He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers with his. As his thumb rubbed against her skin, a pleasurable shiver shot up her arm.
Laurel pulled away. If he touched her, her senses would go haywire. “It’s too late.”
Regret filled his eyes. “It can’t be too late.”
The rawness in his voice tore at her heart, but she said nothing. The mix of emotions coursing through her confused Laurel.
“The things I accused you of…” His gaze dropped to the floor before he stared into her eyes. “I was wrong. You tried telling me the truth, but I wouldn’t listen. I didn’t hear what you said. My brain shut off, and my sad heart took over. I’m not good at dealing with emotions, as you found out tonight. But what I do know is I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you, Laurel.”
His anguish was palpable, but she needed to keep her heart immune from him. “Lose me? You never had me.” Even as she spoke, she knew her words weren’t completely true. “I don’t need you to succeed.”
“You don’t,” he admitted, his expression crestfallen. “You’re capable of taking care of yourself. You always have been, even before you arrived in Portland. You could have taken the easy way out when your father took off. You could have married the first guy who stepped into your life. But you didn’t. You picked yourself up and kept going. You didn’t wallow in your misfortune but made a fresh start for you and the baby. Whereas I…my whole life, I wanted to be like Henry. Who am I kidding? I wanted to be Henry. Pretty pathetic. But I’ve grown up in the past couple of hours.”
A glimmer of hope took root in her heart. “Brett—”
“Let me finish, please,” he said. “I know you don’t need me, but I need you.”
Time stopped.
Everything else did, too, including Junior.
No one had ever needed her. Laurel’s heart beat so loudly she was sure Brett could hear it. She kept her breaths steady.
He reached out, touched her hand again. “I need you, Laurel. I really do.”
This time, she didn’t pull away. She didn’t want to. Hope grew into a bud, a fragile rosebud waiting for the opportunity to bloom.
“I thought I was the expert, teaching you about money, but it was the other way around.” Brett half-laughed. “I didn’t know I let my feelings about money color what I did or thought. It tainted my view of everything, including you.”
Wanting to encourage him, she squeezed his hand.
“When you arrived at my office, the only reason I said I wanted to marry you was the baby. I didn’t want to be like my father. Didn’t want my baby to grow up hating me the way I hated him, whoever he was, and that’s why I pushed for us to get married. But as we spent time together, I realized this wasn’t only about Junior, and my growing feelings for you scared me. I believed you would never want me.” When he shook his head, the edges of his mouth curled slightly. “You were right. I’m still that little boy trying to prove his worth to everyone. I was afraid I couldn’t prove it to you, so I ignored how I felt.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, Brett. Who you are is more than enough. The past… The amount of money you have… None of that matters to me. Not now. Not in the future.”
“I know.” He kissed the top of her hand. “That’s one of the reasons why I love you so much.”
She gasped.
Hearing him say he loved her was more than she could have imagined, more than she could have dreamed. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “You…love me?”
“I do, more than anything. I want to marry you. Not because it’s the right thing to do or because Junior needs a father, but because I love you. It doesn’t take a baby to make a family. You and me. We’re a family right now.”
A family.
Her family.
She swallowed. Hope blossomed into a beautiful rose, an eternal bloom that would never wither and die.
“I’m far from perfect, but I’ll do my best to be a good husband and father.” His earnest tone matched his smile. “I trust you with my heart, with everything I have. I don’t want a prenup. I want you to be my equal partner whether we’re in bed, cooking dinner, or doing business. You won’t ever have to worry about not having money of your own. It’s yours. No strings attached. I won’t question what you do with the money—spend, give away, or save. You can burn it if you want.”
Understanding money wasn’t everything was a huge step for Brett. Her heart filled with joy. She wanted to laugh; she wanted to cry. She smiled instead.
“But you still have to rely on me,” he added.
“What?” she asked.
“Just like I have to rely on you.” He grinned. “That’s what being in love is all about. Being there for one another.”
“I’m beginning to understand that.” And so much more.
“I love you, Laurel Worthington.”
“I love you, too.” There, she’d said it. The love she felt for Brett was one-hundred-percent real. Her heart wasn’t making a mistake. “You’re more than I ever hoped to find in a husband or for the father of my child. You’ve helped me to reach my goals; you’re giving me all I could ever ask for. I thought the night we shared in Reno was magical, but this goes far beyond magic.”
Brett flashed her a devastating smile before kissing each of her fingers. “Way beyond.”
She nodded. “I want to be with you, but I need some time on my own to prove I can do it myself.”
“You don’t need to prove anything to me.” There was no hurt or censure in his voice.
“I need to prove it to myself,” she admitted. “Pretending I was making it on my own when I lived with you was so easy to do. You were so supportive and caring. I felt safe and secure with you around. That’s the way it should be when two people love each other, but I need to follow through with what I planned on doing when I first arrived in Portland. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” His eyes shone with love, and Laurel soaked up his affection. “Take all the time you need.”
“I will.” She would be able to love him and be her own person, too. She’d never felt so empowered. “But I’m giving you fair warning. You’d better be prepared to marry me once I’m ready.”
His eyes widened. “Are you, Laurel Worthington, proposing to me?”
“I…” Worthington women always survive. Laurel was going to do better than survive. She was going to take control. She was going to thrive. Wondering if Grandmama was rolling in her grave, Laurel raised her chin. “Yes, I am. Isn’t that what independent women do?”
“You tell me.”
Her gaze met his. “Will you marry me, Brett Matthews?”
“I will.”
“Uh-oh.”
“What?” he asked.
“I wasn’t prepared for proposing. I don’t have a ring to give you.”
“That’s okay.” He pulled the diamond ring she’d worn in Reno from his shirt pocket. “I hope this will do for now. The ring I bought is at our house.”
Our house. That was music to her ears. She extended her left hand. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” He slipped the ring on her finger.
As his lips touched hers, she understood that nothing else could compare to what she was feeling—an all-consuming, heartfelt love—and she never wanted the feeling to end.
The baby kicked. Hard.
Brett laughed. “Do you think Junior’s trying to tell us something?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
As the days passed, Brett kept waiting for Laurel to propose again, but so far, she’d mentioned nothing more about their future. That meant relying on every ounce of his patience. He understood her need to be on her own, but…
He loved her.
He wanted to be with her.
Going on dates was fun, but not nearly enough when he wanted to go to sleep and wake up next to her.
Soon.
That was what he kept telling himself.
During a business trip to San Francisco, he stopped
by Cassandra’s Attic. He glanced around the bookstore, amazed at the changes since the last time he’d been here. “The new children’s section is fantastic.”
“The café and reading nooks were a big hit, so this was the next step.” Cassie McKnight spoke with pride. “It’s something I always imagined having. And now we have a weekly story time, too.”
The first time Brett had been here, the store had a quaint charm. That feeling remained, but rearranging displays and shelves had made the place easier to navigate. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee and baked goods didn’t hurt, either. “Well done, you two.”
Cassie leaned against her husband, Troy. “It took both of us.”
“Two brains are better than one,” Cassie added.
Troy nodded. “Two hearts, too.”
A lump formed in Brett’s throat. He’d only been away two days, but he couldn’t wait to see Laurel.
“Are you going to be writing a book about investing for college now that you’ll be a dad?” Troy asked.
A dad.
Warmth flooded Brett. He couldn’t wait, but the idea of Junior being old enough to go off to college made his stomach churn.
“I might, but right now I’m working on one about personal finance—budgeting, saving, investment options, and retirement.” Laurel had given him the idea, and his publisher agreed the subject was a worthy follow-up to his first book. “A section about saving for college would fit nicely, so thanks for the idea.”
Cassie’s face lit up. “You can do a book signing here after it’s out.”
“Or better yet, have your launch party here,” Troy suggested.
She and Troy were opposites, but their personalities complemented each other so well. Their love was palpable. Brett would be jealous if he hadn’t found Laurel. “Sounds like a plan. I’d love for you to meet Laurel.”
Troy nodded. “And the newest member of the Matthews’ family.”
“When is the baby due?” Cassie asked.
“December twenty-third.” Though Henry was still pushing for the twenty-fifth so each of them would have a holiday birthday. The twenty-fourth would count, too. “Speaking of which, Cara said she’d set aside a couple of baby food cookbooks for me.”
“I think there’s more than a couple waiting for you.” Cassie glanced over at Cara, who sat behind a Book Concierge sign. Her brown hair was long and wavy. Even from this distance, her green eyes shone brightly. “Cara takes her job seriously, and the customers love her.”
“Her recommendations have added six percent to our sales,” Troy, a former venture capitalist turned small-business consultant, added.
“I’m not surprised.” And Brett wasn’t. “The books she’s selected for Laurel and me have been spot on.”
“Happy to hear that.” Cassie’s gaze traveled to Cara again. “I just hope she’s happy here and doesn’t want to return to work as a librarian.”
“Getting her to stay is easy to do, love,” Troy said.
The affection in Troy’s voice made Brett miss Laurel that much more. One more day.
“What do you mean?” Cassie asked.
“Everyone has a price. That might be monetary or not,” Brett offered. In Laurel’s case, she needed time to succeed on her own. “You just have to figure out what Cara needs to keep her at Cassandra’s Attic.”
Too bad he hadn’t taken the same advice with Laurel sooner, but better late than never.
♥ ♥ ♥
Laurel had no regrets over the decision she’d made that night Brett crawled through her window. Doing things on her own was what she’d needed to do. Not that she was alone with Brett and Henry nearby.
Thinking about the two brought a smile to her face. They seemed more like brothers than friends. Maybe that was what led to their competitiveness and frustrations—a sort of sibling rivalry. No matter how either might act, the two men cared about each other, even if they’d never admit it. Henry’s account was one of the few that Brett personally managed at MGI. Henry seemed genuinely pleased about the upcoming baby’s birth, showing a gentler, quieter side of himself these past weeks.
Life was good.
Laurel enjoyed having her own place to live. She was learning so much about interior design from Renee and couldn’t wait to take classes in the spring. That seemed the best timing with the baby and the work being done on Henry’s estate. Laurel hadn’t been on her own long, but her confidence in her abilities and strengths had grown as much as her stomach.
Excited for her dinner date with Brett tonight, Laurel grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair and stood by the front window.
“Eager much?” She laughed at herself.
Brett had spent the past three days in San Francisco. He’d called Laurel each day, often more than once, but she missed not being able to see him. Living down the street from him had spoiled her.
Staring out the window, she rubbed her round belly. Something, however, needed to happen sooner rather than later. Headlights appeared, and her heart leaped.
Brett.
A growing baby in her stomach didn’t stop the flutters from forming.
He’d been patient, not pushing or pressuring her into more than she was ready to give. She’d been the one setting the tone and the speed of their relationship, but now she was ready to kick things up a notch.
Or ten.
Living in Henry’s guesthouse and working for Renee had provided the independence and success Laurel needed. She not only felt like she was succeeding on her own, but she also had the confidence to take that next step toward the future she wanted. She wriggled her toes in anticipation.
The baby kicked.
“Excited, Junior?” she asked, unable to keep her smile from spreading. “Me, too. I can’t wait to hear what your dad has to say.”
As Brett walked toward the guesthouse, Laurel opened the front door. Tingles battled the flutters for supremacy. She clutched the doorknob.
“Hi.” She sounded as breathless as she felt. “Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, but I’m happy to be home.” His gaze ran the length of her before he stepped inside. He handed her a present wrapped in white paper and tied with a tangerine ribbon. “This is from the staff at Cassandra’s Attic.”
“They gave me a gift?”
His eyes softened. “It’s for both of us.”
Us sounded good to Laurel. She removed the ribbon and then unwrapped the present.
The title made her laugh. “This is the perfect book for new parents.”
Brett tried to see the front cover. “What’s the title?”
“Keeping the Romance Alive After the Baby Arrives,” Laurel read. “Sounds like a must-read.”
“I want to read it, too.”
“We’ll share,” she offered.
“Or we could read the book to each other like we’ve done with the baby books.”
His gaze met hers. Electricity flowed between them.
A beat passed. And another.
Laurel remembered to breathe. “I’d like that.”
A lot.
He lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was softer than she expected. Wanting more, she pressed her lips against his. He tasted warm with a hint of peppermint and a dash of salt. Her stomach kept her from getting too close to him, but the kiss was enough…for now.
Brett backed away. “If we keep that up, we’ll be late for our reservation.”
She was ready for so much more. The question was when to tell him. “I missed you.”
Surprise gleamed in his gaze. “I missed you, too, and I won’t be going anywhere else until after Junior is born.”
Her lips parted. “Really?”
Nodding, he touched her belly. “Not taking any chances.”
Warmth flowed through her. “Thank you.”
Brett helped Laurel put on her jacket and then kissed her forehead.
“What was that for?” she asked.
His brows drew together. “What?”
He hadn
’t realized what he was doing. That made the kiss more special. “Never mind. Let’s go.”
♥ ♥ ♥
Sitting across from Laurel at his favorite downtown Portland bistro, Brett covered her hand with his. The dinner plates had been removed, and though he’d enjoyed his meal, being with Laurel was all that mattered.
Her skin glowed. Her smile only added to her beauty. “I spoke to my mother last night. She’s coming for Thanksgiving.”
That was only a couple of weeks away.
“You told her…”
“Everything.” He and his mother had few secrets, but he hadn’t been ready to talk about Laurel or the baby until now. “It was time.”
Laurel took a slow sip of water. “Is your mom upset?”
“Not upset.”
A carousel of emotions had been expressed during the call. His mother had yelled at him for keeping the news from her, as well as not marrying Laurel right away, and then cried a mix of worried and happy tears.
“We talked about my father.” Something Brett had tried to do in the past, but his mom had always shut down the conversation. She hadn’t this time, and she’d admitted to being too embarrassed those other times. “He was a musician, the kind of guy girls swooned over as soon as he stood on stage. Apparently, he’d needed a place to stay, and he moved in with my mom two days after they met at a bar where he’d played. She thought it was love at first sight but later realized he was using her for a free place to crash. After she got pregnant, he moved out when she was at work. Took all his stuff and anything of hers that was valuable. She tried to find him, but he’d been using a stage name. She had no idea what his real name was.”
Laurel sighed. “Your mom must have been heartbroken.”
Brett nodded. “But she managed. Somehow. And here I am.”
“You’re nothing like that musician.” Her eyes were fierce. “The man doesn’t deserve to be called your father.”
“I know that now. He was a sperm donor at best.” Brett rubbed his thumb against Laurel’s soft skin. “My mom’s excited to be a grandmother. She doesn’t know whether she should be called grandma, grams, grammy, or nana.”
“Tell her to pick one. She’ll be Junior’s only grandparent.” Laurel sounded resigned, not sad. “Which is for the best.”
The Wedding Lullaby Page 17
