Page 66 of Possessing Paisley

“Aww!” Chloe says from behind me, and when I glance back, Scarlet and Cali are right there, too.

“You got her a dog! I always knew you’d be a soft Daddy. Declan owes me a hundred bucks.” Cali does a little dance, and we all laugh. Well, everyone except Kieran. He scowls.

Buster wiggles in my arms, and his collar hits my finger. It feels odd. Like there’s something metal on there. I squint and dig into his thick black fur, nearly dropping him for the second time in five minutes.

Attached to his collar is a white gold band with a brilliant black diamond solitaire practically the size of my fist. My gaze darts to Kieran, then to the ring, and back to him. I already know we’re in this forever. He’s told me explicitly that we are ‘til death do us part. What I didn’t expect was this. A ring. A grand gesture. Holy fuck, he’s getting down on one knee. A proposal!

“Daddy,” I whisper, bringing my hand to my mouth.

“Yeah, baby. That’s who I am and, that’s who I always want to be to you. I want to be your Daddy, your man, your husband, your lover, your protector. You name it, I want to be it for you. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone else. You’ve fucking consumed every bit of me since the first night I met you. You drive me insane and argue with me over just about everything, but that only makes me love you more. You make me better. Whole. Most of all, you make me feel loved, and I didn’t thinkI’d ever find someone who would want me for me. But you do. You’re my everything, Paisley Mae. Will you please be my wife?”

Tears stream down my face, and I fumble with Buster as I hand him off to Chloe. When she has him securely, I turn and fall into Kieran’s arms, sobbing.

“I love you. Yes. Of course I will,” I cry.

We hold each other for several minutes while the girls scream and squeal behind me. Chloe hands Kieran the ring. When he slides it onto my finger, it’s the perfect fit. Of course it is. Because, as he told me before, we’re the perfect fit.

Two weeks later

Paisley,

It’s me, Daniel. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I haven’t thought of you the past few years since I’ve been clean. I’ve started dozens of letters to you but could never find the guts to finish them. I didn’t want to tarnish the beautiful life I’d always hoped you’d made for yourself. After meeting Kieran Roche, those hopes were confirmed. It was obvious that he loves you, and I’m so glad you’ve found happiness.

I want you to know how sorry I am. I failed you as a brother, and I hurt you because of my addiction. Losing you has been my biggest regret. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I’ll never ask for it.

I’m not sure if Kieran told you anything, but I’ve been clean for a long time. I spent two years in prison, and while I wasthere, I started taking classes. When I was released, I finished my degree and am now an addiction recovery counselor.

Even if I never hear back from you, I just want you to know that I love you, and I’m so sorry I hurt you. There’s no excuse for what I did. You deserved so much more, and I’m proud of you for going after it.

Love, Daniel

I’ve read the letter three times, and each time, it brings a fresh set of tears. I don’t know what to think. He could have found me before now. Especially if he’s been clean for so long. He didn’t. He waited until Kieran found him to contact me.

Bringing my knees to my chin, I sigh and ruffle Buster’s fur. Then, his ears perk up, and he jumps down from the couch, running toward the front door. A few seconds later, Kieran walks in with Buster trotting behind him. The moment he sees me, he rushes over and kneels on the floor.

“What’s wrong, baby? Are you okay?” He glances at the paper beside me, and his worried expression turns to a murderous one. “What did he say? I’ll fucking kill him.”

Warmth spreads through me, and I launch myself into Kieran’s arms. Like he always does, he catches me and holds me against him as he rises to sit on the couch. I used to feel like I was missing out on something by not having a family, but not anymore. Because my family is right here, holding me like I’m the most precious thing in the world to him.

“Don’t kill him. He didn’t say anything bad. Mostly just apologized and told me what he’s doing now.”

I let out a shaky breath and rest my head on his shoulder. “Thank you for reaching out to him. I’m glad he’s better. I was always too scared to search for him because of what I might find.”

“I’d do anything for you, baby. I know you love your brother, and I want you to be happy. I told him he could send a letter, and if you didn’t respond, he wasn’t to keep contacting you.”

My protector. Always shielding me.

“I don’t know if I want to respond. I’m happy that he’s sober, but my feelings are so complicated surrounding him. I do love him, but he really hurt me. I don’t know if I can move on from that. It sounds terrible that I’m not jumping to forgive him.”

He gently leans me back and cups my chin, pinning me with his gaze. “It’s not terrible at all. You never have to forgive someone who hurt you. Your feelings and emotions are perfectly valid, and I support and back you with whatever you decide.”

Tears start leaking from my eyes again. Using his thumb, he gently wipes them away, then leans down and kisses the damp spots.

“How did I get so lucky to get you to fall in love with me?” I ask.

His green eyes sparkle as his lips twitch. “It’s not luck, baby. It’s just you. You’re so fucking easy to love.”

I stroke his cheek. “You are too, Daddy. Loving you is like breathing. It comes so naturally.”

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