Chapter 30 Logan #2
I frowned at him.
“You still haven’t said ‘I’m sorry’! It’s the most important thing to say when you hurt someone’s feelings.”
Here I was, getting schooled by a six-year-old. Wait, hold on, a just-turned-seven-year-old. No wonder he was so wise.
“You’re one hundred percent correct,” I agreed, rapidly revising my speech in my head. The wording I’d planned needed to be adjusted, now that we had a new audience to hear it.
Nina was still on the ground next to Noah, so I lowered myself down on my knees to look her in the eyes.
“Nina Reyes, I am so incredibly sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry I took you for granted, and that I said those horrible things. I understand how sad and angry my words made you, and I promise that I will never, ever let it happen again.”
Noah leaned closer to me. “Good job, Daddy,” he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “Now keep going.”
He gave me a big smile for encouragement, and I couldn’t help smiling back, even as I braced myself for what I was about to say.
It could change everything. I’d talked about it with him, and my family, and Josie, and his therapist, and the consensus was strong: do it, or regret not doing it for the rest of your life.
“Noah just reminded me, again, that I have done everything in the wrong order.” I paused to gather my courage. “Nina, I love you.”
She stared at me for a long time. “Because I’m good with Noah?”
The of course was on the tip of my tongue, because I adored how good she was with Noah—but that wasn’t the answer to the question she was really asking.
“I love you because from the moment we met, you weren’t afraid to go toe to toe with me,” I said, delighting when her eyes seemed to shine.
“You came up with a business plan on the fly. You quote Austen with me. And so much more. If I listed all the things I love about you, we’d be here all day.
” I reached out and brushed at the tears on her cheeks with my fingers.
“You’ve had my heart in your hands for longer than I even realized, and I was an idiot for chasing you away. ”
She bowed her head, now fully crying.
Noah looked stricken at Nina’s reaction. He squatted to try to see her face. “Nina, it’s okay! Don’t be sad!”
She looked up at him, smiling through her tears. “Oh Noey, I’m not sad at all. These are happy tears.”
His head swiveled, taking us both in and trying to make sense of what was happening.
“Daddy, you have to ask her the question!” Noah stage whispered to me.
“You’re right, buddy; I need to make it official.” My heart sped up as I braced myself. “Nina, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
“The ring, Daddy,” Noah said in a frustrated voice, like I was messing up everything.
Nina was now laugh-crying at the two of us.
“Yeah, buddy, that’s my bad.” I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out the velvet bag she’d left in her room. I pulled the drawstring and presented the engagement ring I’d given her on our private cruise. “Let’s try that again. Nina, will you marry me?”
Noah hopped up and down and clapped his hands like his joy couldn’t be contained.
But Nina still hadn’t answered.
I started to feel a little lightheaded. I’d tried to prepare Noah—and me—for the possibility that she’d say no, but now that the moment was here, the prospect had me in a total panic.
Was she trying to formulate a “no” in a way that wouldn’t hurt Noah?
Was she wondering if slapping me was out of the question?
She’d gotten out a tissue to wipe at her face, so I couldn’t read her expression.
Noah hopped away still giggling and clapping; he’d decided that there was only one answer to my question.
I knew better.
“Logan Ashford,” Nina began in a quiet, trembly voice. “You’ve made me feel things I didn’t think were possible for me. A sense of belonging, and family, and…home. And then when you took all of those away—”
“I was wrong,” I said quickly. “I was an idiot, and I made the biggest mistake of my life. I promise I will never do anything like that again. I bet my brothers would be willing to put it in writing that they’ll personally knock some sense into me if I ever even think of trying anything like that again. ”
“Daddy, no fighting,” Noah tsked disapprovingly.
“That’s right,” Nina agreed with a soft chuckle. “Violence isn’t the answer—love is. And that’s why the only thing I can say to your question is yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. Again. For real this time.”
Nina’s response got an unstable cartwheel out of Noah, but my response was to draw her into my arms and kiss her, long and hard, then pause to slip the ring back on her finger.
“Yay! Nina is coming home to us!”
We both laughed at him, and I was reminded of something both my son and my wife needed to know, now that our future together was set.
Nina reached out to hug Noah.
“Yes, let’s talk about home,” I began.
They both turned to look at me with twin confused expressions, still cheek to cheek.
“What about it?” Nina asked slowly, like she was waiting for bad news.
“Well, we won’t have far to go, because we are home. I bought the house from my dad. I couldn’t stand the idea of giving it up and having strangers living here. This is an Ashford home, now and forever.”
“Wait…” Noah said. “You mean we’re going to live here now? With Grandpa?”
I laughed. “No, your grandfather is still moving to his retirement spot. It’s just going to be the three of us here.” I paused. “For now.”
Nina tackled me, laughing and crying. “I never wanted to be too obvious about the lair stuff, but the truth is, I never felt fully at home there,” she admitted, pressing her lips to my neck. “But this house? It’s my dream!”
Nina had her full weight on top of me, which made Noah belly laugh.
“You guys are wrestling!”
She sat up halfway. “Wait, what do you mean the three of us for now?”
I looked up at her and shrugged a shoulder. “Who knows what the future holds?”
“Logan!” She giggled and dropped her head down to my chest. “Seriously? You want—”
“Yeah, I do want. Another you,” I insisted, and we both settled into the idea of the magic to come.