His touch promises without words to never let me go again. For the first time in days, I feel warm. The coldness that lived in my bones is gone, and only now do I realize that it was the emptiness and loneliness that kept me cold. He is my home, my warmth, my happiness.
“I missed you,” I mumble into his sweater.
“You have no idea how much I missed you. I was so scared that you wouldn’t forgive me. Please come home with me, back to Blackthorn. I’ll do whatever you want. Tell me what you need, and it’s yours. I’m yours. All of me. I’ve always been yours, Harper. Please, give me another chance, and I won’t let you regret it. I love you…”
“I love you too, Warren. And I’ll forgive you.” I barely get to finish my sentence before Warren’s hands find my waist, and he lifts me off the ground. With my feet dangling in the air, he holds me so tightly to his body, I can’t move. When I let out a grunt, he releases me, a horrified look on his face.
“Oh, god, shit. Did I squish you? Did I squish the baby?” I want to laugh but hold back. Warren, as a father, is going to be something else.
“I’m fine,” I smile. “And the baby is like the size of a bean, I don’t think there is any squishing to do yet.”
With a hopeful tone, he asks, “So you’ll come back with me?”
“Yes, I’ll come back with you,” I answer, not caring to make him sweat it out. Going forward, I don’t want to hold any anger toward him.
He wraps his arms around me again, but this time much gentler. Kissing the top of my head, he says, “Good, ’cause I don’t think I could live without you. You’re a part of me, Harper, and you always have been. When I lost you the first time, I thought I might die, and after I realized I had fucked up this second time, I didn’t expect another chance. But I swear to you and our unborn baby, that I’ll do the right thing. I’ll cherish and care for you both. Forever. For always.”
Epilogue
Warren
The keys to our brand new three-bedroom house sit like a damn brick in my jeans pocket. Harper hasn’t the first clue what is going on. She thinks we’re going for ice cream at the sugar shack. Hopefully, she doesn’t go into labor because of this surprise. It took a shit-ton of work and a lot of time to get everything together, but I know without a doubt that it will be worth it.
“You look lost in thought, are you okay?” Harper questions from the passenger seat, a smile that warms every inch of my body on her pretty pink lips.
“Of course, I’m okay. I have you and our little girl. There’s nothing else in the world I could want.”
That makes Harper smile even more, and I can’t imagine what her face is going to look like when she sees the house.
I drive right past the sugar shack and down the ways a little more before turning right and into the subdivision.
“Where are we going? This doesn’t look like an ice cream place?” Harper pouts, and I chuckle as I drive a little further. Our perfect two-story house comes into view, and I continue driving until I reach the driveway. I pull in and park the car. I don’t say anything else to Harper but can feel her staring boulders into my face. Inside, I’m bubbling over with excitement. It’s been a long seven months together, and I’ve busted my ass to ensure that she can trust me.
As I get out of the car and walk around to the passenger side to help her out, she wrinkles her nose at me.
“Warren, you better start talking. Whose house is this?” Again, I say nothing and grab her hand and start walking up the driveway and toward the huge front wooden door.
Our first home.
Once we reach the doorstep, Harper tugs her hand out of mine and crosses her arms over her chest. “If you don’t start talking, I’m going to get mad.”
“You’re cute when you’re mad.”
“Warren,” she whines, using her angry voice, which only makes me want to irritate her more, so I can hear her whine again.
“Whose house do you think this is?”
“I don’t know.” She turns to stare at the front door, and I slip my hand into my pocket and pull out the keys. “What are you doing?” she questions. I bring the key to the front lock and open the door.
“Welcome home, baby,” I lean down and whisper into her ear.
A gasp escapes her lips before she grabs onto my hand and turns to face me, “You’re lying, this isn’t ours.”
The look on her face makes me smile. I cannot believe that I was able to keep this a secret, which makes that look one-hundred percent worth it.