I handed her the bouquet. She smelled the flowers, closing her eyes and smiling. “Daffodils. You remembered. Thank you, Derek.”
I followed her to the kitchen as she reached into a cabinet and got a glass that she filled with water for the flowers. I watched her carefully. There was something off about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was like she couldn’t quite meet my eyes.
“So,” she said finally.
“So,” I said.
“To be honest, I’m kind of curious about how you found out where I live,” she said.
“Adam still had it in the GPS,” I explained. “He just had to look it up.”
She looked at the ground. “Your father said if—”
“I don’t give a shit what he said,” I said with sudden emphasis. “I’ve finally realized that I’ve been caring so much about what he thinks, I was forgetting what I really want.”
She glanced up at me. “And what’s that?”
“You… Amy.” I took a step towards her. “I would give up anything, do anything, to have you.”
There it was, the truth out on the table. All I could hope for now was that it was mutual. Or at least, that she wasn’t scared away by my passionate declaration.
“Derek…” she whispered, her lips trembling. I could tell she was scared, but I realized that I was too.
“I know it seems crazy,” I said. “But I’ve denied my feelings for too long already. If you don’t feel the same, I understand, and I’ll go. But I couldn’t not tell you, Amy. That would have haunted me for the rest of my life. I have never felt something this strong, ever, and I almost let that chase me away. But you… you make me happy.”
“You make me happy too,” she said as a cautious smile appeared on her lips. “And I feel the exact same way. I kept telling myself it was stupid. That it wouldn’t end well. That there is no way that someone like you and someone like me could ever be together in real life.”
“Someone like you? Someone like me?” I laughed, and reached forward to take her hands. “Amy, we’re the same. There is not a single thing about you that I would change. Not a single thing. I am completely, utterly in love with you. And that’s enough for me.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and her smile grew. “It’s enough for me, too.”
I took a deep breath, trying to stay collected. But the emotions ran through me like electricity, making my heart beat faster than ever. Holding her hands tightly, I started to get on one knee. Amy’s mouth fell open, and she started shaking her head in disbelief.
“Amy,” I said, my voice cracking. I felt tears coming to my eyes as well, as I was overcome with the feeling of love I had for this woman. “I may not have known you for very long, but it’s been long enough to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“People are going to call us crazy,” Amy whispered.
“Let them.” I laughed. “Hell, I couldn’t care less what anyone has to say. I’m ready to take this leap, Amy. I’m ready, if you feel the same way.”
She nodded. “Yes. Of course I do. I can’t imagine a day passing without you with me.”
“Then, Amelia Parker, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said. “Nothing in the world would make me happier.”
I stood up and took her in my arms, finally kissing her. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me back, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
“I don’t have a ring,” I said, when we finally pulled apart. I felt giddy, and I could tell she did too. She bounced on her toes, her face a picture of joy. “I considered stopping to get one, but I couldn’t wait another minute to see you.”
She shook her head. “None of that matters. You’re here… and we’re… we’re engaged. Holy shit!” She looked up at me, her eyes wide. “Is this real?”
Laughing, I shrugged. “You tell me, beautiful.”
“I…” She seemed like she was having some trouble processing the situation. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to come here. Much less this.”
I kissed her forehead. “Take your time to process it. We’ve got our whole lives.”
“I love you,” she suddenly declared, looking up at me with such an intensity in her eyes that it nearly knocked me off my feet. “I am in love with you. I haven’t told you that yet—not in those words anyway. Derek, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I don’t know what our future holds, but as long as I’m with you, I don’t really care. You make me impossibly happy, and I want to spend the rest of my life trying to do the same for you.”
Her words settled into my heart. “You know,” I said, smiling. “I can’t wait to start a family with you. You’ll be an excellent mother.”
Something shifted in her face, her expression unreadable.
“Well,” she said, slowly. “Want to hear a funny story?”
I paused. “What?”
“I, uh. I saw Madame Zee, the psychic we went to at the fair, remember her? I saw her the other day. At the drugstore.”
I didn’t see how this related to anything we were talking about, but Amy’s voice sounded nervous, so I nodded and she continued.
“Yeah. She worked there. She was restocking the family care isle. The pregnancy tests in particular.”
Oh.
“Something inside me strongly compelled me to buy one. Just in case.”
Oh.
“Mm-hmm.” Her voice was high. “And… it was positive.”
I stared at her, unable to speak, as she looked up at me, shyly.
“Derek, I’m pregnant.”
Chapter 26
Derek
I stared at Amy, hardly comprehending her words. “What?”
“Pregnant. I am pregnant. As in, with a baby growing inside of me. Our baby. For real, this time.” She looked at the floor. “I was trying to remember, and I don’t think we used protection that very first night. I mean, we were pretty drunk. But I took the test and it came out positive.”
I couldn’t find a single word to say.
Amy shifted nervously. “Derek? Are you upset? I know, it’s not what we planned… I mean, we haven’t planned anything. We’re literally walking in the dark here. When I found out, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t sure you would want anything to do with the baby. I’m still not—”
I stopped her words, her worries, by kissing her. I brought her into my arms, pressing my lips against hers with as much passion and love as I could express. She relaxed, melting into me, the kiss saying all that needed to be said.
“Amy,” I said, breaking away from her. “My beautiful Amy. That is the best news I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”
“We’re going to be parents.” Her voice squeaked and her eyes shone. I could tell how excited she was.
Looking at her, and seeing how overcome with joy she was… she took my breath away. The realization that I was going to spend the rest of my life with this woman hit me, and I was filled with ecstasy. It felt as if after years of searching—without even knowing what I was looking for—I had stumbled upon a priceless treasure. I felt… fulfilled.
I took Amy’s hands and pulled her into me, kissing her passionately. In response, Amy stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck, embracing me tightly.
There was something different between us, I could tell—but in the best possible way. We were already closer, more intimate… more certain. Now that our future was settled, we could savor each other and enjoy the moment we were in.
Breaking away from me, Amy took my hand and led me back to her bedroom, closing the door before she pushed me onto the bed and climbed on top of me. When she began to kiss me again, I could feel her hunger bubbling under the surface.
I ran my hands through her silky hair, inhaling. She smelled like citrus and tasted like oranges—sharp, tangy and sweet somehow. It was intoxicating. My hands travelled down her body, wanting to feel every inch of her. She felt volatile in my grasp, unpredictable and wild.
She began to grind against the hard bulge in my pants, which drove me absolutely mad. Unable to resist her, I flipped her over and climbed on top of her. I needed her… this minute.
I ripped off her clothes and threw them off to the side. My starving eyes grazed over her beautiful, nude body, exposed for just me. I felt like I was looking at her for the very first time, or, perhaps, seeing her through a different set of eyes. I was going to spend the rest of my life looking at her, I realized, and I knew I would never tire of it.
After removing my clothes, I climbed back on top of her. She reached up and grabbed me, pulling my lips to hers. She wrapped her legs around my waist, showing me how eager she was to get me inside of her.
My hands dropped to her soft, supple breasts, gently massaging them while my thumbs toyed with her hardened nipples. She bit my bottom lip in response, tugging playfully at it.
I pressed the tip of my hard cock against her slit, her slick wetness making my whole body tense in anticipation. Amy arched her back, lifting her hips off the bed, as if she couldn’t wait another second for me to enter her. I wasn’t in the mood to wait, either.
As I slowly slid my full length into Amy, our moans intertwined in the air. Her inner walls clenched tightly around my cock, making me wild with lust for her.
“Fuck me hard, baby,” Amy whispered in my ear, her voice dripping with enticement.
I obliged, immediately beginning to thrust in and out of her, harder and faster. I pulled out almost completely, teasing her, then slammed back into her, again and again. Underneath me, Amy squirmed and gasped, screaming in pleasure, unable to restrain herself.
“You feel so fucking good,” I managed to say, my voice husky. “Holy shit.”
This was pure ecstasy. We were completely lost to the world, and caught up in each other. Nothing was unspoken between us; no doubts, no worries, or even declarations of love. Everything was on the table, and there was nothing to hold us back. All that remained was her and I. And. fuck, we were amazing.
“I’m gonna cum,” she cried, her nails digging into my skin as her hands travelled up and down my arms and shoulders, pulling me into her.
“Cum with me, beautiful,” I groaned, not slowing down the pace for a moment. “I’m going to cum inside of you.”
She gasped, as her eyes closed and her head tilted back. She moaned, and her walls began to convulse around my cock.
Feeling her start to orgasm sent me over the edge, and I came hard. Groaning, I buried my cock into her, and held her as closely as I could. As our orgasms washed over us, I kissed her gently, overwhelmed by a deep sense of devotion to this woman.
Skin on skin, stripped bare, and out of breath, we looked at each other and smiled, because we had suddenly realized that we would never be lonely again.
Afterward, as I was holding Amy in bed, my phone rang. Kissing her cheek, I got up to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. Derek Rittsman?” It was an unfamiliar woman’s voice on the other end.
“Yes.”
“Hello. This is Harriet, from Clark County Hospital. Your father, Walter Rittsman, was admitted about an hour ago.”
My stomach dropped. I’d all but forgotten about my father, but now, hearing that he was in the hospital made me sick. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thirty, forty minutes. Is he okay?”
“Yes. We believe it was an isolated incident caused by aggravation and stress, not by his illness. He is currently stable, and we’re running tests.”
I exhaled. “Thank you. I’ll be there soon.” I hung up the phone, and started to get dressed.
Amy sat up in bed. “What’s wrong?”
“My father is in the hospital,” I said, my mind spinning. “Shit, Amy. I yelled at him and said some nasty things. What if that’s the last thing that I… what if I never… Oh God, it’s all my fault that he’s there.”
“Hey.” Amy slid out of bed and walked over to me, taking my face in her hands and looking into my eyes. It was instantly calming. “We’ll go see him right now and straighten everything out. It’s going to be alright, Derek. He’ll be okay.”
I rested my forehead against hers, grateful to have her there. “Thank you.”
* * *
“I need to see my father,” I said, holding up my hands. The bodyguards looked me over and stood to the side, but Marshall Harrison lifted a thin eyebrow.
“The girl can’t go in,” he sneered, gesturing toward the guards. “I recall Mr. Rittsman being very clear on the matter. He never wanted to see her again.”
“And I was never supposed to see Derek again,” Amy spoke up. “Yet here I am. And look.” She lifted her left hand, pointing to her ring finger. “Well, there’s no ring yet—use your imagination. And since Walter will soon be my father-in-law, whether he likes it or not, I think you should get the fuck out of my way.”
Marshall looked between us incredulously. “Are you two serious? Another half-assed lie?”
I stepped forward. “You can’t stop me from seeing my father, and Amy is coming with me. Excuse us.”
With that, I grabbed Amy’s hand and led the way. For all his words, there wasn’t really anything Marshall could do. He just looked toward the bodyguards, but they shook their heads. They probably weren’t too fond of him either.
My father was sitting in a hospital bed, looking impatient, as usual. He looked up when he heard us come in.
“Derek,” he said immediately. “I’m so sorry. For everything. You have every right to be angry with me. I wasn’t a proper father to you.”
His words were so genuine, so filled with sorrow and regret. I swallowed hard, stepping toward him. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Or lied to you. It’s me who is sorry.”
“No, Derek. I heard what you said, and you were right. Everything you said was true, and I’ve been denying it to myself for a long, long time. You’ve always been a better person than I am, from the time you were a little boy. I’ve always been so afraid that you would make the mistakes that I did, that I pushed you away. It was the wrong thing to do, and I can’t ever make that up to you.”
“You don’t have to.” I sat on the edge of his bed, and Amy sat next to me. “I never wanted your apologies, Father.”
“I know. You’ve always been so compassionate and forgiving, like your mother.” My father shifted, sighing. “I want you to understand that I am proud of you, son. Impossibly proud of you, and everything you’ve accomplished. You are one of the best men I have ever known, and it is an honor to have you as my son. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
I took his hands in mine, his words making my heart glow. “Thank you, Dad.”
He smiled slightly, then turned toward Amy. “I owe you an apology too, Amelia. I treated you with harshness and undeserved cruelty. You were simply trying to help my son and I reacted out of anger, and I regret that. I truly believe that you would be good for my son. I can tell how close you two are, even if you have met more recently than I thought. It is actually quite remarkable. You’re a good woman, and I am sorry for the terrible things I said, and for the way I allowed you to be treated in my home.”
Amy smiled, tears in her eyes. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” she said. “All I want is a chance to start again—no lies this time.”
“That sounds good, dear,” he said, as he patted her hand.
“So, uh, here goes,” she said, a crooked smile appearing on her lips.
“Hi, I’m Amy. I’m engaged to your son.”
My father gave a start. “What? Are you joking?”
I laughed. “No. The minute I left the mansion I went and found her and proposed. We’re getting married… and soon. We want to be sure you can be there.”
His jaw fell open.
“Also,” Amy said slowly. “As it turns out… I actually am… pregnant?”
My father looked back and forth between us, a range of expressions crossing his face. “No. Really?”
We nodded.
My father, my old, wrinkled father, leapt out of bed with such energy that I was scared he would fall. He let out the grandest whoop I’d ever heard him make. Grabbing Amy and I, he pulled us into a tight but gentle embrace.
“What a wonderful life this has turned out to be,” he said.
I agreed.
Epilogue
Amy
The good news began to roll in after the day Derek proposed to me.
When the tests that the doctors had run on Walter came back, they were astounded by the inexplicable results. The tumors in his lungs had begun to shrink… rapidly. Within the month, they were completely gone. Walter quickly bounced back into good health. Between that, and his improved relationship with Derek, he practically pulsated with energy and life.
A week after the hospital visit, we found out that Marshall Harrison had been skimming money from Walter and the investment firm. Walter declined to press charges, but Marshall was fired, and would be hard-pressed to find anyone else who would hire him. None of us heard from him ever again, which was fine by me.
Derek and I got married on Labor Day weekend, just three months later. We didn’t have very long to plan the event, but we were eager. With the help of our combined families, it turned out beautifully.
My sister, my mother Diane, and Charlotte all helped me get ready that day. We were having an outdoor wedding, at a location near the Cliffside diner.
The pregnancy had only just begun to show, with my stomach the slightest bit rounder and stretched than usual. I had never felt better. Everyone kept telling me how much my skin glowed and my eyes sparkled, but it might have been a side effect of the happiness that had taken over my life.
While Charlotte curled my hair and Abby did my make-up, my mother supervised, chatting nervously in order to make sure that everything was going smoothly. I had been anxious to explain about Derek and our relationship—after all, I’d never even told her about him before announcing our engagement. But I shouldn’t have worried, the moment she met him, she fell for him as well, so no explanations were required.
While they all worked together to get me ready, it was all I could do to sit still, and not bounce right out of my chair in excitement. I was still finding it hard to believe that this was all happening. That I had—with complete certainty—found my soulmate. That I was going to spend the rest of my life with a man I loved… and that I was going to have his child.
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