Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
I brush my teeth, run a brush through my hair and put on some sweats and a T-shirt. On my way past, I stop and smile at my reflection in the mirror.
It’s our first Christmas in our new home. A home that I paid for. The boys are both doing really well, and I’ve stopped worrying constantly about Jake coming back. Dom has a private eye doing a once-a-day check-in on him, and so far, he’s been in the state of California since the day after he was released from prison.
I also got a five-figure holiday bonus from the firm, which blew my mind. I cried in my office for fifteen minutes, wishing I could go back and tell the struggling waitress I had been that it would all be worth it. All the late nights studying, Door Dashing to pay for Christmas gifts and clipping coupons for groceries got me here.
And then there’s Rowan. My smile widens because, yeah, life is good.
I only linger a second, knowing I have two very eager little boys downstairs. Rowan offered to get up early and leave this morning so the boys and I could have Christmas morning alone. But having him here felt right.
“I’m hungry!” I jog down the stairs, expecting Rowan and the boys to be waiting for me in the kitchen.
Instead, I find the three of them standing in front of the Christmas tree, all dressed in tuxedos. Duke is lying on the floor by Rowan, even he has a bow tie around his neck. Rowan’s tux fits his athletic body perfectly; he’s breathtaking. And seeing my boys so proud and handsome in the dress clothes makes me tear up.
“What’s this?”
Sam steps forward. “Mom, you’re the best mom ever. I love you.”
All three of them are standing with their hands behind their backs. Sam whips a package out from behind his back and grins at me.
“Merry Christmas!”
“That’s for me?” I beam at him as he hands it to me.
I can tell he wrapped it himself. There’s too much tape and the paper doesn’t fit perfectly. I kiss him on top of the head. “Thank you, honey.”
“Open it!”
He’s more excited than he was about Christmas gifts when he went to bed last night. I meet Rowan’s eyes and give him a grateful smile.
I tear into the package and find a pair of purple gloves with a soft fur lining.
“Oh, they’re beautiful. I love them. Thank you, Sam.”
He pushes his glasses up on his nose. “It’s your favorite color.”
“Yes, it is. It was so thoughtful of you to remember that.” I hug him.
“Open mine!” Tate is just as excited as Sam when he hands his gift over.
I’m surprised to see he did a good job wrapping it. It’s not perfect, but it’s good. I tear into it and find bubble bath and lotion.
“Oh, this is great! You know how much I love bubble baths. Thank you, Tate.”
He looks at Rowan. I give Rowan a puzzled look, because we agreed the beautiful houseful of furniture was my gift from him.
He clears his throat and walks over to me, taking my hand. Sam and Tate stand on either side of me, looking up at me with excited smiles.
“Cam, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known. There aren’t even words to convey how much you and the boys mean to me. You gave me a second chance and now I want to ask if you’ll officially be my girlfriend.”
“Yes, I will.”
It was perfect. I was afraid for a second that he was about to propose. And we aren’t there yet. I hope we will be eventually. But since we’re both coming into this relationship wounded, I want to take things slow, so we’re both completely sure it’s right.
“She said yes!” Tate high-fives Sam, and then they both high-five Rowan.
“So I have something for you.”
Rowan reaches into his pocket and takes out a tiny pale-blue box. My heart pounds with excitement. I’ve never gotten jewelry as a gift.
He flips open the box and reveals a beautiful platinum band with three sparking round stones set in a row: an emerald, a dark brown diamond and an intense yellow diamond.
My eyes fly to his; I’m in shock. I may not own any expensive jewelry, but I still know a lot about it. That ring cost an absolute fortune. Far more than the furniture.
“Rowan...”
He gives me a nervous look. “These are the colors in your eyes. There are three stones to represent the two most important men in your life, Sam and Tate, and one for me because I hope to become an important man in your life, too.”
I can’t hold back my tears as I say, “Stop it, you already are.”
He smiles and takes the ring from the box, sliding it onto my left hand.
“This isn’t an engagement ring, but it’s to hold the place of one until the time comes.”