Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
I kept my eyes on Emerson as I held the ring. “This is how I should have asked you in the first place—and I’m sorry that I didn’t. I’m not just asking you to be my wife, but I’m asking you to be a part of my family and to let me be a part of yours. I’m asking both of you to marry me, because I know you come as a set, and I know I’m man enough to love you both. I want to be a father to your daughter, a husband to you, and to spend the rest of my life taking care of both of you…and loving you with all my heart.”
“Yes.” Lizzie turned to her mother and waited for her answer.
Emerson was already in tears, her eyes bright in the light of the fire, looking at me the way my mom had looked at my dad when he asked the same question. Her hands moved to her cheeks, and she wiped away the rivers of tears, sniffling, and then doing it again because the tears wouldn’t stop.
The sound of the fire and the crickets were the only noises we could hear—with the exception of her tears.
“Mom, if you say no, I swear to god…”
“She won’t say no,” I said confidently. “I made it impossible.”
Her eyes softened further as more tears came. Then she gave me a nod.
A smile moved on to my lips, treasuring that answer, my eyes starting to glisten too because I finally did it…I got her. I got the love of my life to agree to spend her life with me—and I was the luckiest man on this planet.
Her answer came as a whisper, muffled by her audible tears. “Yes…I’ll marry you.”
28
Emerson
After Lizzie went to sleep, it was just the two of us in our bedroom.
Derek made a fire in the hearth, so the glow lit the room as we moved together beneath the sheets, quiet except for the deep sounds of our breathing, our bodies coming together perfectly, the bed not making a sound because all we needed to do was feel each other.
His ring felt so heavy on my hand, the metal digging into my skin when I sliced my nails into his back. Sometimes I would catch the light glimmering out of the corner of my eye, reflecting the fire that crackled and popped.
Even when it was long past midnight and we had plans first thing in the morning, we stayed awake, lying side by side as we looked at each other, our bodies close together, our eyes seeing each other in a whole new way.
This man would be my husband.
I would be Mrs. Dr. Derek Hamilton.
Quite the title.
His hand slid up to my hip and down to my waist, riding the curves until he cupped my ribs below my breast, like he was memorizing the shape of my body. “They aren’t just coming to celebrate Lizzie’s graduation. They’re coming to celebrate us.”
“You told them?”
“I told them before I asked.”
My eyes took him in with no emotion. “You knew I would say yes?”
“With a proposal like that, how could you say no?” He wore his handsome smile, his eyes kind and playful. He was the man I worked so hard to find, the man I worked so hard to make good once again. Now, he was here…permanently.
“You’re right.”
“Your parents are coming too. I thought they could get to know my family.”
“That’ll be nice.”
“I was a little apprehensive to ask your father, but you know what he said?”
I grinned because I could only imagine.
“He said, ‘My daughter is a grown-ass woman with a thirteen-year-old daughter. You don’t need to ask my permission.’”
I chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Dad.”
“I liked that answer.”
“Yeah, he’s great.” I knew my parents were unhappy with the way Derek had hurt me, but I was also glad they were willing to accept him and give him another chance.
“So…when did you want to get married?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I just got engaged.”
He chuckled. “Did you want to do a big wedding or just something small?”
“I don’t know as many people as you do, so probably something small.”
“Well, tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Alright.”
“You guys wanna move in now?”
“You’re in a rush, huh?” I teased.
“My mom told me that the moment you ask someone to marry you, that’s when your life together begins. It doesn’t start the day you are husband and wife. My mom was living with my dad before they got married. It would be nice to see you guys every day.”
There was no doubt that forgiving him was the right decision. Now that he had his hold on me, had his ring on my finger, he wanted all of me, as much as he could get, as quickly as possible. I felt more loved than I ever had. “Your bed is really comfortable…”