Page 86 of Make Me Yours

“I know,” she says. “On the way over here, I kept thinking about the hospital. How you stood there letting Dad hurt you and barely even fought back, even though you had every right to defend yourself. And well, like I told Gramps, if I hadn’t had him in my life to help me heal from all the hard parts of my childhood, I don’t know what kind of person I’d be right now. But I bet I’d be an angry one, maybe even a violent one.” She tilts her head, her eyes narrowing as she adds, “Sounds like you didn’t have good people around you to help make up for having things hard at home.”

I shake my head. “No. My brother and I were taught very young that we didn’t speak about things that went on behind closed doors. If we did, we paid the price for it.”

She bites her lip, but doesn’t speak until after the bartender has delivered our drinks, and I’ve told him we’ll take the check. Hunter’s people will be in to fetch me at any moment. It’s best if I’m all paid up and ready to explain to them that I won’t be leaving, after all.

At least, I hope I won’t…

“But a lot of people have rough childhoods, and don’t beat a man the way I did,” I add once the check has been delivered and the bartender has toddled off to refill the drinks of the giggling Las Vegas-bound women. “You’re right. I should have faced consequences for what I did. It wasn’t right.”

“No, but it wasn’t all your fault, either,” she says. “Like you said, the guy wasn’t an innocent bystander. And you never didanything like that again. I should have thought more about that. It takes a lot of strength and commitment to change.” She clears her throat, her lips twisting to one side. “My dad left rehab last night. Someone saw him at the pub, apparently.”

“I’m sorry.” I want to reach for her hand, to pull her into my arms and hold her, but we’re not there yet. But hell, we’re closer than I imagined we’d be, and it’s enough to make my voice shake as I say, “You’ve been let down more than anyone should be, but I would never do that to you, Sully. If you give me the chance, I’ll prove I can be the kind of man you need. I can be a good man.”

“Youarea good man,” she says, her throat working. “I’m sorry I doubted that. It was just a horrible weekend and there was so much stress. I wasn’t thinking clearly and…I was scared.” I start to assure her again that I’d die before I’d hurt her, when she adds, “Not of you. I was scared of myself, of how hard I fell for you and how fast.” She chews her bottom lip. “And I think part of me was scared that you’d come to your senses eventually and realize you’re way,wayout of my league.”

I reach for her hand, holding it tight, the feel of her skin against mine a reprieve seconds before a death sentence. “You are my person. You’re the reason I’ve never loved anyone like this before. I was waiting for you, for the only person who’s ever felt like home.”

“Me, too,” she whispers. “You feel like home, too.”

“Like a real home,” I clarify, the vice around my ribs loosening as she threads her fingers through mine, “not the one I knew as a child.”

She blinks tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry your childhood was crap.”

“Same,” I say. “And I hate myself for the role I played in the crappy part of yours. Every time I think about you as a little girl, wandering your house, alone and scared because I was stupidenough to go to a bar with a married woman, I want to go back in time and shake some sense into myself.”

“But if that hadn’t happened,” she says, “wemight not have happened. And I’m really glad we happened.”

“Me, too,” I say, relief making my entire body feel lighter than it has in days. “I’ll cancel the flight and maybe I can take you to dinner? Since we don’t have to hide anymore?”

Her lips hook up on one side. “Or I could come with you.” She nods toward our bags. “That’s why I brought a suitcase. In case you decided you wanted company.”

Heart soaring, I nod. “Yeah, I’d like some company. I’d love it, actually.”

And I do.

I love her all the way to New York and during the cab ride to my apartment in the East Village. I love her through our takeout meal on my terrace and the tour of my place, and then I love her in my bed, showing her with every kiss, every touch, how much she means to me.

She’s the most precious thing I’ve ever had entrusted into my care and for the next several weeks, I bust my ass to prove it.

By the time we return so Sea Breeze to celebrate Christmas with her family, we’re so close, I can read her mind without her having to say a word.

“Don’t worry,” I say as I park the rental car behind her spot in the garage. “If things get tense, I’ll fake a headache and wait for you in your apartment.”

She shakes her head. “No. No way. If things get tense, we’ll both leave. They don’t get to scare you away. If they want me around, they have to be nice to my boyfriend.”

Her boyfriend…

I plan on being more than her boyfriend before this week is through. The ring is burning a hole in my coat pocket, but it isn’t time for that yet, not until we clear this final hurdle. If we can make it through a holiday celebration with her family—half of whom still think I’m the Antichrist—then we’ll have proven we can make it through anything.

“All right,” she says, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “Let’s go, Mr. Fancy.”

We’re barely out of the car before the door flies open and her grandfather appears, silhouetted against the glowing lights inside. “Get in here, you two! Before you freeze your asses off. It’s bitter out there.”

“And we have hot toddies,” a cheerful voice bubbles from behind him in the kitchen.

As we step inside, I see that it’s Mia, his former nurse, dressed in a red sweater with a reindeer on the front and a matching pair of jingle bell antlers on her head. I arch a brow Sully’s way and she gives a little shake of her head as she smiles. Apparently, she had no idea Gramps and Mia were family-Christmas-party level friends, either.

“Hey there, Weaver, welcome,” Gramps says, giving my hand a firm shake as he closes the door behind us. “Let me take your coats and you two grab a drink. We’re about to start the trivia.”

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