Page 112 of One Unexpected Gift

“Okay.”

Still not the reaction he was hoping for. To hell with beating around the bush. It wasn’t his style anyway. “I love you, Skylar. I may not have realized it the night we conceived Gabriella, but deep down inside I knew it was possible. When you walked back into my life again, I knew it was love, and not because you gave me a daughter. Hell, I love you even more because of that gift, but I loved you before I knew.”

He wiped the tears pooling under her eyes and then kissed them.

“I loved you when we worked at Camp Illumination, and you thought I was an irresponsible jerk. I loved you when you pushed me away. I loved you when you joked back. And hell, I fell freaking hard when you pulled out your Nurse Skylar hat and took care of me. I love you more every day as I watch you raise Gabriella. I guess what I’m trying to say, is... I love you too.”

He prayed to God the too wasn’t presumptuous.

“You love me?”

“The fact that you’re questioning it after I’ve just told you twenty different ways means I’m not the greatest at communicating or you’re not the greatest at listening. We have our work cut out for us.”

“I’m... I wasn’t sure.” She sniffed her tears. “I thought it was just me. I didn’t want to tell you and scare you away, or make you think I was trying to trap you into being with me and Gabby. We live so far apart and I... I didn’t know how to tell you without making this all worse.”

“Worse? Before you explain what’s so bad about it, can you please say it. I need to hear the words, Skylar.”

She lifted her hands to his face and sighed. “I love you, Nicolas Santiago Pierce.”

“Oh, hell woman. The full name. You’re going to be sore tomorrow.” He kissed her hard and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, dropping to the mattress and rolling over pulling her on top of him. “I so freaking love you.”

“I so freaking love you too,” she giggled into his mouth.

He reached between them, finding her wet core. The giggling stopped, and the loving began.

***

They decided to spend their last day together in bed. Gabby didn’t seem to mind as long as she had both her parents’ attention. She laid between them kicking her feet and giggling while Nick read her books. The giggles had nothing to do with the stories and everything to do with Nick’s silly voices.

Her phone alarm vibrated behind her, startling Gabby, who was quickly distracted and calmed by Nick. He was such a good dad. Sky picked up her phone and turned off the alarm. She read through the messages she’d been ignoring all morning. The first was from Gina.

Gina: Wish Nick a Happy Birthday from Bryce and me! I’m thinking about you!

Sky cursed.

“Everything okay?”

She tossed Nick a sad smile. “No.” She thumbed through the text from Charlie.

Charlie: Tell your loverboy we said Happy Birthday. Oh! And tell him you looooove him!

Brooke’s message was more of the same. Sky was the worst girlfriend, and worst mom ever. Nick had not only spoiled her with love and attention, but he also gave her a beautiful, heartfelt plate with Gabriella’s footprints when it wasn’t even her birthday. And how did she return the favor? By not even recognizing his birthday.

“Skylar?” He reached across Gabby and squeezed her hand. “What is it?”

“I’m the worst. The absolute worst.”

“Not following. In case you couldn’t tell by my grunting and cursing last night and this morning, those grunts and curses were from pleasure.”

Sky rolled to her side and tucked her hands under her cheek. “Today is your birthday,” she said with a sad smile.

“I know.” He returned her smile but his actually reached his eyes.

“I suck.”

Nick covered Gabby’s ears. “Not in front of the baby,” he whispered.

“Seriously, Nick. I had no idea. No. That’s a lie. Your parents mentioned it last month.” She sat up and leaned against the headboard. “I should have remembered. I didn’t even get you a card. I’m so sorry.”

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