When Abby closed the door, Tessa crossed her arms. “You’re not the only one who’s been soul-searching. I have some apologizing of my own to do. You’ve been amazing—from the way you opened a new part of me our first night to the way you’ve fought for Sophia. I should have trusted you, and I’m sorry I couldn’t see past the fear in the moment.” She moved toward them and closed her fingers around Sophia’s free hand. “Sophia and I have decided we should live closer to her daddy.”
Zach’s stomach clenched, and he waited for more with as much caution as his spinning mind and speeding heart could manage.
Her hand left Sophia’s and wound around his waist. “Once I got back here, and the bill passed, I had room in my brain to think more clearly. I realized that my fears and frustrations were coming from work and the past, not you.”
He slid a hand over Tessa’s hair and pulled her close, kissing her forehead.
“So, Sophia and I decided to move closer to you. It’s not Hawaii, but I just accepted a new job in Los Angeles.”
Zach closed his eyes on a whispered “Oh my God.” He turned his head and kissed Sophia’s neck, making her giggle. “What kind? When do you start?” he asked Tessa, suddenly on cloud nine. “Where are you going to live?”
“It’s contract law, which is similar to what I’ve been doing here, but with fewer headaches. I start work in two weeks, but the ‘where’ is still a little up in the air. They’re putting us in corporate housing until we find something we like.”
“Holy…” He caught “shit” before it came out and wrapped his free arm around Tessa, dragging her close so he could hug them both. “I can’t think of anything…appropriate…to say.”
Tessa laughed and laid her cheek against his chest. “Nothing necessary. This says it all.”
Oh no. This didn’t begin to say it all.
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk more once she’s asleep,” he told Tessa, “but I do have one thing that can’t wait anymore.” He hadn’t thought this moment would come for a long time. But when the time was right, it was right.
He stepped back and lowered to one knee, making Sophia giggle. He settled her on his bent thigh while he dug in his pocket. Once the metal touched his fingers, he took Tessa’s hand with the other. And kissed it. “I don’t want to live without you. You and Sophia fill places in my heart that I didn’t even realize were vacant.” He lifted the ring. “I love you, Tessa. So much. Will you marry me?”
“Mommy, look! It’s so pretty.”
Tessa pulled in a sharp breath, her gaze moving to the ring. “Oh my God. You came with that?”
“I’ve had it in my pocket for a couple of weeks.” He tipped his head side to side. “You know, checking out how it feels. Trying it on my pinkie a few times. Got it stuck once. That was a little terrifying.”
Tessa laughed and pressed her fingers to her lips. She sighed a troubled “Zach…”
“I’m not doing this for Sophia.” He’d known she’d waver over this. “I love her.” He kissed her for punctuation, making her laugh. Then told Tessa, “And I’ll always be part of her life, no matter what happens with you and me. But I also love you, Tessa, apart from Sophia. And I want to know you’ll always be part of my life too.”
“What’s marry?” Sophia interrupted. “Why is Mommy crying?”
He grinned at Tessa. “Better answer before she answers for you.”
She burst out laughing and covered her mouth with a shaking hand. Tears streamed down her face. When she dropped her hand, she managed a weak “Yes.” Then she laughed again and repeated her answer. “Yes. I want to marry you.”
Zach’s heart broke open with joy.
Tessa sipped a breath and leaned in to kiss him. When she pulled back, she looked directly into his eyes and whispered a breathy “I love you, so much.”
Oh, yeah. This was most definitely what he’d been looking for his whole life. He pressed his lips to hers, infusing all his love into the kiss. Almost forgot he was still holding Sophia, until she smacked a kiss against his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.” Then her mother’s. “I love you, Mommy.”
Tessa laughed. “We love you too.” She brushed her hand across his cheek and let her fingers slide into his hair. “It’s getting long. I like it.” She met his eyes again, with a furrow between her brows. “Is there any way you can get the part back?”
He twisted his lips in consideration. “I don’t know, but honestly, I don’t care. As long as I have you and this little princess”—he tickled Sophia and pulled Tessa close again, his heart soaring—“I have everything I need.”
&nb
sp; 21
7 months later
Tessa was going to kill him.
Zach stood at the curb of LAX’s passenger pickup and pressed the back of his hand to his eye. Even before he pulled it back, he knew what he’d find. Sure enough, blood streaked his skin.