Page 38 of Rim Shot Rebound

“I’d rather you stay. You shouldn’t have to run anymore.” He paused. “If it comes to that, I’ll leave. I’ll go wherever you want me to disappear to. I just want you safe and surrounded by people who love you. People you trust. Even if that isn’t me.”

She turned to look at him. His eyes were rimmed with red and swimming with sincerity, and she had no idea what to say. Of all the things she expected him to say to try to get her to stay, this wasn’t on that list.

“But you need to know one thing,” he added.

“What’s that?”

“I always intended to propose to you. Long before I knew you were pregnant. Before I even told you I wanted us to try a relationship again. Marrying you—building a life with you—was always the end goal.” He gently pried the bag strap from her and held both of her hands, his long piano-player fingers wrapping her safely in their grasp. His thumb grazed the ring still on her finger. “You didn’t take it off.”

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and found the words to answer him. “I couldn’t.”

He squeezed her hands. “Kelsey, I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

“Love was never the problem,” she said. “Babies can’t keep people together, Eric. They aren’t some kind of magical family glue. I’m living proof of that.”

“I know. It’s no secret I’d love to have a family with you.” He bent his head to rest his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes. “But if that family ends up being just me and you, I will still consider myself the luckiest man on this planet.”

A tear slid from her eye and down her face. He wiped it away, but more tears followed.

Somehow she forced her throat to form words. “I believe you mean that. But I’m afraid I’ll never be enough for you.”

He lifted her hands and kissed her fingers. “You will always be enough for me. You have always been everything to me.” He paused, then continued. “I’m so sorry I ever led you to think otherwise. And I promise to spend the rest of my days showing you what you mean to me.” Another pause. “Even if that means I need to walk away from you, if you need space right now.”

She’d been an idiot. This man had been standing in front of her all this time, and she’d been too scared to see him for what he was now. For what he was offering her. All she could see were her own past and fears.

But he was here now. It wasn’t too late to make things right.

She squeezed his knee and leaned to meet his mouth. With her eyes closed, tightly blocking out the rest of the world along with her fears and doubts, she kept her mouth pressed against his, allowing herself to embrace the love between them. She kissed him until she felt every hidden corner of her body and mind fill with warmth and love and confidence in Eric. Confidence that they could face anything together.

When she finally pulled back and looked at him again, she saw the man she loved staring back at her. His strength and hope. His promise.

She no longer felt like a scared little girl who needed to hide her heart and prepare to run. She had someone she trusted, someone who would face the shadows and monsters with her.

“Does that mean you’ll stay?” he asked.

She smiled. “Only if you stay with me.”

He gave her another soft, quick kiss. “Absolutely.”

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