Chapter 39
Savannah
“He’s getting so big now.” Griffin lifts Tommy from the crib as I take my seat in the rocking chair. It’s close to three a.m., and while tired, the exhaustion I was feeling after birth has left me, all three of us now getting more sleep as Tommy settles into his routine.
“He’ll be gone off to college before we even realize,” I joke as Griffin passes me my son, and I rest him on my chest. He’s hungry tonight, nuzzling me within seconds.
Sometimes I still can’t believe this is my life.
That this impossibly steady, impossibly gentle man chooses to sit on the floor at my feet every night like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
That he touches me like I’m something precious.
That he looks at Tommy like he’s a miracle instead of a complication.
“I wanted to talk to you about that, actually.”
I look at Griffin curiously as he takes a seat at my feet, picking one up and starting his nightly massage.
I live for these moments. They’re so peaceful, all three of us together in the darkness of the early morning.
While the world is asleep and quiet, Griffin pampers me as I feed my son.
I know I’m lucky. I’m not sure what other partners get up for every nighttime feed to support new moms, but the percentage is undoubtably low.
“About what?”
“College,” he says, and my eyebrows shoot up.
“What about it? We have a while to go, you know.” I smile, teasing him.
“Well, you know I’ve been working with Sawyer on some things with my father and all, but one of the other things we’ve been working on is putting together a trust for Tommy. Something he can use when he’s older. But I also put money away for a college education in case he wants one.”
I stare at Griffin, eyes wide in disbelief. “A college fund?”
“Just putting things in place. Ensuring he’s looked after. The money’s locked away. No one and nothing can touch it.” He nods, assured. Clearly, it’s a done deal.
“I don’t know what to say…” It’s the truth, I don’t.
I’m happy, excited, relieved, grateful. Who knows if Tommy will want to go to college; he might be like Griffin and take to more of a trade.
But saving for college would have been something I’d need to think about at some stage, hoping the bakery could be a roaring success to provide Tommy with that option.
Now I don’t need to work myself to the bone to ensure that happens.
“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know.”
“You know that I’m not expecting that from you.
I’m not expecting you to fund any type of lifestyle.
I mean, I know you’re wealthy. This house alone tells me that.
You even have your own jet. But I’m not with you because of that.
I want you to know… I’m not looking for handouts…
” I know he knows, but I want to reiterate it.
Because this is very generous, and for him to have it already set up with Tommy so young, I can only imagine what else he might do as time goes on.
“Oh, believe me, I know. You haven’t taken a single cent from me that I haven’t given you because I wanted to. You never ask for a thing. And I know you’ve been saving money to pay me back for the hospital costs for when Tommy was born, which you damn well know I won't be accepting.”
I gulp. I should’ve known he’d catch on to that.
“I have money. Not a lot. The bakery is growing, though, so I can take care of myself and Tommy.” I feel proud of that fact.
Sure, I’m no millionaire, but Betty’s is getting busier.
It provides a strong, regular income now, and while I still have some big purchases to make, like new mixers and a new oven, the weekly revenue the bakery generates is more than I ever expected.
“I know you can. I also know that bakery of yours is doing well, going to continue to do well, and is going to be a fantastic and extremely profitable business for you. But you need to know that I have a lot of disposable income. And I would like to invest it in us. Our family.”
I take a deep breath. This conversation is more serious and life-changing than our usual nightly chats.
“Okay… anything else you just want me to know about?” I ask tentatively, feeling like there’s more.
Griffin shifts on the floor, and for the first time since I’ve known him, he looks…
unsure. His thumb rubs the inside of my ankle, slow and distracted, like he’s grounding himself.
His jaw flexes once, twice. It hits me then that he’s nervous.
Griffin Patterson, who stares down million-dollar deals and construction disasters without blinking, is nervous.
“Well, I was thinking that Tommy should probably get a new name.”
My heart clenches. He doesn’t like calling my son after his brother? I feel like ever since our chat in his office, he’s been a little more at ease with this. His shoulders not as tight, his face not as angry. But maybe I was wrong.
“You don’t want him to be called Tommy anymore?” I frown, disappointed.
“I don’t want him to have the last name Shepherd anymore. I think Patterson is better. I’d like him to have my last name if you agree?” He continues massaging my feet like he didn’t drop a bomb on me.
“You want to adopt Tommy?” I can barely get the words out. In complete shock. Happily so.
“I do. While we’re at it, I’m thinking we should change your name to Patterson too.”
I’m glad I’m sitting down because had I been standing, my legs would’ve given way.
“I… I, um…” I can’t talk. I’m excited, surprised.
I look down at Tommy, tears in my eyes, and Griffin's hands leave my feet to reach up, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers linger at my jaw, warm and steady, and my breath catches as I look up at him. There’s something in his eyes I can’t name, something soft, something certain, something that makes my heart stumble.
I’m about to agree, but then I watch Griffin lower down on bended knee beside me. At the sight, my stomach does backflips.
“Savannah. Sweetness. Nothing we’ve done has been what anyone could call traditional or in any usual pattern of how couples build relationships.
But that seems to be our thing. I didn’t think I was made for this.
For a woman. For a child. A son. It doesn’t matter that he isn’t my blood.
He’s mine because you are mine. I knew the moment I met you there was something different about you.
I couldn’t put my finger on it at the start.
Just had this natural pull. It was new, different, and scary as hell.
But now that we’ve been doing life together for a while, I figured out what it is about you that has me completely transfixed. ”
I stay silent. I can’t talk because I can’t even breathe, the air leaving my lungs almost completely.
He clears his throat, eyes locked on mine like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he looks away.
“It’s the way you walk into the room and I feel like I can breathe again.
It’s the way you fight for the people you love and for yourself, even when you’re breaking inside.
You make me want to be a better man, even when I don’t know how the hell to do that.
I’ve spent most of my life keeping people out.
Easier that way. Cleaner. But you… you tore down every wall I built.
And I didn’t even see it happening until I realized I can’t imagine a single day without you in it. ”
My lips part, but again, no words come, everything he’s saying overwhelming me with the certainty of my love for this man.
He keeps going, voice rough, almost breaking. “I don’t have fancy speeches. I don’t have promises of perfection. What I’ve got is me, flawed, stubborn, grumpy as hell. But I’m yours. Every damn piece of me. And I want you to be mine. For the rest of whatever time we’ve got.”
He pauses, swallowing hard, and the silence between us feels like it’s holding its breath. “So I’m asking you, Savannah, here in the quiet morning hours, with our son in your arms, if you’ll be my wife.”
With that question lingering in the air, he pulls a small box out from under the rocking chair, clearly having had this planned for a while. My throat dries as he opens it and I see a sparkling diamond throwing patterns around the room from the reflection of the nightlight.
I look at the ring, then back to Griffin, feeling like I’m going to have a heart attack.
“Yes…” I whisper, my eyes steadily leaking tears as I pull in a breath, filling my empty lungs. “Yes, Griffin. Yes, I will marry you. I want to be your wife, want your last name, want you to be mine, officially.”
He grabs my hand, sliding the ring on, and kisses me hard before he kisses the top of Tommy’s head.
I lift my hand and look at the jewel that now adorns it. The diamond catches the faint nursery light, scattering tiny stars across the walls. It’s simple, elegant, and heartbreakingly thoughtful. If I were to choose a ring to wear forever, this would be it.
I cup his jaw as he looks deep into my eyes from a mere inch away.
“I love you,” I whisper again, my thumb brushing the rough line of his jaw. He looks more relaxed now. Happy.
Griffin’s lips twitch into the smallest grin, the kind that only ever shows when he’s caught off guard. “Guess that makes two of us, then.”
He rises and presses his forehead to mine, his breath warm against my lips. Neither of us speaks. We don’t need to. The room feels different now, fuller somehow, like the air itself has shifted to make space for this new version of us.
Tommy sighs in his sleep, his tiny body warm between us, and I swear I can feel the future settling around us like a blanket.
“See? Even Tommy’s on board.” He presses another kiss to Tommy’s head.
I smile through my tears. “Team Patterson all the way.”