Bulldozer (Hard to Love 3)

“Sam!” I croak.

“It’s okay.” Grant takes Sam out of Calvin’s hands and my overly enthusiastic son wraps his arms around the big blond’s neck. Naturally and without hesitation, he rests his small face on Grant’s shoulder. There isn’t a day I don’t marvel at the pure and effortless love between these two.

“Thanks, man,” Grant says to my brother.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, bro. You scared us.”

Grant’s eyes close as he continues to pat Sam’s back.

Calvin’s sharp gaze moves from my son to the man I love. Then his gray eyes, so much like my son’s, meets mine filled with understanding. “I’ll leave you guys to it. The nurse is having a fit out there. Too many people in the room.”

“Love you,” I call out. My oldest brother waves before walking out the door.

“Are you okay?” Sam’s voice is so small I might start crying.

“I’m a little banged up, but I’ll be okay.” Pulling back, Grant’s warm gaze travels over Sam’s face. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

Sam nods, his chin trembling.

“Hey, little man––” Grant swallows. His cheek muscle twitches. Pink streaks across his cheekbones. Have mercy, he’s blushing. This man.

“You know I love your mom with my whole heart, right?” After a beat, Sam nods. “And that I love you just as much as I love her?” The spark of wonder on Sam’s face says all I need to know, any reservations I had about how he would accept Grant as a permanent addition to our lives is erased.

Sam knows that having to share me means he won’t be losing anything, only gaining. If anything I’m the one that will have to share because I have no doubt of how thoroughly Grant loves Sam.

“So I’m asking your permission––would it be okay with you if I married your mom?”

My breath catches, my eyes searching Grant’s. But Grant’s unwavering attention belongs to Sam.

“Does that mean you’ll live with us?” Sam’s wide unblinking eyes watch Grant carefully.

“Yes, it does.”

“All the time?”

“Yep.”

“And you won’t leave?”

“No, sir.”

“Ever?”

My heart throbs at the doubt I hear in Sam’s voice, the seriousness of his expression, a reminder that I still have a lot of work to do in restoring his trust and faith.

Grant schools the grin threatening to overtake his face. He holds out his hand. “Never.”

“Yeah, you can marry her.”

Sam places his hand in Grant’s, smiling so brightly it lights up the entire room. Grant tugs him closer and Sam throws his arms around his neck, clinging to Grant like he can’t get enough of him. I know the feeling.

Our eyes meet over my son’s head as a fresh set of tears roll down my cheeks. I never believed in fairy tales. Nightmares, yes, I’ve experienced plenty of those. In waking life, too. But I thought happily ever afters belonged in romance novels. The ones I read to escape my reality, the belief that I wasn’t destined to ever have that. And yet, here I am, staring into the eyes of the love of my life, my klutzy-knight-in-no-armor.

My reality rocks.

“What do you say, Mandy Sue?” he murmurs. “Make an honest man out of me? We can live in sin if you want, but I’d rather live as your husband.” His thumb gently runs down my cheek and over my chin, wiping the tears away.

Closing the last inch that separates us, I place a gentle kiss on his full lips. “I love you,” I say against them. “I can’t wait to be your wife.”

“Grant.”

“Yeah, little man.”

“Where’s sin? Is it near the beach?”

Epilogue

We got married the following summer on a hot and humid Saturday night in July. We had the wedding at Calvin and Camilla’s Hamptons house on the beach. Back to where is all started. Where I learned to put aside my fears and let a very large man with a tendency for nudity get under my skin and wrap himself around my heart.

He says he never saw it coming. I told him Life likes to lay her own tracks. And I’m alright with that as long as he’s by my side.

Sam was best man and the flower girl was growing in my belly. Although Ashley was just a peanut at the time. Sam was so excited to be getting a sister he didn’t care that she was younger.

Ronan stayed in Sam’s life but as Sam grew into adulthood old resentments remained and he started making excuses to travel less and less to California. And frankly Grant has been more of a father to him than Ronan ever was. Thick as thieves, those two. Ronan never did get married or have any more children. I wish things were different between father and son but that’s not my fight. They’re still in touch, though.

My relationship with my son is better than ever and despite everything we went through, stronger and tighter––two warriors that have seen battle together and learned to depend on the other. Having children helped Grant chase away some of his old demons. The fear that his blood was poisoned, that he was anything like his father and brother took some time to vanquish. He coaches the linebackers for the Titans, has been coaching since he retired and is as devoted to it as he was playing.