Page 22 of Claimed By The Devil

“You did,” she agrees.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through so much to get here, but I promise every day from here on will be better than last.”

Tommy personally delivers our entrees and places them on the table, “Buon appetito,” he says with a big, bright smile on his round face.

“Everyone is in such a good mood tonight. What’s going on?” Deirdre begins to get suspicious.

“Finish dinner and then we’ll talk about it,” I shake my finger at her and she smiles.

She takes a few more bites of her fettuccine then drops her fork and pouts, “I can’t eat with all of these butterflies in my stomach. Please tell me what’s going on.”

“Okay, I suppose if you insist, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. When I saw you at your father’s wedding, it made me sad for the bride. I mean, it’s supposed to be her day, and yet, when she stood at the altar beside you, she became invisible. There is no match for your beauty, and it just wasn’t fair for her to have to compete with you on her big day. I wondered then what would happen when it was your turn and all of the people who were pretending not to look at you at your father’s wedding could admire you openly at your own wedding. Strange thought, right?”

“Very odd, actually,” she pokes out her lower lip and raises her eyebrows.

“Well, it would only have been odd if I hadn’t already made up my mind that I would be the man standing up there beside you.”

“Really? We hadn’t even met yet and you were already planning to marry me?”

“Yes, and I’ll prove it,” I drop to my knee and pull the ring box out of my pocket. I open the box and show her the large diamond ring. “Will you marry me, Deirdre?”

She smiles from ear to ear and dances in her seat, “Yes, of course. Yes!”

I slide the ring onto her finger and return to my feet. She leaps from her seat and into my arms.

“I love you with all my heart, baby girl.”

“I love you, daddy. You’re the man of my dreams.”

EPILOGUE

DANNY

“911.” I read the text and grab my coat. If it’s anything like last time, I have a very short window to make it to the house on time. Deirdre didn’t panic when she went into labor with Danny Junior. She waited so long to go to the hospital, we almost had him in the bathtub.

As I drive out of the city, I think back to the day that I met her and how she captured my heart at first sight. When Danny Junior was born, he had the same effect on me, but I swear my love for Deirdre grew stronger, too. I was a guy who never knew what love was, and now, I can’t believe that I have an endless supply to give to my family.

Deirdre is waiting at the door with her bag packed when I arrive. She has her hand on her stomach, and she’s breathing heavily, but she’s never looked more radiant or alive.

“D.J. and the nanny are all set for the night?” I ask, kissing her on the forehead.

“Yes, he’s already down for the night. He won’t even know that we’re gone.”

“How much time do we have?” I smirk at her.

“Not much. We better go,” she flashes me that bashful smile that I love so much.

“You’re a bad girl. I told you not to wait so long this time.”

“I hate hospitals and I wanted to spend more time with D.J. Still love me, daddy?”

“I love you more every day, little girl, but I don’t know how to deliver a baby, so let’s get you to the car.”

* * *

There areno complications and the delivery is quick this time, too. I hold Deirdre’s hand and watch as my first daughter, the beautiful Daniela, comes into the world.

“You did it, baby. She’s perfect just like her momma,” I whisper as the nurse places the baby on Deirdre’s chest.

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