Page 90 of Vengeful Lies

“I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I hate that you went through that. But I don’t care if we don’t have more kids. We can try and see what happens or not. Whatever you're comfortable with. I'm fine if we only ever have Essie, or we can adopt or foster, anything you want. So long as I have my girls I'm happy.”

“Why did you give me guardianship and the house when you could have asked one of your brothers?”

“Because you're Essie’s mother in her mind. You were the right person to care for her if I hadn't made it out alive. Do I have a shot with you, Gabriella? Or did I mess things up beyond repair?”

Something warm unfurled inside her at his words.

Cade wanted her.

Forever.

As his partner and Essie’s mother.

Tilting her head up, she warmed further at the softness in Cade’s eyes as he looked down at her. For once his gaze wasn't shuttered when he looked at her. It wasn't just warmth in his brown eyes but love as well, or at least the beginnings of it.

“You have a shot, nothing is ever messed up beyond repair, not between the two of us,” she told him, and it was true. She’d loved him for too long, and she loved his daughter with her whole heart. He’d hurt her, but he was sincerely sorry and wanted to make it up to her. Withholding her forgiveness andrefusing to give them a chance was only going to hurt both of them and Essie too.

“I don’t deserve you, sweetheart, but I'm going to do my best to live up to your view of me.”

Then he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss she’d been dreaming about for four long years, and it was even better than she could ever have hoped for.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

October 3rd

8:28 P.M.

“Mommy?” Essie’s mostly asleep little voice mumbled.

“Yeah, my sweet cuddle bug?” Gabriella asked, running a hand over his daughter’s silky soft hair.

“You’ll be here when I wake up, right?” Essie asked. Even though she had already fallen half asleep there was still a thread of anxiousness in her voice.

It had been like this every night since Gabriella was released from the hospital five days ago. They’d had a discussion on whether or not she was going to come back home with him or stay in a hotel for a while. Cade would have done his best to accept her decision, but this was where he wanted her. At home with him and his daughter where he could keep her safe, take care of her, and make sure she didn't get sick again.

Thankfully, Gabriella had decided to come home, and it was perfect.

With her back where she belonged, things weren't just back to how they used to be, they were so much better. She wasn'tthere as Essie’s nanny, his employee, she was there as his partner. She slept in his bed, and he wasn't holding back from being affectionate even though he wasn't usually that cuddly, snuggly, kissy guy. Essie was thrilled that he and Gabriella were dating and had already told both of them that she wanted to call Gabriella mom.

Gabriella had, of course, burst into tears at his daughter’s proclamation, but while he had panicked, Essie had merely pulled Gabriella into an embrace and told her she loved her and had always been her mommy.

But as wonderful as things were, it didn't mean they hadn't all walked away from the ordeal with scars. Physical and psychological. One of Essie’s scars was a fear that Gabriella wouldn't be there in the morning.

“I’ll be right here, cuddle bug,” Gabriella assured the little girl. “And you know if you wake up during the night and you're scared or sad, you can call out and your daddy and I will come, or you can come to our room and snuggle in the bed with us.”

“Okay,” Essie mumbled as she rolled over and drifted off, satisfied in her five-year-old way that everything would be okay so long as Gabriella was there in the morning.

Quietly they snuck out of Essie’s room and into the hall. While Gabriella was recovering well and regaining her strength, she was still a little weak and they’d been heading to bed after tucking Essie in. Expecting to do the same tonight, he was heading for the stairs to go down and make sure everything was locked up and all the lights were out when Gabriella caught his hand, stopping him.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For letting me be here and for sharing her with me.”

Because she’d said those same exact words every night for the last five nights, and he’d told her every time that she didn't need to thank him for that. That Essie had been half herspretty much from the moment she started the job and loved his daughter with the same ferocity that he did, he used her hold on his hand to his advantage.

With a tug, she came plastered up against him and he pressed their joined hands over his heart, wondering how he’d managed to hold off from acknowledging his feelings for this amazing woman for so long.

Now that he was no longer holding back, Cade found that loving Gabriella was so much easier than he’d thought it would be. There was no competition in his heart between Gretel and Gabriella, part of him would always love Gretel, but she was his past, and Gabriella was his future.

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