Page 64 of Last Resort

“Did you not hear the part where I spent years basically selling myself so I could get high? It’s amazing I didn’t end up dead or with some disease.”

He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Yes, I hate to think of you living like that. It absolutely guts me.”

“And yet that’s what the mother of your child is. A person with addiction who did sex work for drugs.”

“The mother of my child isrecoveringfrom addiction, who survived and got out of a situation that would’ve destroyed many others. The mother of my child is strong and courageous and capable.”

She shook her head, so sadly it broke his heart. “My mother has promised to get sober and fallen off the wagon so many times. What if I’m the same? Addiction runs in my family and I’m passing it along to our daughter. How could you want to be involved with someone like that?”

He had to make her understand something he’d thought about for years. “What about my family and what’s passed down?”

Her brows pulled together. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know who either of my biological parents are. There’s no info on them. The only thing we know for sure is that they both abandoned me, so they’re obviously not the most upstanding of people. Who knows what sort of genetic mess I might be passing down.”

“I—”

He put a finger gently over her lips. “Neither of us can stop what we pass down genetically to our children. But both of us can be there to show that any deficiencies we start with don’t have to be what defines us. To help them navigate the rough waters.”

“I’m afraid I’ll be a horrible mom,” she whispered.

“There may be patterns from our childhood that both of us have to undo. But, sweetheart, you did so much already with just a little help from the program. Think of all you can do with the full support of all the Pattersons behind you.”

She gave him the tiniest smile. “That’s a pretty great support network.”

For the first time, he had a ray of hope. “You think Tessa or Claire or Kayleigh are going to let you be anything less than the best mother possible? You would do anything for them. They’ll do anything for you too.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I love them. I love your whole family.”

“And they love you too. We don’t have to tell them all the details, but if you open up to them, you know they’ll support you in whatever way they can. I will too.”

“Really?”

He pulled her into his arms and rested his forehead against hers. “Yes. And not just because of the baby. You mean the world to me, Maci Ford. We can’t change the past and it doesn’t matter anyway. I didn’t know that Maci, and although I wish I could’ve helped her, she’s gone.”

He kissed her gently. “But I know this Maci and she’s amazing. All that matters is the future. Our future. Do you understand?”

“No.”

He chuckled, pressing his face into her neck so his next words were spoken into her skin. He wanted to imprint them there so she’d never forget. “It means, I’m all in with you, Maci. You and our daughter are my family and I choose the both of you.”

He wanted to tell her he loved her, but that could wait. Baby steps.

She sighed and burrowed into his chest. Chance wished he could spend the whole day holding her like this.

“I’m glad you told me everything,” he whispered into her hair. “No more running. If you start to feel overwhelmed, we work through it together. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Now all he had to do was stop the stalker after her.

Chapter Twenty

Maci was still wrapping her head around the conversation with Chance as they finished eating and did the dishes.

He was still here. Hadn’t told her to leave. Hadn’t told her he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. He wasn’t acting weird or awkward.

It was more than she could’ve hoped for. Honestly, more than she could even understand. But he was touching her more, not less. Smiling at her gently in a way she could hardly resist.

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