Waiting for You (A Contemporary Romance Novel)
Page 18
He remembered the night of Allison’s wedding. The night he’d held Erin on the dance floor, and hadn’t wanted to let her go.
He felt that way every time she was in his arms.
He remembered talking to her in O’Malley’s, telling her things he’d never told anyone. He remembered the day she’d shoved him into a cold shower. And he remembered the look in her eyes when they made love.
That first day in Mitch’s office he’d wanted to walk out a hundred times. But he’d thought of Erin, and he’d stayed. He remembered his trip back from Texas, how Erin’s face had guided him home like the North Star.
Steady, constant, a light in the darkness.
She was stubborn enough to love. She was even stubborn enough to love him, and to refuse to settle for anything less than love in return.
He grabbed his mother’s hand. “I have to go back in there. And you have to go to my apartment and get something for me.”
***
“Ms. Shaw, you need to lie still.”
She struggled to sit up on the operating table while one of the nurses tried to push her back down. “Where’s Jake? Please, you have to find him.”
“I’m sure he’ll be in soon,” the woman said soothingly. “But in the meantime, you have to—”
And then he was there, by her side, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She was so glad to see him she started to cry. “They didn’t tell me where you were. I was so scared you wouldn’t be here in time. You have to stay with the baby when she’s born, because they’ll be sewing me back up and I won’t be able to hold her right away. You have to stay with her every second and talk to her so she can hear your voice and…”
She took a deep breath. There was something she had to say to him. “I should have told you this before, but…Jake, I need you. I can’t do this alone. The parenting thing. I can’t do it without you.”
He kissed her on the forehead again, and then on the lips, and something in his kiss made her go still.
“I can’t do this alone, either. Not just the parenting thing. The life thing.”
She stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
He framed her face with his hands. “You’re my heart. You’re my soul. I need you, Erin. I need you so much.”
Maybe the anesthesia was making her hallucinate. Or maybe he was the one hallucinating. “Did they give you a tranquilizer or something?”
He smiled at her. “Erin, I love you. I’m so crazy about you it hurts.” He lifted her hand and set it against his heart. “I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much.”
Erin’s doctor peered at them over the blue drape hiding her lower body from view. “I hate to interrupt this romantic moment, but we’re about to begin the procedure. Are you two ready to have a baby?”
Erin nodded, her eyes never leaving Jake’s face. “Yes. We are.”
***
An hour later, Erin was in a different hospital room recovering from surgery when Jake came in with a tiny bundle in his arms. She’d only caught a glimpse of their baby girl in the operating room—Dr. Anderson had held her up briefly over the drape before she was whisked away. Erin had squeezed Jake’s hand and told him to go with their daughter.
Now he came in and sat down on the edge of the bed, and settled the baby in Erin’s arms.
“She’s perfect,” Erin whispered, staring down at her. She touched the tiny nose, and stroked her soft cheek. “Now that we’ve met her, we need to name her,” she said, looking up.
He laid his hand gently on the baby’s head. “She’s Megan.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Erin smiled down at the sleeping infant. “She does look like a Megan, doesn’t she? What do you think about Elizabeth for her middle—”
She froze. Jake had reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box, and when he opened it, a square cut diamond shone against the black velvet.
She looked at him, and a slow smile spread across her face. “You’re proposing on Valentine’s Day? That’s awfully sentimental for a guy who said no hearts or flowers or soul mates or fairy tales.”
“I know.” He took a breath. “I’ve had the ring for a month, but I was afraid to ask you again. I knew I deserved another no.”
He took her hand in his. “Erin, I’m head over heels in love with you. Will you marry me?”
Warmth spread from her head to her toes. “I’m tempted to say yes, but what if it’s just the morphine talking?”
He smiled. “I’ll ask you again tomorrow. And the day after that, and the day after that.”
“It’s too much,” she whispered.
“What is?”
“Getting everything I ever wanted.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Jake.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day.”
The baby stirred in her arms, and Erin kissed the top of her head. “And happy birthday to you, baby girl. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Was it worth the wait?” Jake asked softly.
Erin looked at the man she’d loved since she was thirteen years old. She knew he could see her heart in her eyes, because she could see his.
“The good things always are.”
About the Author
Abigail Strom started writing stories at the age of seven and has never been able to stop. She lives in New England with her family, who are incredibly supportive of the hours she spends hunched over her computer. You can visit her website at www.abigailstrom.com; find her on Goodreads, Facebook, or Twitter; or email her at abigail@abigailstrom.com. She loves to hear from readers.
Also by Abigail Strom
WINNING THE RIGHT BROTHER
THE MILLIONAIRE’S WISH
CROSS MY HEART
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen