Page 98 of Hard To Love

A warm smile spread across her face as she gently rubbed her belly.

“I have a life growing inside of me that needs me more. I had to put this baby first. I gave Colin an ultimatum. Either he cleaned up his act or I was leaving him. Between that and you and Chase forcing his hand, I have my husband back. So, I wanted to thank you.”

I swallowed hard and reached out to pull her into a warm embrace. “Are you for real? You have to be one of the most selfless, understanding people I have ever met. And that says a lot.” Colin clearly didn’t deserve her, but as I learned from my own experience, you didn’t get to pick who you loved.

She pulled back and smiled. “I also heard you socked that bitch in the face. I just wish I was there to land a punch of my own.”

We both busted out laughing as a familiar voice chimed in from behind us. “Did I miss something? I just came in to check on my beautiful wife.”

Colin came up and wrapped his arms around Elizabeth giving her a kiss on her temple. “How’s my boy doing in here?” He asked placing his hand over Elizabeth’s swollen belly.

Rolling her eyes, she playfully pushed him away then turned towards me.

“He’s convinced it’s a boy.”

Colin stood up straighter. “I’m a Newman, our sperm is loaded with testosterone, there is no way that’s a girl.”

Elizabeth laughed, “There’s a fifty percent chance that says otherwise.”

Both of their eyes sparkled with joy and happiness. I couldn’t help but smile at seeing how far they had come. I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder. “You have a keeper here. You better take good care of her.”

“Ditto!” He said with a wink as I walked out of the kitchen.

We said our goodbyes after breakfast the next morning. Thank god Alex insisted on driving us to the airport, as traffic was horrendous due to all the holiday travel. We invited him to come stay with us for a few days but he insisted he had too many loose ends to tie up. He wanted to start the New Year off fresh. I couldn’t say I blamed him.

Chase and I had a direct flight arriving in West Palm Beach in the early afternoon. Even though I was exhausted, he had insisted that we take the boat out when we got there. He wanted to spend the afternoon on the water and he reminded me that there was an incredibly comfortable bed in case I needed to take a nap. Who was I to say no to spending the afternoon together, alone on the boat in the middle of the ocean on a beautiful, sunny day? There were worse things in life.

We pulled up to the dock just when the sun started to set. My eyes landed on a beautiful gazebo set up on the beach. A slight tingle ran across my neck, because that gazebo was not there when we left. As we got closer, there was a round table and two chairs, elegantly draped in white cloth. A bottle of champagne was on ice and rose petals were scattered across the sand creating one of the most breathtaking settings I had ever seen.

I placed a hand over my mouth and gasped as he took my hand and led me over to the gazebo. I tried not to panic but my heart wouldn’t cooperate and raced across my chest.

He pulled out a chair for me and made sure I was securely at the table, before he took the seat across from me.

My eyes bounced around as he filled our glasses and my head was spinning trying to figure out how he had time to arrange all this.

He reached over and grabbed my wrist and kissed the top of my shaky hand. “So, what do you think? How did I do?”

His touch was soft and gentle and a trace of a nervous smile spread across his face. “Chase, I’m lost for words. This is unbelievable. I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”

“Are you happy, Emily?” He asked with a shaky voice.

Without hesitation, I answered, “Happier than I have ever been in my life.”

I couldn’t help but stare at him and think about how lucky I was to have this gorgeous man all to myself.

His smile widened. “Good.”

I watched as he rose up from his seat and walked over to my side, dropping to one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. My eyes darted to his as a loud gasp escaped my mouth. He looked incredibly nervous, even though he had nothing to fear in my answer. My heart raced in anticipation.

“Emily, from the moment I first laid eyes on you I knew you were different. There was something about you. I never believed in love at first sight until I saw you. The more I got to know you, the harder it was for me to stay away. You’re beautiful on the inside and out. You make me laugh, you make me feel alive and you make me feel complete.” He let out a deep sigh then looked skyward before returning his gaze back to mine. “I know we’re both stubborn and on a few, rare occasions, I can be difficult and controlling.”

I saw him peek at me with a raised brow and a grin. I placed my hands on his warm cheeks. “But, I promise you this, no one will ever love you as much as I do. I have never wanted anything more in my entire life than to be your partner.”

His face softened under the warm sun and I watched a gentle breeze sweep across his face. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly love this man any more, my heart began to make room in places that I never knew I had.

“A love like ours only comes around once in a lifetime. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. You’re not just the love of my life, you’re my other half.” He stopped again and gazed directly into my eyes talking a long swallow “Will you marry me?”

Tears of joy trailed down my face faster than I could wipe them away. Emotions poured through me as I searched for the right words to convey just how much he meant to me.

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