"It'll be okay," she said, tugging him back down.
For the first time in his life, he didn't give a damn about the consequences. Hell, he didn't think for a second she had any disease, meaning the worst that could happen was them making a baby. As much as she'd come to mean to him, he was all for it.
"I want you," he said, burying his face in her hair.
"Then what's stopping us?"
"Truth?" He glanced at her nightstand. At her shrine to her late husband. "Honor. You told me Michael gave you his blessing to start a new life, but he wouldn't want you sleeping around without a commitment."
"So?" Resting on her elbows, her breasts straining at the red satin bra, she said, "What are you waiting for? Make an honest woman of me."
Taken aback by her suggestion, it took a second for her words to even sink in. By then, he'd stood, working off excess energy by pacing the room. "L-like in marriage? You seriously feel you're over Michael and would want to marry me?"
"Duh. You literally saved my life. Before meeting you, every day was a struggle. Now, they're a gift. You've not only transformed me, but everything I thought to be true."
Forehead furrowed, he said, "I don't even know what that means."
"Simple." Stepping up behind him, she said, "When Michael died, I thought my life was over. I want to repay the favor by turning right back around to rescue you. I know it sounds crazy and we're probably rushing into something best given more thought, but I don't care. Lisa's all the time worrying about me but for once, I'm doing what my heart says instead of my head. Marry me, Brady. You mean everything to me, and I want to mean the same to you."
"You already do." Spinning to face her, he kissed her long and hard. And when he'd finally had his fill, he scooped her into his arms, carrying her back to the bed. Making love to her in the sweetest way he knew.
* * *
"GOOD MORNING, SLEEPYHEAD."
Stephanie was slow to wake, only to find herself using Brady's shoulder for a pillow. "I thought last night had been a dream."
"Oh—it was. Those red satin panties are forever burned into my brain."
"Is that a good thing?" she asked with a shy smile.
He answered with a kiss. "A very good thing."
From behind the closed bedroom door came double wails. "That, on the other hand," he said, easing out from under her with a good-natured groan, "sounds like a not-so-good thing."
"I never sleep this late," she said, covering a yawn while pulling the sheet over her bare breasts. She also wasn't in the habit of waking up next to a naked man! "The girls are probably starving. All three of them."
"Should we make breakfast or go out?" Because Stephanie had closed her shop for two days after Christmas, she had time for either.
"We've got so many leftovers," the thrifty side of her pointed out, "we should probably stay home."
"There's our answer." He pulled on the jeans he'd abandoned on the floor. Remembering that moment made her hot all over—not to mention the sight of his well-toned derriere. "Going out it is. You exhausted me last night, and I could use a waffle."
"Brady! You shouldn't say things like that."
"Waffle?" After leaning down to grace her with a kiss that told her in no uncertain terms how much he cared, he winked. "I've always liked that word. Now, let me get the munchkins rounded up, and you grab a quick shower or do whatever mysterious things women have to do to get out of the house in a hurry."
An hour later, seated at the insanely crowded IHOP out by the highway, Stephanie felt as if she were living a dream. With her two girls in high chairs, gobbing at pieces of blueberry pancakes—without sticky syrup—and Lola seated alongside her with a platter of what looked to be more whipped cream than pancake extravaganza, she felt inordinately blessed. Glancing up to see Brady seated across from her, flashing his most sexy grin, threw her over the top.
Refusing to cry on such a happy day, she asked, "Feeling brave enough to drive into Little Rock to hit a mall?"
"Yeah!" Lola cried. "I love the mall."
With a good-natured groan, Brady said, "Guess I'd better get used to being outnumbered, huh?"
"Looks that way," Stephanie said, "unless you're having second thoughts?"
"Not a one." Under his breath for only her to hear, he added, "I can't wait to marry you."
Her giant kid ears working overtime, Lola asked, "What're you whispering about, Dad?"
"I was going to wait to tell you, but now seems as good a time as any." Taking his daughter's hand, and then Stephanie's, he said, "Last night, after you conked out on the sofa, Stephanie and I had a grown-up talk, and—"
"Did you kiss?" the girl asked with her loaded fork to smiling lips.
Reddening, Brady cleared his throat. "Maybe once, but the main thing we did was make what I think is a pretty great decision that also involves you."
"Like what?" The girl's smile faded. "You're not moving even further away, are you?"
"Not a chance. I asked Stephanie to marry us. And she said, yes."
"That's a relief." Blowing out a gush of air, Lola's grin grew to epic proportions. "I thought you were moving to Mongolinoa, or something. But if you're just getting married, then we have lots to do."
"Really?" he asked, "like what?"
"Well…I don't know how Stephanie said she'd marry you without a ring, Dad, but while we get a cake and flowers and a white horse for me and her to ride down the aisle, you have to get her a super big gigantic diamond."
* * *
"I DON'T NEED THIS TO MARRY you," Stephanie protested at a glitzy mall jewelry store. The size of the rock he'd slipped onto her finger was obscene. Gorgeous. But way too big. Even if it did sparkle like rainbows and fairy dust and make her feel like a princess being swept off to a castle.
"Yes, you do," Lola said from her post behind the twins' stroller. "My friend Becky said her mom won't marry anyone who gives her a crappy ring. It's the most important start to any relationship."
Scowling, Brady asked, "Remember the talk we had about you not listening to everything Becky says?"
"Yeah," Lola said with a big nod, "but it's okay this time, 'cause she knows everything about love."
Lips still pressed into a stern line, he said, "We'll discuss that later."
"Is this the one you'd like?" the salesclerk asked. Her gray eyes shone almost as brightly as the stone. No doubt the college-aged girl stood to gain a hefty commission.
"It's beautiful," Stephanie said, "but too much. Let's look at smaller diamonds."
"She wants that big square one, Dad."
"I agree," Brady said. To the clerk, he added, "Could I please have it gift wrapped?"
"Absolutely." She held out her hand to Stephanie. "Ma'am? The ring?"
"I have to give it back?"
"Yes," Lola and her dad said at the same time.
"Dad has to ask you to marry him better now that he has a ring. Like he'll rent a football stadium or stick the ring in cake, or maybe even hire ballerinas to swirl around and—"
"Whoa," he said to their self-appointed wedding planner with a ruffle to her hair. "Slow down. I'm not really the fancy proposal type."
"You better start." Hands on her hips, Lola noted, "If you don't ask Stephanie in a really super great way, she'll say no, and then we won't get any more of her cookies."
"In that case," he teased while Stephanie handed over her ring, "I might need to step up my game, because I really like Steph's cookies."
His loaded double entendre earned him a swat from the bride-to-be.
* * *
THAT NIGHT, AFTER ALL of the girls had crashed—Lola on a comfy pallet in the twins' room, since they were having a sleepover—Brady finally got Stephanie to himself.
"It's been a long day," he said, snagging her around her waist to draw her onto his lap. He sat on the sofa, the only light coming from the Christmas tree and glowing fire. "Tired?"
She nodded. "But in a good way. Lola's awesome. I don't know what you'
ve been worried about. She adores you."
"The feeling's mutual. I'm just worried that once she returns to Seattle, everything will go back to the way it was. You know, with her constantly being sassy, and giving me lots of angsty, preteen looks."
"She'll be fine," Stephanie assured. "And I was thinking, what if you filed for joint custody? It might be best if she stays in school in Seattle, but how amazing would it be if she spent her summers with us?"
"Have I mentioned how great you are?" Throat swelling with emotion, he had a tough time believing how sudden all of this had come about, but at the same time, how right it felt. As if he and Stephanie had been meant to find each other.
"Not lately," she teased, "but I'm always happy to hear all about it."
He kissed the tip of her cute, perky nose. "Then you're in luck, because every day we're together, I'm going to ramble on and—"
She hushed him by pressing her lips to his. "Rather than discussing the glory that is me, I'd much rather make this dream official. Where's my ring?"
He burst out laughing. "That's my girl. Always a straight shooter."
"It's your fault," she rationalized. "If you hadn't bought me such a gorgeous bauble, I wouldn't want to be wearing it."
"Okay," he said, taking her tiny, gift-wrapped box out from behind a sofa cushion where he'd hidden it for this very occasion, "but for my sake, please spin a fabulous yarn about how I asked you to marry me in the most romantic way ever."
"Wait," she said, feigning a pout. "You mean, you're just going to straight out ask me, and then stick a ring on my finger?" She shook her head. "That will never do."
Growling, he nuzzled her neck. "How about I tell you how much I love you, we share a repeat performance of last night, and then I put your ring on your finger?"
All smiles, she said, "Works for me."
Long after they'd made love and his perfect fiancée had drifted off to sleep wearing her ring, Brady stared at the ceiling, wondering what he'd done right to deserve so much happiness.
How lucky he was that Lola had even fallen in love with Steph. And he knew he loved Steph, too. At first, he'd worried it was the excitement of the proposal that had his pulse racing and mouth dry, but then he'd seen the depth of his feelings reflected back to him in Steph's big blue eyes. From that moment on, he knew he'd never again doubt they were making the right decision. Yes, it was hasty. Yes, they should probably wait to marry. But did he want to? Hell, no.
How often in life was a man given the ultimate do-over? His first marriage might've gone horribly wrong, but this time, he was going to get everything right.
Sounded convincing, so why, when Brady rolled over to find himself facing Michael's pictures, did his gnawing stomach not seem so sure?
Chapter Fourteen
"Good Lord," Gabby said upon admiring Stephanie's engagement ring. While Brady had taken the girls to the Little Rock Zoo, Stephanie indulged in a playdate with her favorite big girls. They all shared a roomy corner booth at Senor Fajitas, enjoying a pitcher of margaritas and plenty of chips and salsa. "This guy must seriously like you."
"I hope so," she quipped, "because I seriously like him."
"Yeah, but don't you think this is moving too fast?" Lisa dredged a chip into the queso they'd also ordered. "You hardly know the guy. When we talked on Christmas, I knew you two were officially dating, but how did you get from your first date to marriage in a night?"
"Do you always have to be such a downer?" Stephanie snapped. "For once in a long time, I'm happy. What's wrong with you that you can't celebrate with me?"
"Oh—" Lisa said with plenty of attitude "—if I thought for one minute you knew what you were doing, I'd support you all the way, but you seem to have forgotten that just a couple of months ago you suffered from panic attacks. One so severe it nearly landed you in jail. What happened to them? Since meeting Brady, you've stopped going to your doctor and seem to spend your days skipping around like—like I don't know, some perpetually high sugarplum fairy."
Hand on Lisa's forearm, Olivia said, "How about toning it down a notch. Steph's got a great head on her shoulders and if she likes Brady, I'm sure he's a truly wonderful guy. He has a great job, loves and supports his daughter, and is prepared to do the same for Steph's girls."
Gabby piped in with, "I, for one, couldn't be happier for you, sweetie. Though I'm miffed about still not having met the man, I'm sure I'll love him just as much as you."
A lump in her throat the size of a small house, Stephanie nodded, profoundly grateful for her friends' support when her own twin seemed hell-bent on canceling the wedding before it even happened.
"Let's toast," Olivia said, raising her margarita glass, "to Steph and her girls. May you all live happily ever after."
While everyone else shared glass-clinks and smiles, Lisa sat with her arms tightly folded. Her expression unmistakably read that she thought Stephanie was making a huge mistake. But from Steph's point of view, the only cloud hanging over her future marriage was her poor choice in her maid of honor.
* * *
"I HATE GOODBYES," STEPHANIE said two days later when Brady had his car loaded up to head back to the airport. He'd hoped to spend New Year's with her, but flu was again making the rounds, and he'd been called back in to work. Lola had wanted to stay with Steph, but logistically, he couldn't work out getting her back to Seattle in time for school.
"Me, too," he said, wrapping her in a bear hug, "but I'll be back soon, and we can start fighting over wedding cake flavors."
Smiling through silent tears, she nodded, leaving him to hug his daughter. "I'm going to miss you, Lola. You're an awful lot of fun."
"I'm gonna miss you, too," Lola said, "but when I come back for our wedding, we're gonna have the best time ever."
"Absolutely," Stephanie said with a firm nod.
While Lola fussed over the twins, who sat in their stroller, Brady took Steph's hands, giving them a squeeze. "Hey, don't be so glum. I'll be back before you know it."
"I know," she said, freeing one hand to swipe more tears. "I'm being silly, blubbering like this."
"It's not silly, but sweet. Endearing. But you have to know I hate seeing you cry—especially over a lug like me."
She nodded.
"You going to be all right?"
"Yes," she managed through a grin. "Just get out of here before I make an even bigger scene."
He gave her and the twins one last kiss and hug before climbing behind the wheel.
Now, Lola was crying, too. "I love you," she said as she wrapped her arms around Stephanie's waist.
"Love you, too." Kissing the crown of Lola's head, Stephanie patted her behind to get in the car. "I'll see you real soon. And don't forget to e-mail me. I want to know how Becky likes all of your new clothes."
"Okay," Lola promised.
With one last wave, Brady turned the ignition and backed his rental car out of the drive. Seeing all of his girls teary-eyed had him choked up, as well.
"I sure like them," Lola said. Fat tears lined her cheeks and at the first stop sign, Brady pulled her into a hug.
"They're pretty great, huh?"
She nodded. "Do you think Mom's gonna be mad at me for liking Stephanie, too?"
"No way," he instinctively said while making a left out of Steph's neighborhood. Along with a fresh start with Steph, he figured it was about time he forgave Vince and gave him his blessing on helping to raise Lola. "I'm sure she'll be happy that you're happy."
"Yeah."
"You don't sound so sure." He glanced her way. She'd opened her pink Barbie purse and took out a fluffy, pink ball gown.
"I know. It's just that sometimes when I talk about you, Mom doesn't like it. She doesn't say bad stuff about you, or anything, but she acts like she'd be happiest if you went away."
Nice.
"I'm sure she doesn't mean it like that," he covered while secretly believing his ex would like nothing better than for him to fall off the planet.
"I
guess. But, anyway, she always likes getting new dresses, so she'll be glad about that."
"What do you mean?" Brady asked, merging the car onto the highway.
"Don't you think she'll want a fancy dress to wear to the wedding?" With an excited squirm, she added, "Maybe me and her can even be flower girls together!"
* * *
"SURE THIS IS THE ONE?" Olivia asked Stephanie on a blustery January Saturday morning. They'd been shopping for wedding dresses for two weeks with no luck, yet in Little Rock's Bridal Emporium, the first white satin gown she'd slipped on fit like a dream.
"Look at it," Stephanie said, admiring herself in a three-way mirror. Thanks in part to an angry sky threatening snow, aside from a lone sales attendant they had the place to themselves. "It's got the sweetheart neckline I like, tons of beading on the bodice, a full, tulle skirt—even the eighty million buttons I wanted in the back."
"You do know you'll have to pay me extra for helping with all of those?" Olivia teased.
"Fair enough." Since her falling out with Lisa, Stephanie had asked Olivia and Gabby to be co-matrons of honor. On this day, Gabby was unfortunately with Dane at a Vegas legal conference. They'd had a good laugh about hundreds of judges meeting up in Sin City. Brady was home watching football with the twins, who were all of the sudden walking like crazy, and refused to be in their stroller a second longer than necessary. "What kind of veil should I wear?"
"Honestly, with all of your gorgeous curls, I'd wear your hair down and wild, letting it be your veil. For extra pizzazz, you can top it off with a tiara."
"Ooh, that sounds cute. What about shoes?"
After a moment of surveying the dress, Olivia said, "If you want to go all out, I'd say matching satin pumps. But knowing your aversion to heels, how about we get you a fancy pair of sneakers? You know, the ones with all the beading and lace. Your skirt is so full, no one will see them but you, and you'll be a lot more comfortable at the reception."
"You always give the best advice." Hopping down from the alterations podium, she gave her friend a hug. "Thank you. For not just putting up with my endless dress shopping, but helping me deal with Lisa. She's really putting a damper on my fun."
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