Page 54 of Wrapped Around My Heart
I narrow my eyes, and he shakes his head before getting out of the car. Pushing my door open, I have one foot halfway to the pavement when the hair on the back of my neck rises. The feeling spreads down my spine, causing a shiver to take over. Bracing a hand on the handle, I glance around the parking lot, trying to figure out if someone’s watching me.
Dean steps in front of me, holding a hand out for me, and the feeling fades. Shrugging it off, I blame it on the nerves that take over every time we have an appointment.
With my hand in his, he helps me out and steadies me on my feet.
“He really is being fine. Most of us, when we hit the ice, that’s the only thought on our mind. Every issue or struggle tends to become background noise. Yeah, there are times when things are too much, and it bleeds into the game. But for the most part, we’re both meeting on common ground, which is hockey.”
“That’s fair. It’s how it is when I lose myself in a drawing too.”
Dean pulls me forward, closing the car door behind me before bending down to kiss my forehead.
“He’s doing this all wrong, and the fact that he’s hurting you makes me want to shove my skate up his ass. Man’s gonna have a lot of groveling to do when he figures his shit out.”
“Hopefully, he does that before the baby is here.” I rub my palm over my bump, flattening the fabric of my sundress to show off its size. “I want my brother to be around as an uncle.”
“He will be.” He rests his hand beside mine on my stomach and I tilt my head back to watch him. The brown in his eyes pops against his tanned skin, and a faint dimple is making itselfknown. “Now, ready to go find out if we’re having a boy or a girl?”
My stomach swoops with anticipation, and for the moment, all my worries fade as we make our way in hand in hand.
“Holy shit,” Dean repeats, still staring at the ultrasound that was printed for us with wide eyes as we head back to the car.
“Okay, that’s the only thing you’ve said since we found out it’s a girl, and I just need to know if it’s a ‘I’m so excited’ holy shit, or a ‘we fucked up’ holy shit.”
Dean’s head snaps up and he freezes on the sidewalk, finally tearing his attention away from the ultrasound to stare at me in shock. Only after a second of processing what I had said does he jump into action. Closing the small distance between us, he steps directly in front of me, forcing me to look up at him.
“Make no mistake, this is the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.”
He pulls me in for a hug and I practically melt into his embrace, nearly passing out from the relief.
His arms wrap tightly around me, supporting my weight while I cling to him. Now that I’m in his arms, the reality and excitement hit me. I smile, finally letting myself imagine what life will be like.
“She’s gonna have you wrapped around her little finger the second she’s born.” It’s easy to imagine. I don’t need to wait fivemore months to know that, when he’s shown me all I need to know with how he treats me.
Dean leans back, cupping my cheek in his palm and tilting my head back to look up at him. There’s a soft smile on his lips, but it’s the sparkle in his eyes that makes all the air leave my lungs.
“Freckles, it’s so much more than that. Yes, I’ll probably be a sucker and make sure that she has everything she will want and need. But you both are wrapped around my heart in every possible way. Who I am is because of you, and who I’m about to become is because of the life we created. I promise you; I am happy. I would have felt this way if it was a boy too. Nothing changes the fact that I swear to give you and our baby girl the absolute best.”
Tears threaten to spill from my eyes at his declaration, and when he continues, there’s no holding them back.
“My job is literally to protect the goal behind me. And when I’m off the ice, the only thing that changes is that I go from guarding a net to protecting what I love.”
The words are there, their meaning clear and loud.
Dean Hayes lovesme.
If this realization had come to me a year ago, I probably would have run for the closest island and isolated myself. Not because I didn’t think I deserved his love, but because of the pressure I would have felt from knowing his heart was in my hands.
Dean is a good man, plain and simple. Down to his core, he cares about everyone in his life and gives without expecting anything in return. Having someone like Dean give you their love, freely and willingly, was something I found intimidating.
Now, though, I realize just how clever he’s been. Even now, he doesn’t say the three words, knowing that it’s not the right moment to say them.
Instead, he’s spent the past two years slowly weaving himself into my heart. He’s shown up, time and time again, giving me whatever I needed and just a smidge more.
Some would probably call me dumb for not realizing any of this sooner. But I wasn’t ready to see it before now. Even if it’s almost too much, too overwhelming to realize just how long he’s been in love with me.
The only thing keeping me from teetering off the ledge and into a panic is that Dean hasn’t actually said I love you. And there’s no doubt in my mind that he knows this.
It’s not logical as to why I’m calmer about having his baby than I am to hear him say those words. I grew up with two parents who love each other wholeheartedly and visibly. I’ve never been cheated on or used. The worst thing to ever happen in a past relationship was my college boyfriend dumping me because he wanted to fuck around on spring break. But even he had the decency to end thingsbeforesleeping with someone else.
