Page 61 of Go Away, Darling

“I don’t know.” He stood there staring at me, not moving.

He didn’t know? I held my breath as I tried to hold back extreme disappointment. “I...I understand. I’ve asked you for a lot.” Plus adding a child to his life? Permanently?

He stepped closer and slid his hand over my hip. “Oh, don’t misunderstand me,” he growled. “I’m in. One hundred and ten percent in. What I’m not sure about is the speed of things.”

“Speed? Well we can go slow.”

“No.” His other hand landed on my other hip and our sun kissed skin radiated a heat bubble around us. “I’m sick of slow. I propose we go fast instead. I’ll move in with you and Linc as soon as you accept my marriage proposal and we can get started on giving Linc a brother or sister as soon as possible.”

I think my brain exploded. “That little stinker. He set us up.”

“He set no one up.” Chris’s eyes locked on mine. “He only said what we were both already thinking.”

I sputtered. “You want an instant family?” Ridiculous!

“I do.” He nodded once. Definitively. “We’ve already been dating for over a year. It’s not like I’m rushing into marriage with a stranger.”

“We have not been dating a year!” I had no idea why I felt the need to protest the detail.

“I disagree.” His gaze dropped to my lips, sending a zing of anticipation through my body. “We’ve never stopped dating, Olivia. We just decided to take things extremely slowly...and from further apart. But by no means fool yourself into thinking I haven’t been courting the shit out of you these last few months.”

I kind of wanted to melt in his arms the way he said all of that so firmly. His confidence infected me. “Why are you moving into my house? Yours is newer and bigger.”

He shook his head. “Our home is in your house. It always has been. I bought that house,” he nodded to the big white McMansion behind us, “to start a home, a home I found next door instead. I’ll keep the house for Scott and guests and graduation parties. It won’t go to waste.”

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. A minute ago I was handing Chris a cooler and now we were...engaged? And moving in together? And maybe having a baby?

He cupped a finger under my chin and closed my mouth with a smile. “There, that’s easier for kissing.” Then he pressed his warm, soft lips to mine.

And holy amazing kisses! This might be our best yet. It was soft and intense and so full of hope for our future. It quickly turned deeper and more intense, which is when I pushed back. “Why do we need to have a baby so quickly? Shouldn’t we enjoy just being together first.”

“Naw.” He kissed me again. “We have our whole lives for that. If we don’t get started right away, Linc will be ten years older than his siblings. I don’t want him to feel like he’s part of one family and our kids are part of another. I want all of us to always be one big happy family.”

This time I did melt into his arms. “You’re a little young to be a dad.”

“No I’m not. Besides, I’ve gotten some practice in this year.”

Plus he was three years older than Beau and I were when we had Linc. All the rest of my protests evaporated because...why was I protesting? This was what I really wanted wasn’t it? To run full speed into the future with the man I loved?

“Okay.”

A triumphant grin exploded over his lips. “Well then. I guess we have a deal. Hold on just a second.”

He hopped up onto the dock in a single sideways motion and jogged up to the house while I stood there in shock. Did I just do that? I did, right? Chris was moving in with me and we...were getting married?

My heart had just started to pound in my chest when Chris came jogging back with Linc at his side. My son had the hugest grin on his face. He followed Chris down into the boat and looked up at him expectantly.

“Olivia, right here on this very boat we met and I was so struck by you that I fell overboard. So I think it’s pretty amazing that right now the three of us are standing here ready to take the next jump into the unknown together. I love you so much and I love you too, Linc.” He broke his gaze away from me and looked down at the boy by his side.

“I love you too, Chris.” Then Linc leaned closer, cupped his hand beside his mouth and whisper-yelled, “Now ask her already. Come on!”

“I’m on it.” He winked at Linc. “Go stand by your mom.”

Linc scurried to my side and took my right hand. Chris got down on one knee in front of us. “There’s a reason we get down. It’s to humble ourselves and beg for your hand because we know we’re not worthy. At least I’m not. You amaze me everyday, Olivia, and it makes me want to be a better man for both of you. So I’m down here on my knee today, asking you to welcome me into your lives because I can’t imagine living another day of my life without you. I want to be the man who stands beside you, who builds a life with you, and always comes home to you.”

He opened a black velvet jewelry box. Instead of a ring in the center, there was a pin of the infinity symbol. “Lincoln, will you let me become part of your family?”

Linc let go of my hand and threw his arms around Chris’s neck. I tried not to cry at the sight of the man I loved and my son holding each other so tight. Then Linc stood back. “Welcome to the family, Chris.” He took the box from him and grinned up at me. “Now do her!”

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