Page 54 of Big Bad Single Wolf Dad

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SARAH

From the very beginning, I can’t believe how much effort Greg has put into this date. It’s way more than any other date he’s taken me on, and that’s saying a lot since he has a penchant for going all out. But this is something else entirely.

“I hope you’re enjoying the food?” Greg asks, gesturing to my plate.

“It’s delicious,” I tell him. “And I’m glad you took me up on the suggestion of having French food next time. This is really amazing.”

Greg grins, and I realize nobody has ever been so thoughtful. It’s not just in the big extravagant gestures either. It’s in the small details. That’s where it really counts. He remembers things about me, about the kids. He can empathize and talk through my feelings and theirs. He pays attention and makes our worries, our fears, and our concerns his business. He’s more than I ever could have hoped for.

I’ve never met anyone else like Greg, and I’m sure I never will again.

As I take another bite of my meal, one that fills me with nostalgia, I count my lucky stars. Not just that I met Greg, but that we managed to get through the turmoil and distrust and end up here together, enjoying each other’s company.

When I think back to that date at the French restaurant, I almost cringe. I was so closed off to him then, so scared of getting hurt that I could barely see the man that was standing in front of me. It was like I was looking at him through a veil of fear rather than really seeing him for who he was. I’m sure if I did, I would have admitted a lot earlier how strongly I felt about him. I’m just glad I could finally see it before it was too late.

That veil of fear is gone, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen more clearly in my life. Greg is the person I want to be with and I know, without a doubt that he feels the same about me.

I also know that if he asked me to go to France with him now, I’d say yes in a heartbeat. Not just because I know the kids would love it, and not just because I want to see the City of Lights. It’s because I want to make new memories with Greg. I want our lives to weave together the way our families have begun to. I want to share anything and everything with him because I love him and I know he loves me.

I look across the table at him, watching him as he takes a bite of his own meal. He doesn’t know I’m watching him and I take the opportunity to look at him with new eyes as if I’m seeing him for the first time.

As I gaze at his strong jaw, his tanned skin, and his amber eyes, I can’t help but fall in love all over again. He’s everything I want in a man. Greg is loving, kind, intelligent, and strong, and no matter what, he always exudes an air of confidence. It’s what drew me to him in the first place and it’s what makes me gaze across the table at him now with loving eyes.

He finally looks up, catching my gaze.

“You’re something special, you know?” I tell him, smiling softly.

He breaks out into a wide grin, realizing I’ve been staring at him. If I didn’t know any better, I might say he was blushing.

“I could say the same about you,” he says, and a matching smile crosses my face.

For a second we stare across the table at each other, both smiling lovingly, both caught in the intoxication of love.

Once again, I don’t know how to express how lucky I am. Instead, I tell him how much I love the date: how beautiful the roses are, how thoughtful the decor is, and how delicious the food tastes.

“I really can’t believe you did all this,” I tell him. “I mean, just those roses alone are incredible and the food is amazing.”

Greg smiles the whole time and I can see it genuinely makes him happy to make me happy. I can’t think of anything more beautiful.

As we talk, I can’t help but wonder what this surprise date is all about. It could very well just be another of Greg’s extravagant gestures. Or it could be…

No. I pull back from the idea, intent on not getting myself excited for nothing. I’m sure this is just a regular date. Well, regular for Greg’s standards at least.

Instead, I enjoy the dinner and when it’s cleared away, I realize my suspicions were misplaced. This was just a date. An incredibly romantic and thoughtful date, but nothing more.

And I think that right up until he gets down on one knee.

I can hardly take in what’s happening, but as he tells me all the reasons he loves me I’m flooded with emotion.

“I can’t imagine spending it without you or the kids now,” he tells me. His eyes speak volumes about the depths of his love, even more than his words do. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and allowing me to be stepfather to your children?”

I could never have told him I wanted this, not after everything I did to push him away. But here he is as if he read my mind. Images of our two families becoming one, Greg and I living together, sharing a bed, sharing a life, raising our kids as one family, all rush through my mind like some rose-colored vision of the future. It's a future I want more than anything.

For a second I feel like I can’t speak, but not because I don’t have anything to say. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. There are so many thoughts and emotions swirling around inside me that it feels like they’re all trying to come out at once, rendering me speechless. The word “wife” spoken in his voice is repeating in my mind over and over again, and there’s so much I want to say.

I want to tell him how much I love him, how happy I am that we found each other, and how ecstatic I am to hear these words come out of his mouth. I want to tell him I’ll be the greatest stepmother to Noah, Lily, and Ollie, and that he’ll be an incredible stepfather to Mia and Ethan. I want to tell him how much I’ve wanted this from the moment we met, or maybe even before, without knowing that someone like him even existed. I want to tell him already that I’ll stand by him in sickness and in health, and all the rest of the vows, whatever they might be.

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