Page 78 of Waiting for Devon
“Well, that explains his battered face and broken ribs. I hope he gave as good as he got. So, are you here out of pity or obligation or what?”
“None of the above. And, yes, if it makes you feel better, he beat the hell outta me.” Reed studied her face. “Why didn’t you tell me you were carrying our child?”
“I didn’t see the point. Blair told me you didn’t even bother to read the letter I left for you.”
“Thatis the point. You left. You didn’t trust me enough to handle the truth. You didn’t trust in my feelings for you. Above all, you knew I’m not the type of man who gives his love lightly. When I said I loved you, I meant it.” At the hard look she shot him, he continued, “And I accept full responsibility for that. I never made it clear I trusted you or gave you a reason to believe in me.”
Reed tilted her chin toward him. “Now, be honest with me. Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?”
Devon lowered her eyes and covered her belly in a protective gesture. “Because I was afraid and I still am. I’m afraid I won’t be able to carry this baby to term. If I lost it, it would be my loss to bear and not yours. I saw firsthand what losing his child did to Jack. I lost my husband and my child all at once. I couldn’t go through that kind of pain again.”
Reed took Devon’s hands in his. “I’m not Jack. If you had been married to me, Doc, I never would have abandoned you. Now you’re carryingmybaby. You can start over. With me. I won’t leave you. I love you. I love you with my entire heart and soul. And I am begging you to forgive me.”
Tears streamed down Devon’s cheeks, and she withdrew her hands from his. “You didn’t care when I’d been kidnapped. I watched Digger Sharpe murder Harry and Smitty in cold blood in front of me, and you didn’t care. He planned to do horrible things to me, and you didn’t care. Why should I forgive you? Why should I even love you?”
Shock and regret darkened Reed’s sapphire eyes. He rose to his feet and ran a hand through his golden hair. Without warning, he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist. He laid his cheek against her rounded belly and cried. His tears soaked her blouse, and his body shook.
Devon’s heart broke with love for him. She caressed his head and slipped off the sofa and into his arms. They cried together and murmured fierce words of love and comfort.
“Oh, God, Doc!” he mumbled against her neck. “Ididcare! I was frantic with worry. I swear I won’t ever fail you again. I won’t fail you or our child. Please,pleaseforgive me.”
“I love you, Reed,” she sobbed. “I love you and I forgive you. God help me, I’m in love with you. Do you forgive me, too?”
“You don’t even need to ask.”
Months of separation, longing, and desire exploded in a fiery kiss. Their mouths clung together. Reed kissed her hard, demanding everything and promising even more, assuring her of his love for her and their baby. They sat on the floor for a long while, entwined in each other’s arms, kissing and connecting on a deeper level than they had before.
As Devon reclined in his arms, Reed murmured in a husky voice, “Marry me, Doc.”
She let out a half sob, half laugh. “So, I’m going to be a Barrington bride after all.”
“Is that ayes?” He pressed a kiss against her temple.
“That is ahell yes.” She brought his head down to meet her upturned lips, kissing him with gentle and tender passion.
When he lifted his head, he said, “Good.” Reed reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black velvet box. “Go ahead. Open it.”
Devon opened the box and gasped in delight. Inside lay an exquisite princess-cut diamond ring. “It’s lovely.” Meeting his eyes, she couldn’t resist teasing him. “Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you, Barrington?”
Reed slipped the ring onto her finger. “Uh, no. I prayed extra hard for a Christmas Eve miracle tonight.” He brought her hand up to his lips. “I don’t want to wait to get married. Is New Year’s Eve too soon?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s perfect. A new beginning, a new year, and a new life.” Devon hesitated as she stared into his beloved face. “This is my second marriage, but it’s your first. Don’t you want to get married in a church with your family and friends present?”
“And six bridesmaids and groomsmen, a flower girl, ring bearer, and a twelve-piece orchestra? Of course, I do,” he teased.
“I’m serious, Reed.”
“So am I. I’ll tell you what we’ll do. After the baby is born in June, we’ll have a second wedding in Dallas. How does that sound?”
“Wonderful.”
“Afterward, I’ll take you around the world, if that’s what you want.” Reed kissed the palm of Devon’s hand. “I’ll give you the world, Doc, because you’ve given the world to me.”
“Not true,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She took his hand and placed it on her gently rounded abdomen. “You gave it to me first.”
“God, I love you. From the moment I saw you.”
As they kissed this time, Reed’s hands wandered over Devon’s body. “Hey, Doc, is sex totally off the table?” When she grew still in his arms, he tipped her face up to his. “I didn’t sleep with anyone else while we were separated. I swear.”
