Chapter Thirty-Four Charlie #2
“Yeah, I’d rather bicker with you than have a pleasant conversation with anyone else.”
I laughed. “Good to know. It brings us back to the same discussion we had last week.”
She reached for her pizza and turned to face me. “The one where we had sex on that boat you rented for date night, and then you said you wanted me in your bed every night?”
“That’s the one. And you told me to see if I felt the same way in a week, and I do.”
I reached for another slice.
“So what does that mean? You want me to sleep over every night, even though I already do most nights?” She shrugged.
“No. It means we live together. We’re together every day. Harper is crazy about you. Why have two homes?” I took a bite of pizza as she gaped at me.
“You want me to move in with you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve never lived with a woman before,” she said, as if that was news to me.
“I’ve never loved a woman before.”
Her gaze softened. “And you have no hesitation?”
“Nope. Do you?”
“I don’t have any hesitation when it comes to you or to Harper. I just don’t know what it means,” she said. “Is it fine to live together when we aren’t married? You know, because you have a child, and I just don’t want to do anything that would be harmful to her.”
I smiled. This was music to my fucking ears.
“Listen, nothing in my little girl’s life has been traditional.
Harper has a mother who visited her once a year, who felt more like a stranger.
She’s been raised by a single dad who doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s doing, but she knows that she’s loved.
At the end of the day, that’s what matters.
Nothing about you loving that little girl is harmful.
But if you want to get married, all you have to do is say the word, Firefly.
I didn’t think that was something you wanted, but I’m all in.
I’d marry you right now, right here in this tent, if you wanted that.
I have no doubts. I know what I want, and I’m looking at her. ” I intertwined my hand with hers.
Her chest was rising and falling, and she sighed. “I have no doubts either. I just don’t want to do anything that would hurt Harper.”
“Take her out of the equation for a minute, because you and I being married or living together won’t make a difference to Harper.
She knows we’re a family, and that’s what matters to her.
She asks me why you aren’t there on the nights you don’t sleep at the house.
You love her, and she knows it. She loves you, and you know it.
So take her out of the equation. Do you want to get married? ”
“I mean, that was a lame way to ask me,” she said as her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
I shoved the pizza box out of the way, moving the wineglasses aside as well.
I pushed up and settled on one knee. “Violet Delphinium Beaumont, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. I want to wake up with you in the morning and go to sleep with you at night. I want to argue with you by day and then have makeup sex with you before we go to sleep. I want to live with you. I want to marry you. I want everything you’re willing to give me. Hashtag ‘love you, mean it.’”
“Wow. You even tossed in the hashtag. Very impressive. But you didn’t ask the question.” She smirked.
“You are one stubborn ass of a woman. Will you marry me, Firefly?”
“Yes. I want to marry you, Charlie Huxley. Hashtag ‘love you, mean it.’” She lunged at me and wrapped her arms around my neck.
I kissed her hard, tipping her back on the blanket and hovering above her. “I don’t have a ring, but we’ll go get one, okay?”
“I don’t care about the ring, Charles. I’ve got the guy. And my favorite little girl. I’ve already won this whole marriage gig.”
“So we’re doing this?”
“Yep. There’s no rush. But we can tell Harps we’re getting married before I move in.” She smiled up at me.
“I like the sound of that.”
“Actually, I do have all this land, and we love this house. What if we do an addition and make this place our forever home? We can stay in your place while we renovate.”
I thought it over. Her land was spectacular. We could make this everything we wanted. “You sure you can handle doing a renovation like that with me?” I stroked the hair away from her gorgeous face.
“I’ve never been more sure about anyone or anything.”
“Me either.”
“I love you,” she said as a tear slipped down her cheek.
“I love you. And soon I’ll get to call you my wife.”
“Don’t even dream of going all caveman on me. We’re equal partners in everything.”
I laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, Firefly.”
“You sure you can handle forever with me? I’m a handful.”
There was humor in her tone, but I heard the fear beneath it. She grew up with selfish parents who hadn’t made her feel safe or secure. I planned to change that. I placed my thumb and pointer finger beneath her chin, waiting for her gaze to lock with mine.
“There are very few things in this world that I’m sure of.
But the day Harper was born and they placed her in my arms, I knew I’d walk through fire for my baby girl.
I knew I’d spend the rest of my life being the best father I could be to her.
” I cleared my throat. “And when I look at you, I see forever. I’ve never felt that before.
And you can rant and rave and throw things at my head when you’re angry, and I’ll still be there every damn day.
You can redecorate the house and change your mind five million times, and piss me off to no end, and I’ll still be there every damn day, Violet.
There are two things in my life that I’m sure about, and that’s my two girls.
So yes, I’m fucking sure I’m ready for forever with you.
You sure you’re ready for forever with me? Because I’m a package deal, you know?”
She chuckled as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
“I think seeing you with Harper has made me fall harder for you. Seeing the way you love that little angel is one of my favorite things about you. And I love Harper in a way I never knew I could. Hell, I didn’t even like kids before I met her.
” She chuckled and sniffed a few times. “And being with you, Charlie Huxley—being with you is the first time I’ve ever felt like I fit somewhere. You make me feel like I’m home.”
“You are, Firefly.”
I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her as she sniffed a few more times.
Loving someone was a vulnerable thing.
And Violet and I had both spent a lifetime trying not to be vulnerable.
So it was scary to love this deeply.
But it was also the best feeling in the world.
“Is it too soon to say I want to put a baby in you someday?” I whispered in her ear.
She laughed, tipping her head back so she could look at me.
“Too soon, Charles. I’ve got all I want with you and Harper. That’s a conversation for a way later date.”
“No hurry. Just thought I’d shoot my shot while you were saying yes to everything,” I said.
“Let’s go tell our little girl the big news,” Violet said.
Our little girl.
“Nothing would make me happier.”
And I meant it.