He pushed open the door and stepped inside. He wasn’t interested in anything from high school, or even college. Adam crouched by a small box tucked in the corner. He set his beer on the floor and touched the white cover. Taking a deep breath, he lifted it up and stared inside.
White roses. They still carried their scent, he thought as he inhaled the sweet smell. Two dozen, in the shape of an oval. Yellowed ribbons circled the arrangement, and it all sat on a cloud of tulle. Jane’s bouquet.
He sat down and picked up the flowers. They’d dried perfectly. A couple had crumbled at the edges, but other than that, they were exactly as he remembered.
It had been after the guests had been told there would be no wedding. He’d stood in the back and watched them file out. A couple had walked over to him to offer condolences. He’d been too numb to respond. Jane’s mother had approached him last. Her hazel eyes, so much like her daughter’s, had avoided his. Without saying anything, she’d pressed something small and hard into his hand. The ring.
He looked into the box and saw the velvet jeweler’s case in the corner. He’d taken the ring and held it tight. When the last person had left, he’d walked through the church. There had been so many questions. Why had she left? Why hadn’t she said anything? What could he have done to keep her?
Then he’d seen them. The flowers. She’d left them on a chair by the church’s side door. He’d picked up the bouquet with the intent of throwing it into the garbage. In the end, he couldn’t. He’d stared at the flowers every day for two months, until they’d dried up and he’d finally packed them away. With the ring.
He set the flowers on the floor and picked up the velvet box. Inside a two-carat solitaire diamond winked at him. A ring fit for a princess, he’d thought when he’d seen it in the store window. He’d bought the ring months before he’d proposed because he’d known it was perfect for Jane. He’d practiced what he’d planned to say. The romantic phrases had sounded silly, so in the end he’d told her they were suited.
Suited. He shook his head. Not that she drove him wild with her smiles. Not that he wanted to watch her grow large with their children and raise them together. Not that he dreamed about building a life with her for years to come. Not that he loved her. Because he couldn’t say the words. If he loved her, she would leave him.
She’d left him, anyway.
He snapped the box closed and took another drink from the bottle. So the system had its flaws. Nothing was perfect. Nothing was forever. Nothing was guaranteed. He could make it easy or he could make it hard. In the past, he’d chosen the difficult path. By listening to the voice inside, by giving in to the fear, he’d lost the only woman he’d ever loved.
And here he was again. Damn close to losing her. He was supposed to be the smart one. When was he going to learn?
He rose and walked over to the small window. He could see Jane’s house from here, and her yard. Her car stood in the driveway. She was right there, he thought. All he had to do was reach out and take what she offered. A single step of faith. Three small words. How much easier could it be?
*
Jane stared in the refrigerator. There wasn’t anything decent for dinner. Maybe she should suggest that the three of them go out to eat. Not a good idea, she thought, swinging the door closed. It had been awkward between her and Adam lately. There would be enough gossip without speculation that their undefined relationship was already falling apart. She glanced at the clock on the wall. There was still time to go to the store before Billie came home from her day camp. Maybe a nice roast.
Someone knocked on the front door. She walked through the house and pulled it open.
“Adam?”
She stared, not at him, but at what he was holding. She recognized the dried flowers and crumpled tulle. Her bouquet! She’d wondered about it. Her mother had saved her dress and veil, but had told her the flowers had disappeared. Had Adam kept them all this time?
She looked up at him. His brown eyes gazed warmly at her, but she couldn’t tell what that meant.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
She stepped back. “I don’t understand.”
“About the flowers?”
She nodded.
“I kept them.” He set the flowers on the table in the small foyer, then shoved his hands into his shorts pockets. They were standing so close that she had to tilt her head to look at his face.
“Why?”
“At first they reminded me of what you’d done. They fed my rage. Then I kept them because I couldn’t bear not to. They were all I had. The flowers and this.”
He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it out. Automatically she raised her palm up to take what he offered. She gasped. Her ring.
She stared at the circle of gold, the sparkling diamond. Tears burned, but she blinked them away. What did it mean? Her heart thundered in her chest.
“Adam?”
He touched his forefinger to her chin and nudged her until she raised her head. He stood so tall and handsome. A special man she had loved her whole life. Just him, she thought, knowing she would accept whatever he offered. She had no choice. There would only ever be Adam.
His gaze caressed her face. He brushed his thumb across her lips. “I love you,” he said.
She stared, mute, not able to believe.
“I love you, Jane. I’ve always loved you. Even when you were gone and I told myself I hated you, I couldn’t let go of what we’d had together.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “You don’t have to marry me, but will you come live with me in my house? The two of you. Can we be a family?”
“Oh, Adam.” She flung her arms around him. “Yes, love, yes. I’ll live with you. I’ll even marry you.”
He clutched her upper arms and held her away from him. “Really?”
She nodded.
He leaned forward and kissed away the tears she hadn’t felt fall. Then his mouth captured hers. Warm and probing, his tongue swept her lips before plunging inside. She gave herself up to him, clinging to his strength, knowing that her world was at last complete.
A gagging sound broke through her passionate haze. Adam lifted his head.
“You’re kissing,” Billie said, sounding more disgusted than unhappy. “Gross.”
Jane held out her hand. Billie shuffled forward, but refused to be drawn close.
“I don’t like this kissing stuff,” she said.
“You will.” Jane smiled at her. “We’re—” She glanced at Adam. “You tell her.”
He took her hand, the one that held the ring. He slid it on her finger and kissed her palm, then crouched in front of Billie. “Your mother and I are getting married.”
“Really?” Billie grinned. “So we’ll be a real family?”
“Yes,” Jane said. “And we even get to live in Adam’s house.”
“With the island in the kitchen and the banister? Cool.” She looked up. “I won’t slide down the banister, of course.”
“Yeah, right.” Adam rose and tapped her nose.
Billie tugged off her cap and frowned. “Does this mean there’s going to be a wedding, like when Auntie Jolie married Uncle Brad?”
Adam looked at her. Jane smiled. “A friend of mine back in San Francisco. Yes, Billie.” She glanced at her daughter. “But a lot smaller.”
“I’m not wearing a dress,” Billie announced.
“Where?”
“At the wedding.” She frowned. “No way.”
Jane kissed Adam’s cheek. “There’s still time to back out. She’s a handful.”
Billie held out her arms. Adam bent over and picked her up. Jane wrapped her arms around his waist. “I wouldn’t change her for the world,” he said.
“Good.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Because I want four more just like her.”
He coughed. “Four?”
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. Four is a nice round number.”
“All right!” Billie pu
mped her arm. “Four. Enough for an infield.”
Adam groaned.
“I warned you,” Jane said.
He shifted Billie so that he could support her with one arm and hug Jane with the other. Pulling her close, he murmured, “I can handle it.”
“Brothers,” Billie interrupted, just before his mouth touched Jane’s.
“What?” Adam asked.
“I want all brothers. No girls.”
Adam smiled at Jane. She felt her insides start to melt. They were going to make it, she thought, feeling the happiness flood her heart. They were going to make it just fine.
Adam looked at his daughter and winked. “Brothers? I’ll see what I can do.”
*
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SUSAN MALLERY
is the bestselling author of over forty books for Harlequin/Silhouette. She makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her handsome prince of a husband and her two adorable-but-not-bright cats.
Books by Susan Mallery
Silhouette Special Edition
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A Dad for Billie #834
Cowboy Daddy #898
†The Best Bride #933
†Marriage on Demand #939
†Father in Training #969
The Bodyguard & Ms. Jones #1008
†Part-Time Wife #1027
Full-Time Father #1042
†Holly and Mistletoe #1071
†Husband by the Hour #1099
*The Girl of His Dreams #1118
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Prince Charming, M.D. #1209
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**Dream Bride #1231
**Dream Groom #1244
Beth and the Bachelor #1263
Surprise Delivery #1273
A Royal Baby on the Way #1281
A Montana Mavericks Christmas: “Married in Whitehorn” #1286
Their Little Princess #1298
††The Sheik’s Kidnapped Bride #1316
††The Sheik’s Arranged Marriage #1324
††The Sheik’s Secret Bride #1331
*The Rancher Next Door #1358
*Unexpectedly Expecting! #1370
*Wife in Disguise #1383
‡Shelter in a Soldier’s Arms #1400
Silhouette Intimate Moments
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36 Hours
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†Hometown Heartbreakers *Triple Trouble **Brides of Bradley House ††Desert Rogues *Lone Star Canyon
‡A Woman’s Way
eISBN-13: 978-1-4603-7813-7
A Dad for Billie
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