Driving back into town, with everything that had gone down in the last twenty-four hours, he felt free. He was no longer carrying around a secret, nor was he lying to people. Tilly was in town and this time, she wasn’t going to win. He wouldn’t allow her to take his daughter away or to win. His time for giving in to her had come to an end. Through this, though, he’d come to one conclusion. Callie wasn’t for just a bit of fun. She was more. She was everything.
He’d fallen in love with her and now, he wasn’t going to let her go. She’d come to him as a nanny, but she’d become more than that.
Entering his home, he heard Meghan’s laughter and walked to the kitchen where he found them making cookies.
“Daddy,” Meghan said as Callie had nudged her shoulder to let her know he was here.
“Hello, my little baker.” He kissed her cheek, walking into the kitchen to kiss Callie’s cheek. “How are you?”
“We’re fine. We’re taking care of feeding us all, aren’t we, Meghan?”
“Yes. I’m going to take these cookies into school so everyone likes me.”
“School?” he asked.
“She’s got an induction tomorrow. I did tell you.”
He pressed his lips together as with everything that happened, he’d forgotten.
“You forgot, Daddy?”
“No, no, I’ll be there and I remember it all.”
Callie smiled. “White little lies,” she said for him to hear.
“Necessary. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“Well, I hope I can clear it up for you.”
He stared at her, completely amazed that he’d never really looked at her. “I love you,” he said.
This caused her to freeze. “What?”
“You heard me. I’m in love with you, Callie Stewart.”
Her mouth opened.
Meghan paid them no attention at all.
He loved that he was able to shock her into silence. Reaching out, he took her hand and drew her closer. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he stared into her eyes. “I’m completely and totally in love with you and when I get my divorce, I want to marry you.”
“Is this a proposal?”
“It is.”
“You have a weird way of showing it.”
“I know.” He tilted her head back and pressed his mouth against her lips. She opened up, not fighting him. He continued to kiss until he got to her ear. “Don’t think I don’t know that we need to take a pregnancy test as well.”
She tensed up.
“You’re very possibly pregnant with my child.” He pulled back to look into her eyes.
“How did you know?”
“I’ve never seen you take any protection and well, being the a-butt that I am, I didn’t either.”
Meghan was still lost in her own little world, humming to herself. He had no reason to pull her out of it.
After stroking Callie’s hair back from her face, he cupped it.
“I … I love you as well,” she said. Her face was bright red.
“Does that make you embarrassed?”
“A little bit.”
“Don’t be, because I love you and finally saying the words to you it feels amazing.” He kissed her again and she moaned, wrapping his arms around him.
“You still need to get that divorce.”
“I’ll work on it. In the meantime, we need to figure out if I’m right or not about you being pregnant.”
“I’m probably not,” she said.
He ran his hand down her back, going to her stomach, to cup her low. “We’ll see.”
“Callie, how does this look?” Meghan asked, pulling her attention away.
He let her go, but he stayed in the kitchen. It looked like Meghan had scribbled all over a cookie.
“It looks beautiful. I think next time, we need to outline though.” Callie kissed Meghan’s cheek.
He couldn’t help but watch her. She was a natural. Meghan thrived around her and he’d finally known what it meant to fall in love.
“I’m going to head out. I’ll be back in a little bit.” He was going to get that pregnancy test because tonight he wanted to know if he’d finally claimed Callie as his own.
****
“I’ve never done one of these,” Callie said later that same night.
She held the pregnancy test in her grip with Drew beside her. “It’s pretty simple. You pee on a stick, and all will be well.”
“And what if it isn’t?” she asked. “What if this is negative?”
“Then we keep trying until you’re pregnant.”
“And if it’s positive?”
“I’ll marry you.”
“You’re still married.”
“It’s a technicality. I’m working at having my freedom.”
“Are you sure you won’t miss her? You did marry her. Didn’t you love her?”
“No, I didn’t love her. I married her for Meghan. I did the right thing by her.”
“That means you’ll be doing the right thing by me?”
He shook his head. “I’ll marry you because I’m in love with you and I can’t imagine sharing my life with anyone else. I’ve never felt this way before.” He took her hand, locking their fingers together. “You have to believe me.”
“I do. I do believe you.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m going to go and do this.”