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“Iamserious.” I smirk. “I don’t care if we never have children. Quote me on that.”
“Then again, we might have lots of children. Three, maybe four!” she says heatedly. “I like babies. Ilovechildren. And if we can adopt, I’d definitely want to. How would you feel about that?”
“Exhausted, I assume.” I dig my heels into the plush rug under the bed, making a point that nothing she says is going to make me run for the hills. “And excited. The house will always be full. I will never be bored. I do prefer children to full-size people, as a general rule. They’ve yet to surrender every part of their individuality in order to fit in, and they view the world through a fascinating prism.”
What I don’t say is that I’d love a do-over. A real family. A place of my own. That I think Winnifred will make an amazing mother—like Patrice—and that I want to see her have everything her heart desires.
She takes a deep breath. Closes her eyes. Her walls are breaking. I can feel them tumbling down, brick by brick.
“We both had such toxic relationships,” she whispers, eyes still closed.
“Yes. And we’ve learned so much from them. This feels different. Grown up. Fully ripe. It feels like I dismantled something unsteady and built it back together, but better.”
She opens her eyes and licks her lips. “I’m sorry I bailed onThe Seagull. It was wrong of me—”
“I don’t give half a shit aboutThe Seagull,” I cut her off. “It was never about the play. Never about your commitment to it. Always about us.”
She digs her teeth into her lower lip, considering this. “Yeah. I guess so. You couldn’t wait to get rid of Calypso Hall, could you? How was London, by the way?”
I smile.Thisis what she wants to talk about right now? Classic Winnie.
“Beautiful. Cold. Gray. The restaurant was fantastic.” I pause for a moment. “But I couldn’t do it. Calypso Hall is still mine.”
She tilts her head sideways, staring at me funny. “It is?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Well ...” I take a step toward her. Check the temperature. She is standing still, not inviting me to come closer but not withdrawing from me either. “I did pour five hundred thousand into renovations and a complete refurbishment just a few weeks ago. They’re due to start working on it afterThe Seagullfinishes.”
She cups her mouth, her eyes flaring. “You didn’t!” She stomps, so full of joy I can’t help but tip my head back and laugh.
“Did too.”
“But ... why?” She shakes her head in disbelief.
“I was going to sell it to Archie Caldwell, an old friend of mine, if you can call him that. He wanted it for his wife, who is moving here and looking for a project to keep her entertained. Then I realized if everything goes according to my plan, maybeIwill have a wife who would like to keep Calypso Hall for herself too. Besides, turns out I’m one sentimental little shit. My mother loved this theater, and ... well, I loved her.
“Anyway, I didn’t want to make any drastic business moves without consulting you first.”
“Me?” She stubs her finger to her chest, raising her eyebrows.
“You.” A smile spreads across my lips.
“Your business is yours, not mine.” She shakes her head.
I laugh. “What’s mine is yours—as long as you’re mine. This is the deal. And Inevermake bad deals.”
“Why did you fly out to London in the first place?” She frowns, confused.
I wave a hand in her direction. “Archie compared the loss of his wife’s beloved dog to the death of Grace, so I wanted to dangle the carrot in his face before I told him personally he’d never have Calypso Hall.”
“You’re really terrible.” She bites down on her lower lip.
I sigh. “I know. Love me, anyway?” I grin hopefully.
When she doesn’t say anything, just stares, I walk toward her. “In case I haven’t made myself clear thus far, I’m not Paul. I’m not interested in a prenup. Or in a baby machine. Or in a woman who makes cookies for my colleagues. I want a partner. An equal. I want you to be exactly who you are.” I take another step, then another. Now I’m flush against her. Her body heat rolls into mine. She is pressed against her poster. The one I went to sleep in front of every night for months, imagining she was next to me. That we shared the same home. “And who you are is who I fell in love with,” I finish.
