“Good. Samantha and Pax should be here soon.”
“Oh, I’ll be so happy to see them again,” Mrs. Tillis said.
And if I had my way, we’d see Samantha and Pax every day from now on.
I was waiting like a lovesick puppy for them to arrive. When they did, I muscled around Knightly to answer the door.
“Hi, Daddy.” Pax rushed into my arms. I held him close, feeling grateful to have him in my life.
“Hi, Daddy,” Samantha cooed in a way that made my dick twitch.
I arched a brow. “Not in front of the boy... you know that. I don’t want to have to explain the bulge in my pants.” I took her hand and led her to my office. “Come see your surprise.”
“What are you up to?”
“Can I see too, Daddy?”
“Absolutely.” I opened my office door and motioned for Samantha to go in.
She stood inside and looked around. “Have you been remodeling?”
“A little.” I hadn’t made too many changes over the last week. Only enough to make the space inviting and functional for Samantha. I took her hand again, turning her to me. “Victoria used to say I worked too much, and maybe I did, but what else was there to do? Now I know what else there is to do with you and Pax in my life.”
Her eyes softened sweetly.
“So I don’t need this space anymore. I was thinking it could be your space to run your business.”
Her brows lifted. “What?”
I wasn’t sure if her expression and comment were just surprise or perhaps disinterest. I shifted uncomfortably. “This could be your base of operations. It would save you on office space. You could work from home.”
“Home?”
I still couldn’t read her expression. Fear niggled in my gut. The urge to retreat grew. But I fought it. That instinct had done me wrong five years ago and recently. I wouldn’t let it derail my happiness again.
I sucked in a breath. “I want you to move in with me... no... that’s not right.”
She cocked her head to the side in confusion.
I pulled the ring I’d bought from my pocket and dropped to one knee.
“What are you doing, Daddy?” Pax moved to me, looking at the ring.
“I’m trying to ask your mom to marry me. I’m a little nervous.” I gave her a sheepish smile.
Her breath hitched.
“I’ll ask.” Pax looked up at Samantha. “Will you marry Daddy?”
She sniffed back tears as she nodded. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry Daddy.”
Relief flooded through me like a tidal wave.
“What’s marry?” Pax asked.
“It’s when we become a family,” I said, slipping the ring on her finger as I stood.
She didn’t look at it. Instead, she pulled me to her in a hard hug.