Page 58 of The Forbidden Sitter
His hand caught my chin, and he pulled my face up. His lips barely caught mine with a quick kiss. Then our eyes met. “Sleeping without you—even with Braiden between us—was excruciating. Promise never to make me do that again, baby.” He hurried to leave me to go inside to tell everyone that breakfast washere.
I was leftbreathless.
Maybe he has changed. Maybe he does loveme.
The day went on, and as usual, we ate Thanksgiving food at lunchtime and my birthday was celebrated at dinnertime.
Brad and Brianna had a special dinner surprise for me, and I had to stay out of the kitchen as they prepared it. That was cool, nice, great, and all of that. But my siblings had pulled Gannon in on it, and the three of them were in the kitchen, cooking things up for all of us on my birthday. I couldn’t help but have a little worry that Brianna was winning over the man Iloved.
Night replaced day and the outside lights sparkled as we all sat out on the deck. The heaters kept it nice and toasty, and the ambiance was very relaxing. Not that I was veryrelaxed.
My sister—who looked just like me—was in the kitchen withGannon!
Mom and Dad were whispering far more than I ever remembered them doing before. It was weird, and I found myself feeling left out as we all sat around and waited for the meal to be brought out tous.
Everyone was starving as the meal wouldn’t be served until eight in the evening. Brianna said she wanted to make sure that we were all hungry after the huge Thanksgiving feast we had had atlunch.
I was starving, and I wanted to see Gannon out there withme!
With Braiden on my lap, I played patty-cake with him, and I caught my parents looking at us. Both wore wide smiles and Dad even nodded at me when I caught them. “You two are in love,kiddo.”
I hugged Braiden and kissed his cheek, then he kissed mine. “That, we are. I love you, pumpkin.” I rubbed his nose withmine.
He nodded then opened his mouth as he looked at me. “Ma.” His tiny hands took my face, and he kissed the tip of my nose. “Ma!”
I cut my eyes and caught a tear falling down my mother’s face. I was about to correct him, but she was quick to say something first. “Oh my goodness. He needs a mother so desperately. How wonderful he has you, Brooke. What a godsend you’ve been to him andGannon.”
There were absolutely no words that came to me. Then the back door opened and out came Brad, Brianna, and Gannon. A cake was in my sister’s hands, and all three were singing happy birthday to me. My family joined in, and I found Mom taking Braiden out of myarms.
I hated being the center of attention. But I took it on my birthday and stood up, blowing out the candles. At the end, I heard Gannon ask, “What did you wishfor?”
I shook my head as Brianna and Brad moved off to the sides to put the cake down on the table. But Gannon stayed right in front of me as I answered him. “You can’t say your wish.” But I had wished one thing as I blew out those candles. I wanted Gannon, Braiden, and I to be together forever, even though I knew that was next toimpossible.
“Well, it’s not my birthday, so I can tell you what I wished for.” He took my hands in his and moved me back to sit in the chair that was right behindme.
I looked at what he was doing, touching me. In front of my family. I gulped. Had he forgotten about having to keep oursecret?
Then I noticed that he was moving down. Getting on hisknees.
Wait! No, not both knees. Only one knee. And he was pulling something out of hispocket.
My left hand was still in his, and I threw my right hand up to cover mymouth.
What is hedoing?
“Guess what your brother told me,” Gannon said with a softtone.
I shook my head as an answer. I couldn’t speak. I was half afraid for my life and his and half unsure what was going onexactly.
“He told me that your middle name is Madilyn. Did you know that was my mother’s middle name too?” He smiled and winked atme.
I shook my head. I still couldn’ttalk.
“So I see you are rendered speechless. Well, this is a first. I may as well dive on in then.” He opened his right hand. A little blue box was on his palm. He flipped that lid with his thumb, and the largest diamond I’d ever seen sparkled in the twinkling lights that hung all over the deck. “Brooke Madilyn Moore, would you do me the great honor of becoming mywife?”
My mouth dropped. I looked at him, then around at my overprotective family and saw only smiles on their faces. And when Braiden threw his little arms out as he looked at me and shouted, “Ma!” as he nodded, well, I lost itall.
I sobbed out my answer. “Yes!”
