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‘Really?’ Suddenly the sail snapped tight and he tied it off and made his way back to her. ‘What was your answer?’
‘I declined the offer and gave them a counter-offer to consider.’
His arms came around her from behind, crossing over her waist, making her feel treasured.
‘This is why I love you,’ he murmured. ‘What did you tell them?’
‘That I wanted to finish up in my position and go freelance. Or a part-time position. And that I would bring my own carefully selected team to the table with me when required.’
Jared leaned forward so that he could see her face. ‘You what?’
‘I know. Most beautiful counter-offer ever. They accepted it.’
‘But—your career … The one you’ve dreamed about since you were a teenager. The one you’ve worked all your life towards.’
‘I had a look at where else there was left for me to go and I didn’t much care for the view. The career I have now has got me to the point where I can name my own terms. There’s nothing more I want from it. I’m on two months’ notice.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Very sure.’
‘And this team of yours? Who does that involve?’
‘I mentioned no names and they didn’t ask. I made no promises whatsoever on your behalf. Still … if you’re interested … I’m thinking three, maybe four jobs per year. Specialist retrieval jobs that need our combined touch. It’d let us be selective. It’d give me more time for you. And this.’
‘I’m in.’ His arms tightened around her. ‘Ro, are you sure?’
‘I’m sure. I don’t want to see you on Wednesday nights and weekends any more. I’m greedier than that. I want more.’
‘Where do you want to live?’
‘On the beach,’ she said instantly, for she’d fallen in love with it. ‘Somewhere near here—close to Lena and Trig and to Damon’s beach house. This is the place for us.’
‘What about your grandfather?’
‘He loves it here. I think he could be persuaded to visit regularly.’
‘And your parents?’
‘I figure we’d see them less often.’ She tried to accommodate them—she did try. But there was still a lot of distance to bridge. ‘I have some money saved. I can sell my apartment. I can put in my fair share and then we can do a budget and go looking.’
‘Always with the details …’ But he was smiling when he said it. ‘I’m in. I am so in.’
‘There’s one more thing.’
‘I’m listening.’
She took a deep breath and put it out there. Not a little thing. A really big thing that would need serious consideration and discussion.
‘Want to make a baby with me?’
Time stopped. Wind rattled the sails and the little boat shuddered. There could be no turning back from this.
He wanted to. She could see it in his face and she had never felt so much happiness. No matter what happened when it came to babies, and the likelihood of them, she would always have this moment and this decision.
‘Yes,’ he growled, and bent.
The next thing she knew she’d been upended over Jared’s shoulder and was staring at his faded-jeans-clad, wholly delectable ass.
‘Now. Right now.’ Jared West—man of action. ‘Let’s do this.’
And she was laughing even as she caught hold of the stair railings and resisted his downward motion. ‘But, Jared, don’t you want to think about this for more than two seconds?’
‘Don’t need to.’
‘I’m older. It might not work.’
‘Then we’ll die trying.’
‘And then there’s the genius genes. If our child turns out to be super-smart, that’s your responsibility.’
‘No problem. I’ll farm him out to Damon.’
‘Him? Him?’
‘Or her. Them.’
Her man was nothing if not adaptable, and they were doing this. Jared wanted this. She had her answer.
‘So we’re doing this now?’
‘Yes!’
Oh, hell yes.
But it simply wasn’t in her nature to make it easy on him. ‘But, Jared, what about this pretty boat? The wheel, the sails, the wind?’
‘It’s good,’ he said. ‘It’s all good. Trust me.’
And she did.
EPILOGUE
THE WALLS WERE round and the furnishings were soft. A posy of lavender sat in a cheerful yellow vase in the corner. There were two beds in the room and Jared had already pushed them together to make a big one. It was the latest and greatest in the private hospital’s maternity wing—overnight rooms for new families. Theirs even had a sliding door leading out to a tiny private courtyard surrounded by screening hedges and featuring a bird bath complete with inquisitive sparrows.
