Beat by Beat (Riggins Brothers 5)

“I was. I promise.” His eyes are still raw with emotion, and that same feeling of regret from earlier sits heavy on my chest.

“I did something. Something I wasn’t really sure you were ready for. I mean, I thought so, but after today, well, I hope you like it.” Turning, I grab the manila envelope from under my pillow and hand it to him.

“No way. I am not signing a prenup. Nope. Not happening.” He tosses the envelope back on the bed.

“I didn’t even consider that, but I should have. We should postpone the wedding until you can—” I start, but I don’t get to finish when his lips crash with mine.

When he pulls away, he says, “No. No prenup. In fact, that’s a bad word. Let’s never say it again.”

“Fine.” I roll my eyes playfully, feeling relief wash over me that we are still us despite my overreaction. “That’s not what this is anyway.” I grab the envelope again and hand it to him. “Open it. Here, I can take her.”

“No. I just… I need to hold her if that’s okay.”

I nod. “Yeah, that’s okay,” I agree softly. I always wondered if I would ever find a man to love us both, and I was lucky enough to do just that. Marshall loves Madeline and me with an intensity I’ve never witnessed before. He’s all in. My earlier outburst and uncertainty seems even more foolish now that I’m seeing clearly.

“Okay, Maddie. Mommy has something for me to look at. You want to look at it with me?” She keeps her head tucked into his neck and her eyes glued to the envelope. It’s almost as if she knows that those papers will change all three of our lives.

“This was going to be your wedding gift. Well, it still is. I just wasn’t going to give it to you until later.”

His eyes scan the document, and then he freezes. He lifts his head to look at me, and the tears racing down his cheeks tell me all I need to know. This man before me is a good man, a kind man with a loving heart. Sure, he might have kept a few things from me, but he did it with his big heart, thinking about me and what’s best for my daughter and me.

Our daughter.

“She’s mine?” he croaks. “Is this real?”

“Yes and yes. I had Royce help me with a lawyer to get the papers drawn up. It’s not official. You have to sign them, and then we have to file the petition to the court. Since her biological father is deceased, the process should be a few months at best.”

A noise comes from somewhere in the back of his throat. I’m not sure if it’s a laugh or a cry. The smile on his face tells me it could be either. He tosses the papers on the bed and lifts Madeline into the air, making her laugh. “Guess what, baby girl?” he asks her, settling her on his hip. “I’m your daddy,” he whispers. Then his eyes find mine. “Babe, I need a pen.”

“You don’t have to sign them today.”

“I do have to sign them today. I need a pen.” His eagerness has my heart bursting with love.

Turning, I open the nightstand and dig around until I find an ink pen and hand it to him. He takes it, and with one hand, sifts through to all of the Sign Here tabs and scrawls his name by each one. When he’s done, he tosses the pen on the bed and pulls me into a searing kiss.

Pulling back for air, he whispers, “I love you, Mrs. Riggins.”

“I’m not a Riggins yet,” I remind him. Although the thought alone leaves me breathless.

“Then, we better get downstairs and make that happen.” I nod, and together, hand in hand, with Madeline in his arms, we make our way downstairs. As we descend the stairs, I send up a silent prayer, thanking whoever might be listening that my fear didn’t drive the man I love away. He fought for me. He fought for us and our family.

There’s a loud round of applause when we reach the living room. Marshall doesn’t stop until we reach the altar, which is in front of the fireplace. His father is already there waiting on us.

“Son, this isn’t the way this is supposed to work.”

“Well, that’s how it works for us. I’m not letting go of either one of them,” he tells his father.

“You heard the man,” Owen calls out.

“Let’s get you hitched.” Stanley winks.

The ceremony is beautiful, and this is definitely a day we will never forget. Not just because of our blowout fight, but because we know without a shadow of a doubt that we can handle anything that’s thrown our way. All we have to do is believe in the love that we share, and it will all work out in the end.