Page 101 of Silver Brewer

I pull back but continue to hold her face.

“Letty Pierson, I would love to be your husband and a father to Finn.”

“Thank you,” she mouths. “I would love for you to share this adventure called parenthood with me and be my partner in all things.”

My mouth crashes hers again. She has nothing to thank me for. It’s going to be my honor to love and cherish her for all the days of our life.

37

Fatherhood

[Letty]

Finn wakes while we kiss at the fireplace, and I chuckle when we break apart. Happiness fills me to my core, but I also feel a little silly being caught naked. Not that Finn’s old enough to see us.

“Here.” Giant hands me my T-shirt, and then he reaches over for his boxers. He destroyed my underwear, and I marvel at his strength and the sexiness of it. Lumbersexual. He redefines the term.

“You get him. I’m gonna grab a few things.”

Giant follows me into his room where I search for clean underwear and then pick up Finn and nestle him against my shoulder. He settles in, not really needing a nighttime bottle. Giant rustles around behind me, and then he follows me back into the main room. The light is completely gone from the day, and the evening temperature has settled in. Giant starts a small fire and spreads a blanket over the bear skin rug.

He tosses two pillows on the blanket.

“Lie down with him.” I do as Giant asks, setting Finn next to me as I curl on my side. Finn remains asleep, and Giant perches on the other side of him. Up on an elbow, he looks down at Finn and then over at me.

“I love you both,” he says, and my heart leaps. He reaches for my left hand, pulling the diamond to his lips and kissing over it. “So to be clear, we’re getting married. You’re moving in with me, and…I’m adopting Finn.”

“Yes,” I say, keeping my eyes on him. His smile grows, and he leans over Finn to kiss me too quickly.

“Everything I’ve been wanting is right here.”

“What about your girls?” I whisper, not wanting to break our bubble, but they are his family.

“That would be awkward.” His brows rise, implying they wouldn’t really fit in the space around us.

“Giant,” I hiss, knowing he’s teasing me.

“Okay. Let me try to explain this. I love my girls, but I can’t go back. I can’t redo what I didn’t have. We have a relationship now, and it’s good. It works, but we jumped in when they were adults. I want another chance.” He looks down at Finn. “I want to be better.”

“Honey, I’m sure the girls think you’re the best.”

“And I think they are. But Finn’s going to be a best, too.”

“He is,” I whisper, gazing down at my boy. Our boy. “Finnikin Harrington.”

“You’ll give him my name?” Giant’s brow rises.

“I’ll be taking yours, too.”

His smile grows once again, warmer than the firelight. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Giant lies down, his arm coming over both Finn and me, and we stay there for a long time, just staring at one another.

+ + +

When it seems Finn has settled, Giant pulls the portable crib into the front room, just outside the door to his bedroom.