Page 156 of Fix You

Rafe’s brows furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Your son is banging his head on my bladder.”

Pride shone in his dark eyes as he gazed down at me. “Is he always going to bemyson when he’s in trouble?”

“Damn straight.” Batting my eyelashes playfully, I added, “We both know that any sweet temperament comes from me.”

Rafe leaned down to tenderly kiss my lips. “I hope he’ll be as sweet and kind as his mother.”

I cupped his cheek with my palm. “On further introspection, I think he could inherit kindness from you as well.”

“Capo’s aren’t kind,” Rafe protested.

“But you are to me.”

He gave me a sexy smirk. “That’s true. Both in and out of the bedroom.”

After a playful smack, I teased, “And you’re kind to Cannoli.”

At her name, Cannoli raised her snout off my bump to gaze up at us. Rafe sighed exasperatedly. “She tries my patience, but yes, I suppose I’m kind to her.”

Rafe wasn’t a small dog kinda guy, so he’d added two Belgian Malinoises to our mix shortly after we adopted Cannoli. He’d hoped Apollo and Ares would double for guard dogs, but most of the time, they enjoyed snuggling with Cannoli. Tonight they were lounging at our feet.

When I gazed down at the book, I gasped, causing Rafe to stare questioningly at me. “I just realized what your name means?”

“Incredibly sexy and well-hung?” he teased.

With a roll of my eyes, I replied, “No. It means God heals.” Although he was used to my weepiness lately, Rafe shifted towards me in concern at my tears. My heartbeat thrummedwildly at the realization. “You healed me,” I replied to his expectant look.

Rafe shook his head. “You didn’t need me to save you, Maeve. You did that all on your own. If anything,you’rethe one who healedme. You repaired all the cracks I never allowed myself to see and showed me how to give and receive love.”

He dipped his head to bring his forehead against mine. “You fixed me.”

As his thumbs tenderly brushed the tears from my eyes, I said, “Oh Rafe, if I fixed you, it’s certain that you fixed me as well. I can never thank you enough for bringing me from the darkness into the light. You are everything that’s good in my life.”

“Without you, there wouldn’t be any good in me.”

After bestowing a quick kiss on his lips, I took the book from him. There was a name I’d glanced over, but after our conversation, its meaning meant so much more. Turning the book to Rafe, I said, “Dario means goodness. He’s the goodness of you and me.”

A smile curved on Rafe’s lips. “Dario Neretti has a good ring to it.”

“I think so, too.”

Two and a half weeks later, Dario Brendan–our “good king” in Italian and Irish, was born at a healthy 9lbs, 10 ounces and with a shock of auburn hair.

---