Page 109 of Fumbling for Perfection

“What?” She gasps and tilts back. “We barely knew each other.”

“I’m not lying. That night with you was life changing.”

“You sacrificed so much for me when you didn’t even know me.” She strokes my face and kisses me lightly. “When you love someone, your sacrifice doesn’t feel so heavy. It’s another piece of advice Kendall gave me.”

I squint my eyes. “I don’t want you to sacrifice anything for me, Riley. I want you to have it all. I’ll give you anything you want.”

She gives me a sad smile and casts her eyes over my shoulder. “I don’t want to change you or your dreams, Walker. I love you. I love us. Just the two of us.”

“Ditto. But I’m confused. What change are you talking about?”

She opens her mouth, closes it again, then slides off my lap. Ten seconds ago, my world was perfect. Now she has me freaked the fuck out. My erection even gets the memo and wilts away. I watch as she paces the living room, then turns toward me when she’s on the opposite side of the living room.

“Our different goals in life are what tore us apart.”

No. It was the lies. The stupid shit that came out of my mouth.

“I realized that the picture I had in my mind of the perfect future, a house full of kids, is not worth it if I’m not with the man I love. I can share my love for children through Boston Strong and other foundations and charities around the city, but I can’t replace you and your love.”

“What?” I stand and start to cross the room when she continues.

“It’s okay that you don’t want to have children, Walker. If we...I hope we stay together for a long time, and I promise not to ever pressure you for children. I couldn’t live without you and your love in my life.”

I close my eyes and tip my head back. Fuck. This woman. Shaking my head, I hold out my arms and call her to me with my fingers. Reluctantly, she steps into my embrace.

“No one has ever put me before them. Not my father or my mother. Hell, not even my brother. I’ve learned to accept that and have lived singularly for myself because counting on someone else was never an option.”

“You can count on me, Walker.”

I squeeze her tighter and rub my cheek against her head, then skim my nose along her jaw. “You are amazing. And beautiful and selfless. Perfection.” I rest my lips against hers and breathe in her scent. After I’ve collected my thoughts, I gaze into her eyes.

“Before I met you, I never thought about having my own family. Of marrying and settling down. I didn’t have role models and barely had friends. I was okay being alone. And then this gorgeous, intelligent, humble woman stumbled into my life, and I’ve never been the same. No, settling down and raising a family was never in my gameplan. Not because I’m opposed to relationships or kids, but because I’d never met anyone I was even remotely interested in spending any length of time with, much less the rest of my life.”

I run my hands down her arms and join our fingers, bringing them between our bodies.

“I’m not settling or compromising or giving in when I say this, Riley. I mean this with my entire being. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want little Walkers and Rileys and maybe a Margaret or two running around, as long as they inherit your heart.”

Tears stream down her cheeks and she chuckles. “You did not just wish for little Margarets.”

“If they’re a part of you, yes, I wish for them. I wasn’t ready a few months ago, and I said some shitty things to you. It wasn’t until I lost you that I realized my life is pointless without you in it. And if we can make more little clones of you, something you did wish for not long ago, all the better.”

“I love you, Walker.”

“I love you too, baby.”

EPILOGUE

WALKER

“Nice party, Spank Banke. You clean up nice.” Dec claps me on the back and picks up Riley’s hand, lingering his lips over her knuckles too long for my liking. “And you’re stunning as always. Even more so now that you’re off the market.”

“Keep your mouth off my wife.” I smack the back side of his head and he chuckles as he rights himself. Riley and I are doing the obligatory greetings, making rounds to each of the tables at our wedding. Thanking our guests and posing for more pictures than I’d fucking like, but it makes my wife happy.

Riley and I both wanted a small ceremony with only a few friends and her father, but Kendall made fast friends with my teammates and ran her mouth at every game, practically inviting the entire team.

I didn’t think many would show, I’ve known them for less than a year, but quite a few showed up to our backyard affair. Buying the house was one of our first arguments. Riley thinks a six-bedroom estate is too much, but I plan on filling her belly with lots of babies. We both were robbed of having siblings when we were younger, and I don’t plan on making the same mistake with our family.

The backyard is impressive for being so close to Boston. It’s only an acre, but most of the property is fenced in with a huge backyard for our kids to play in. It can also hold over a hundred wedding guests, we’ve learned.

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