Page 21 of Phoenix

“I’ve missed you too, but I still need some more time,” Phoenix said.

“It’s been three weeks,” Riggs grumbled, “how much more time do you need?” he asked.

“As much time as it takes for me to feel better about myself,” she said.

“Why can’t we be together while you work on that? Let me help you, Phoenix,” he growled.

“I can’t,” she choked. Phoenix started crying and he groaned, stepping out of his truck. He hated to see her cry and there was no way that he was going to keep stepping aside to let her figure this out on her own. He needed to prove to her that they could be a good team again, even if she had her doubts.

“Honey,” he breathed, pulling her into his arms. She felt ridged and cold, as though she was just letting him hold her to make himself feel better. Riggs tugged her closer and she finally let down her defenses and wrapped her arms around him.

“If I lean on you every time things get tough, what kind of mother would that make me? I’m teaching my daughter that it’s okay to rely on a man and not stand on her own two feet.” She sobbed into his shirt, and he kissed the top of her head. She smelled like heaven and felt even better in his arms.

“Phoenix, you are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You are teaching Lydia to be strong just like you. She has two wonderful role models in you and Mrs. Aggie. Lydia is a very lucky little girl,” he said. “Do you know what my first thought was the night that we met?” She shook her head, not letting go of him, and that worked for Riggs. “I found you sleeping in your truck and thought that you were the most beautiful woman that I had ever met.”

“Go on,” she encouraged, making him chuckle.

“Then I saw how you took care of your daughter while I loaded your truck onto my tow truck, and I thought that you were a great mother. Seeing you with her while you both lived with me only confirmed my first thoughts about you. If you’re trying to show Lydia what a strong woman looks like, all you have to do is look in a mirror.” She took a step back from him and he instantly missed her body pressed up against his. “Really?” she asked.

“Really,” he insisted. “You don’t need to go through the hard stuff alone just to prove that you are strong, honey. No one would ever think that you’re weak for leaning on me. Hell, I’ll have to lean on you too—that’s what families do.”

She looked up at him and swiped at her tears, “Families,” she repeated. “You want us to be a family?”

“I do,” he admitted, “I’ve already told you that I’m in love with you and I want Lydia to be my kid. Nothing has changed. I know that you feel the same way about me, honey.” He had been able to tell how she felt about him every time she looked at him.

“How do you know that?” she asked.

He ran his hand down her soft cheek, catching a few of her tears as he cupped her jaw, forcing her to look up at him. “I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me, honey. I just need you to admit that I’m right.”

She nodded her head, “I love you too, Riggs. I guess I’ve messed up so much in the past four years, I was scared that I was going to ruin things with you. I can’t do that to you. I love you too much to let that happen.” Hearing her say that she loved him gave him hope once again that they might be able to work everything out.

“You could never mess things up between us, honey. How about we make a pact?” he asked.

“What kind of pact?” she asked.

“How about if either of us thinks that we’re going to screw everything up, we sit down and talk about it. We can find a solution between the two of us, Phoenix,” he assured.

“Do you really think so?” she asked.

“I do because together, we can do anything,” he said.

“Thank you, Riggs,” she breathed.

“Don’t thank me yet, I’m not done,” he said. He was hoping that this next part wasn’t going to send Phoenix into a spiral of self-doubt again, but he needed her to know that he wanted her and Lydia forever.

“What else is there?” she asked.

“Marry me,” he blurted out. “I’m sorry, that’s not the most romantic proposal, but I couldn’t wait one more minute to ask you, Phoenix. Marry me and let me adopt Lydia. I’ll be a good husband to you and a good father to Lydia. I’ll never let either of you down. I love you so much, honey.”

“You’re wrong, Riggs,” she insisted.

“About what?” he asked.

“About your proposal not being very romantic. I’d say it was perfect,” she said.

“Does that mean that you’ll marry me, Phoenix?” he asked.

“I’d love to marry you, Riggs, and I know that Lydia loves you and would love for you to be her dad.” Phoenix wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he pulled her up his body, sealing his lips over hers until he heard clapping and cheering coming from the back of the bar.

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