can’t even believe we’re talking about this. It’s way too soon. We just started dating.”
“I am going to marry you. That’s a fact.” When she covered her face with her hands and stomped her feet in excitement, he chuckled. “I’m serious. I don’t know if it’ll be a year from now, two years from now. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you’re the woman I want to spend my life with. I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children.”
“I want that too.” When she said it without feeling as though she’d just been gutted, she knew it was true.
“Good. So the rest? We’ll work that out. Whatever you want, I’ll find a way to make it happen.”
She sank to her knees, looking intently into his eyes as she whispered, “I love you.”
“You.” He punctuated each word with a kiss. “Are. It. For. Me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Lying on a lounger with Brady one short week after her return to Landon, Claudia whispered, “Pinch me.”
He chuckled, running a hand down her back. “Why would I want to do that? I’d much rather tickle you.” His fingertips danced down her ribcage, making her squirm in an attempt to ward off his attack.
“I keep thinking this is a dream I’m going to wake up from, like it’s too good to be true,” she said, planting her hand on his chest as she looked up at him.
“I feel the same way,” he said, brushing his lips against her temple.
“I used to wake up crying and praying that it was a nightmare, and I’d wake up to find my kids snuggled up with me.” She swallowed the pain and grief that still caught her off guard sometimes.
He wrapped his arms tighter around her, holding her close.
“I didn’t think anything or anyone could ever make it better. I thought I had to go on feeling that way for the rest of my life.”
He looked down at her, swiping the hair off her forehead. “In case I haven’t told you recently, I’m in awe of you. I don’t know many women who could have survived what you did.”
While she appreciated having Brady’s respect and admiration, she knew he was a big part of the reason she’d become so strong. His love gave her the determination and will to get thr
ough another day without her kids.
“Sometimes I think about where I would have ended up if our paths hadn’t crossed.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I was lost,” she said, thinking about all the tears she’d shed while driving between Brockville and Landon. “Heartbroken. Scared and confused and trying to run away from the truth.” She sighed, rolling onto her back. “I don’t know why I thought I could run from it, but I did. I thought if I just got far enough away from Brockville and all the people who knew my story, I’d find a way to be okay.”
“You would have. It wouldn’t have been easy. In fact, I’m sure it would have been the hardest thing you’d ever done. But you would have been okay.”
She propped her head in her hand and looked down at him. “How can you be so sure?”
“You’re that last remaining part of your kids. You’re the one who’s going to make sure no one ever forgets them. You’re going to be their champion, their voice.”
A tear trickled down her cheek as she processed his beautiful words. “I do want to find a way to do that. I think it’s nice that the school wanted to name the library after them, but I’d like to do more. Since the library didn’t need all of the money I got from Trevor’s life insurance and the settlement, maybe I could use the rest to start a non-profit in their honor.”
His lips tipped up as he nodded. “I think that’s a great idea, babe.”
“I know our kids won’t ever know their brother and sister, but I want them to know their lives mattered, that they were special.”
“I love that.”
“I love you.” She kissed him, feeling a kind of contentment she’d never expected to experience again.
After a series of quick kisses, he said, “And I love you. So. Much.”
“Do you think I’m biting off more than I can chew though?” She sank her teeth into her lower lip as she considered the logistics of trying to balance her new life. “I mean, between learning the ropes around here and substitute teaching, maybe I shouldn’t think about taking on another new challenge right now?”
“I think you’ll always make time for the things that are important to you.” Brady rolled onto his side, facing her. “Let your passion guide you. You’ll be surprised to find more hours in the day than you ever thought possible.” He chuckled. “I remember when I first took over the inn, I used to work fourteen, fifteen-hour days and never feel tired. Sometimes I’d even forget to eat until Dana sat me down and shoved a sandwich in my hand.”
Claudia giggled as she thought of the woman, who’d become like a second mother to her, doing just that. “Dana seems much happier working part-time. It gives her more time to spend with her husband and pursue all her hobbies.”
“Yeah…” Brady ran a fingertip over the slope of Claudia’s shoulder and down her arm, leaving thrill bumps in his wake. “And I’m glad she made it clear that she’s not interested in fully retiring. I’d miss her around here.”
“I would too.” In the short time Claudia had been there, the inn had already become home and Dana was a big part of the reason. Of course, the bigger reason was Brady.
“When are you going to have the rest of your clothes and things sent from Brockville?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. My parents don’t mind storing them for me, and it’s not like I have anywhere to put them. My room is great, but there’s no room to store everything I own.”
“You could move in to one of the cabins.” He pointed to one in the distance. “That one’s got plenty of room.”
She stared up at him. “Those are for paying guests. You can’t—”
“Yeah, I can.” He smiled. “I’m the boss, remember? I can do whatever I want.”
Patting his chest, she laughed. “If you say so.”
He kissed her hand. “I’ve been fantasizing about what this pretty little finger would look like with a big ‘ole diamond—”
“No!” She covered her face with her hand, shaking her head as the shame and regret washed over her. “I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t want to marry you. You know I do.”
“Just not yet. I get that.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do.”
He hauled her against his chest, wrapping his arms and legs around her. It was the hottest prison she could imagine.
“Then you don’t mind waiting a while?” she asked.
“I’ll wait as long as you need me to.” He kissed her forehead. “As long as I have you right here with me every day, I can wait as long as it takes.”
“Are you sure about… everything? Our lives are pretty intertwined now.”
He chuckled, and she felt the vibration against her chest, making her smile. “Am I sure? Really? You still have to ask me that?”
“I guess not,” she said, kissing his cheek.
Dana had hinted about her moving in with Brady, but Claudia suspected he’d offered the cabin to give her more time to process all the changes in her life, and she appreciated his thoughtfulness.
She had been adamant about waiting to live with Trevor until after they were married. But then she’d been trying to live up to other people’s expectations. Now she was her own woman, living life on her terms, with no one to answer to.
“I can’t wait to live with you.”
“Really?” His blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and she couldn’t tear her eyes from his. “You really think about that?”
“Of course.”
His response was a kiss that made her grateful she’d found the kind of passion with him she’d always dreamed about.
“We’ll get you moved in after Shay and Chase’s wedding, if that’s okay?”
She was still buzzing from his kiss when she murmured, “Sure.”
“I am going to make you so happy,” he whispered. “I know I can never take Trevor’s place, and I wouldn’t want to. He’ll always have a piece of your heart, and I’m okay with that. But I want the rest of it.”
She smiled. He already had more than he realized. “I can’t promise you all of it. Part of it belongs to my kids… and any kids we might have together.”
“Do you know how much I want that?” he asked, touching her face reverently. “To have a baby with you?”
Her heart twisted when she thought about holding another precious baby in her arms. She’d given up on that dream long ago, since Trevor didn’t want any more children. He’d claimed two was enough, and she hadn’t argued since she knew she’d already been blessed.
“I’m excited about that too. You’re going to be an awesome dad, you know.”
“I hope so.” He inhaled. “My dad was the best. If I could be half the father he was to us, I’d be happy.”
“I know Chase didn’t raise Nick, but I’ve seen them together. They’re really close.”
“Yeah, they are.” Brady smiled. “And I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Not having his son in his life was eating away at Chase. Now that he does, he’s like a different person.”
“They’re best friends, just as it should be. I’m sure the same will be true for you if we have a son.”
“A son.” He bit his lip, his mind obviously wandering. “How cool would that be? Not that I wouldn’t love a daughter just as much, but I’m not gonna lie, that kind of scares me a little.”
Claudia laughed. “Why? Because you’d be the overprotective daddy who didn’t want his little girl to date until she was thirty?”
“You know it.”
“Boy or girl, it won’t matter once you hold them in your arms. I can tell you there’s no feeling in the world like it. You think you know what love is, but once you look into the eyes of your child for the very first time, you know.” She let her tears fall freely, knowing there was no reason to hide them from Brady. He accepted that she would be sad sometimes, and that was okay.
“I want that for you again too,” he said, catching a tear with his thumb.
“And it will hap
pen when the time is right.” She smiled. “Fortunately, we have time on our side.” She’d married Trevor and had her kids when she was young, so at thirty, she still had a lot of years left to be a mama.
She had a flash of a dark haired, blue eyed little boy with shallow dimples and a mischievous smile. “Can you envision a Brady Wright Jr., maybe?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He nuzzled her neck, whispering, “Hmm, you don’t know what it does to me when you say things like that.”
“Tell me.” Though she really didn’t have to hear him say it. She knew his heart.
He rolled her onto her back, pinning her arms above her head before their eyes locked. “You take my breath away.”
“Ditto.”
Chapter Twenty
The weeks leading up to Shay and Chase’s wedding had been crazy busy as both Brady and Claudia helped the bride and groom in any way they could. So when Shay asked Claudia to spend the night at their house, along with Ainsley, while Chase spent the night at the inn with his brother, naturally Claudia agreed.
“I still can’t believe tomorrow is the big day,” Ainsley said, touching the pearl-and-crystal-encrusted hair piece Shay planned to wear. “You are going to be the most beautiful bride.”
“I don’t know about that,” Shay said with a nervous laugh. “My goal is just to get through it without fainting.” She pressed her hand against her flat stomach. “I can’t believe how nervous I am already. What am I going to be like by tomorrow?”
“You’ll be fine.” Claudia’s thoughts drifted to her own wedding day, making her smile. “When I married Trev, I felt the same way.” She laughed. “I was so sure I was going to throw up. That was my worst fear. I swear I had a nightmare about it the night before the wedding and I woke up screaming.”
Both women smiled as Shay asked, “What was your wedding like?”
“It was perfect.” She thought of the countless hours of planning that had gone into it and knew she’d do it all over again to ensure her second wedding was as magical as her first. “Trev didn’t care one way or the other, so he just kind of let me take over the planning. It was one of those rustic country affairs on my parents’ property.” She pulled her legs up and curled her arms around them as she rested her back against the ottoman in Shay’s living room. “The weather was perfect. We danced and dined under a big tent. The centerpieces were hydrangeas and lilacs, my favorite.”
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