Page 121 of Love and Memories

“These are from Olivia. She said one is a bottle warmer and one is a bottle sanitizer.”

Bella gaped. “Are you serious! That’s amazing, but those are baby shower things, right?”

“Anna and Hadley are still planning the baby shower, but everyone got a little worried that the baby would come early.”

“Everyone?” Bella had done enough worrying for the entire town. No one could have been more worked up than she’d been the first day at the hospital.

“The surprises aren’t from me. Everybody pitched in.”

“Really? That’s amazing.”

“Oh, check the freezer,” Travis said.

Bella jerked the door open and squealed. There were six trays of frozen meals stacked neatly to one side.

“There’s more where that came from. Anna said she made your favorites.”

“This is amazing. I have to call everyone.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket but stopped before unlocking it. “Oh, I told Anna about the baby name today.”

They’d been keeping baby Ariana’s name a secret, and their friends were all dying to know.

Travis stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. “What did she think?”

Bella rested her cheek against his chest as he gently rocked them from side to side. “She loves it. I knew she would. She cried a little.”

“I could have seen that coming,” Travis said as he tightened his hold on her and rubbed circles on her back.

The baby’s name was perfect. Bella had been thinking of her as Ariana for weeks. Now that her baby’s biological father was gone, she could take Bella’s last name when she was born.

But even that didn’t feel right. Travis was already a great father. He’d been a perfect partner even before they’d defined a relationship between them. He’d taken her to appointments, brought her vitamins and food, and he’d built her a house–not just the structure, but a home she loved.

Hewasher home. He was her safe place where she was loved more than she could ever understand.

“I love you,” she said against his flannel shirt. “I love you so much. Do you know that?”

Travis chuckled. “I know. You tell me all the time.”

“But I can’t tell you enough.” She lifted her head to look up at him. “You’re the best man I’ve ever met, and I wish this baby had your last name.”

Travis’s lips spread into a heart-stopping smile. “Then marry me.”

Bella blinked a few times, turning over his words in her head. “What?”

“Marry me. I wish both of you could have my last name. You have my heart. Take my name. If I could give you more, I would. I’ll give you everything I have.”

“I–I–”

“I know. You don’t want things. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, it’s that you aren’t materialistic.”

He took her hands in his and knelt at her feet. Bella sucked in a breath that hitched when the pain shot through her ribs.

Travis gripped her hand tighter. “So I’m offering myself. I want to bind myself to you. I want to share life with you. I want to devote myself to making you happy and building a home with you.”

“Did… I didn’t pressure you into this because of what I said, did I? I wasn’t–”

“You didn’t. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I want to be with you all the time. I don’t want to go home without you. I’ve just been waiting until I thought you were ready.”

“I’m ready!” Bella said. “I’m so ready.”

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