Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Lolly

Talk about feeling like a shithead. I feel it now. I can’t believe I almost lost Ander because of my sister and the fear that Ander was like everyone else.

“I have more to tell you.”

“More?”

I'm not sure how much more I can take. How much more guilt can I handle?

“I bought the farm from your parents… and put it in your name. You own the farm and all the land around it now. I have a team of caretakers there so the animals are taken care of. People I trust. You can do whatever you want to do with it.”

“You…you bought the farm and…and gave it to me.”

“Yep, and I cut their throats on it too. I gave them less than half of what they were asking for. And made sure mine was the only offer they were ever going to get. They’ve been told they need to be moved out by the first of January.”

“You…bought the farm. For me.”

“Yes, baby. I know how much that land and all the animals mean to you. I figure we can use it as our secret little getaway place but for our main house, we’ll build a home from the ground up. I have my eye on a piece of property a couple of miles away from your redheaded friend’s house. Well, her new house since she’s the one getting married and it will technically be their house when they are done.”

“You…what about your business? What about all the things you have in the city? This isn’t a big town, it isn’t…as exciting as the city. Won’t you get bored and miss the city? I don’t want you to resent me for…”

“Baby, I’m going to be wherever you are. I don’t care where that is. And you can’t walk away from your bakery. You can’t leave your friends. I know how important they are to you. Oh, I also took the photos from your room so nothing would happen to them, the ones on the mirror. I don’t have any plans to give them back. They’re mine now.”

“My photos…you got my photos for me?”

He nods. “I couldn’t let them ruin them because they’re petty fuckers. Not when they mean so much to you.”

“I…,” don’t know what to say. I finish the statement in my head instead of saying it out loud.

“And we’re getting married. I understand today is about your friend but I have every intention of asking the couple to wait one more night to start their honeymoon so she can be here for the wedding.”

“What?!”

“I know you want her and the brunette to be here for that and I’m not waiting one more day for you to be mine in every possible way.”

“Wait! You want to marry me?!”

Instead of answering me, he takes out a box from his jacket pocket and opens it. My mouth falls open.

“I can’t wear that!”

“Oh, you bet your sexy ass you most certainly can, my sweet girl! You can and you will. I can’t do without you. I’ve not been able to breathe for three fucking weeks. I don’t just want you. I need you. And I think you might need me too?”

The last is said in a question. I can’t believe this man…this gorgeous, smart, wonderful man doesn’t realize he owns me. He can’t tell that I can’t breathe without him either, that the past three weeks have been the worst in my life. I felt like I was dying more and more every day and now he's here and he's brought me back to life.

“Yes. I want to marry you. But more importantly…I love you. I love you so much it hurts. And I want to be with you forever. I want to raise our baby together, build a house together, and live happily ever after with just you.”

“Maybe you should go lock the door, sweetheart.”

“Oh my God, I have to be at the alter…”

“If the men are anything like me and the girls like you, they’ll understand if you are a few minutes late. Right now, I need you and I need to make sure you’re real and I’m not dreaming.”

Our lips meet and I feel like I’m home. It makes no sense since I’ve only known him for a very short time, but it doesn’t make a difference. Ever since I turned around and saw him standing in the kitchen doorway, I’ve been captivated, and the love I have for him has just solidified from then on.

“I thought I lost you. I thought you didn’t feel about me the way I feel about you, that maybe I was feeling the way I did because…because you were my first.”

“I’ll be your last too. Your only. I’m going to take such good care of you, Lilly. Show you every day how thankful I am to have found you.” His hand drops to my lower belly. "And take care of our baby too."

Our kisses turn urgent and needy. My body goes hot and liquid as he picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. For the first time since learning I’m pregnant, I feel like the world isn’t spinning out of control and everything is falling apart around me. I feel like I have something to hold on to and someone who will keep me, and our baby, safe. For the first time since running away from Ander, I feel like I have hope for the future, like I have a partner for life that will treat me the way I've always wanted to be treated. For the first time, I have the kind of love you could spend your whole life looking for...right here, in my arms.