Chapter 28
OWEN
The sound of a Shania Twain song punctuated by long, low dog howls draws me to the back patio where I find my daughter sitting outside the cage in her PJs holding a small speaker in her hand.
Inside, Ladybird is lifting her head and howling along to her favorite song. At least I think it’s her favorite. She sure seems to enjoy howling in time to it.
Spanky simply watches her, as if that racket is the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. I get it. I’m entranced by everything Gina does. She’s smart, thoughtful, caring, beautiful, sexy…
My dick tightens just thinking the words. Watching her leave, it was hard not to follow her out the door. It was hard not to pull her into my arms and hold her, never letting her go.
I want her here with me, joining my family, my life. I want her in my bed.
Speaking of bed, I clear those lusty thoughts away and focus on the task at hand.
“Bedtime, Maddie,” I call to my daughter. “Come on—you’ve got school tomorrow, and the neighbors need to sleep.”
Standing, she crawls into the cage to pet and hug both of the dogs before crawling out again and taking my hand.
“They’re doggie besties,” she says, looking back at them.
I smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Aunt Heather said you made a new friend at school today. What’s her name?”
“Charlotte!” she cries, and her walking turns into happy skipping. “She loves hockey just like me, and she was so excited when I told her my dad plays for the Champions!”
“Maybe she can go to a game with you sometime.”
“Yeah!” She pumps her arms as I turn the blankets back on her bed.
We decorated her room the same way as her room in Eureka to help her feel at home. Tiny fairies are scattered all over the wallpaper, flying on little wings and holding star-tipped wands. Her bed has a sheer mosquito net hanging from a circle attached to the ceiling.
I move it aside so I can sit beside her, leaning against a pillow. She snuggles into my side holding Zander, and I open the book she’s chosen for us tonight. Of course, it’s a Junie B. Jones title.
“My name is Junie B. Jones,” I begin. “The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don’t like Beatrice…”
The chapter is filled with a lot of little-girl antics that make my daughter laugh—and me as well. When we reach the end, her eyes are closing, and I put the book on her side table.
Placing my hand on her head, I kiss her crown. “I’m glad you like it here, and you’re having fun and making friends. I miss you when I’m on the road, but I think about you all the time.”
“It’s okay, Daddy.” She pats my arm. “You’re busy beating all those other teams and doing hat tricks.”
“It’s true.” Her little-girl innocence makes me smile, but I have something else on my mind. “What do you think about Miss Gina?”
“She’s my best new friend. She teaches me all about dogs and how to walk with Peepee, and she even said I could walk in the dog show… after you said it was okay.”
She’s getting so excited, I’m almost sorry I asked. At the same time, I’m deeply satisfied by her reply.
“I love her, too,” I say. “Is that okay?”
Her small lips press and twist before breaking into a big smile.
“Yes!” she nods emphatically. “She makes you smile… just like that.” Maddie points her small finger at my face, and I realize I am smiling.
“Maybe she could come here and stay with us, and you could share your room with her like LB does with Spanky.”
My brows rise. “How would you feel about that?”
“I like it.” She presses her lips together, nodding. “Then I’d have a mommy here on Earth like all my friends do, and not just one up in heaven.”
My throat aches, and I know that feeling. I had it myself when I was her age, a little boy without a mom. I remember how happy I was when Dad told me Britt was going to join our family, and knowing my daughter feels similarly is a huge weight off my chest.
Leaning down, I give her another hug. “I love you, Shortcake.”
She squeezes me back, whispering, “I love you, too, Daddy.”
Gina
She’s still waiting.
I start to reply to her text, then I shove my phone into my pocket and walk out of my bedroom. I make a brief stop by Maddie’s room to be sure she’s asleep, then I go downstairs to Heather’s room to let her know I’m going out for a bit.
She looks up from the book she’s reading to give me a wink. “Don’t feel like you have to come home tonight, Bubba.”
A hissing noise slides through my lips, but I let it go, shaking my head. The anticipation surging in my veins cancels out any minor irritation.
That little blue pouch is still in my pocket, and I’m glad I was able to have that conversation with Maddie tonight. Knowing she’s onboard makes all of this so much better.
Waiting was the right thing to do. The timing wasn’t right earlier. I needed to talk to my daughter, and it was clear Gina wasn’t going to forgive me that easily. I deserved it, which is why I suggested she cut my hair.
It melted the walls. It brought us closer. It showed her how much I need her, and I love having her fingers in my hair. I love having her touch me, take care of me… even if it was fucking torture not to be able to hold her, kiss her, tell her all the things on my mind.
Then our dogs solidified everything. Those crazy canines have known since the day they met this family belongs together.
Gina likes to say dogs are smarter than people. I’m not sure I agree with that, but they do seem to pick up on things quicker.
Now I’m standing on the sidewalk in front of her house. Looking up, I see the light is on in her room, and I jog up the steps, entering the code on the lock and slipping off my boots inside the door.
Soft, yellow light comes from a glowing cube in the corner, and the flowers surrounding her form a fragrant garden. She’s the enchanting creature in the center, holding my heart, my soul, my future, everything in the palm of that slim hand tucked beneath her cheek.
Stepping closer, I notice her eyes are closed. I take a knee, and I see she’s asleep.
For a moment, I drink her in. She’s so beautiful, her soft hair curling on her cheek. I’m torn between needing to touch her and wanting to let her rest.
With a soft inhale, she moves, blinking her eyes open, and when she sees me, she jumps awake, then her face relaxes with a smile.
Reaching up to me, she whispers, “You came.”
“You were waiting.” I lean down, capturing her soft lips with mine.
Her hands rise, fingers threading in the sides of my hair, and I place both my hands on each side of her pillow. She reaches higher, wrapping her arms around my neck, and I move my hand behind her head, lifting her so I can kiss her deeper.
I’m lost in the minty taste of her lips, the feel of her warm breath against my cheek, her cherry scent, her soft body in my arms.
I ache to possess her, but I manage to pull back so I can say all the things I couldn’t say before.
I help her move to a sitting position with her back against the pillows, and I’m on one knee at her bedside, holding her hand in mine.
With her other hand, she reaches out to comb my hair behind my ear. “What is it?”
I lift my chin, meeting her eyes. “I need to tell you the truth.”
Her brow quirks, but she nods. “Okay.”
“The truth is I love you, but not only that… I want you with everything I have, with all my soul. I was afraid at first, but I’m not afraid now. Now I know what I want. I want you. I was jealous because I’ll do everything in my power to protect and keep what’s mine.”
As I speak her expression changes from confused to smiling to blinking fast as she reaches for me. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you’re my home, Gina. You’re comfort and love and everything I want in my life. As I flew back from Eureka, I did a lot of things, but the most important thing I did was call your dad.”
Her pretty green eyes widen. “You called my dad? Why?”
“I wanted to apologize to him for not being able to ask him in person.”
Her full lips part. “Ask him… what?”
I slide my hand down the side of her cheek to her neck, placing my thumb on that small cleft in her chin. “If it was okay to make you my wife. He said he’d give me a pass this one time, but if I ever did anything to hurt you, he’d find me.”
“Owen…” Tears are in her eyes, but she’s smiling so big my throat aches.
I reach into my pocket and take out the blue pouch, then I take out the ring.
“Will you marry me, Gina Grace? I love you… and just like your devoted dog, I need to be beside you always. I burn for you. I want you to be my wife, my life partner, my soul mate. It’s always been you.”
She nods rapidly, faster with every word as tears spill onto her cheeks. “Yes, Owen, yes.” Reaching forward, she puts her hands on my shoulders. “I love you!”
I take her left hand in mine and slide the ring onto her third finger. It’s a round diamond set in platinum with seven small diamonds on each side arranged to look like paw prints.
“Haddy helped me with the size. I tried to find something that captured your personality. This seemed perfect.”
“Oh my gosh!” She holds it up, turning her hand side to side. “I adore it—it has paw prints!”
“Maddie also gave me the thumbs up to ask you…”
“You asked Maddie?” Her forehead crinkles. “When?”
“Tonight, when I was putting her to bed.” I rise off my knee to sit beside her on the bed. “I wanted to tell you all of this earlier, when I got back into town, but I think you were still mad at me.”
“I’m not mad now.” She scoots closer, pulling her body flush with mine. “I’m so happy.”
My hands slide from her waist, under the hem of her shirt. I place my palms flat against the warm skin of her bare back, moving them higher as I lift it over her head.
“I’ve missed you.” Dipping my chin, I kiss the top of her shoulder, the side of her neck. “It’s so hard to be away from you. I’m like Spanky. I need to be with my woman.”
Her nose wrinkles as she lifts the bottom of my shirt. “I thought you hated a cage.”