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Clay poured the wine. “Then I’m in love with a dirty old woman.”
“And so am I, if that’s what you want to call yourself,” he said. “But we call you the most beautiful, amazing woman we’ve ever met. Izzy, we are in love with you. That’s the truth. And if you will just give us a chance, we think you could fall in love with us, too.”
“Damn it, I am already in love with you, but that doesn’t change a thing. This can’t work.”
“Of course it can work. You love us and we love you.” Clay reached for her hands.
She leaned back. “You are not listening. You want the truth. Here it is.” Tears streamed from her eyes. “I am too old to have children, and you deserve to be fathers. I absolutely will not rob you of that happiness. I have Gabby. She’s the most important person in my life. I want you to know what that feels like, holding a precious baby that depends on you.” Izzy closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened her eyes again, the sadness he saw broke his heart. “There’s nothing like it in the whole world. You will be amazing dads. I know it.”
“Are you sure you can’t have children, sweetheart?” Clay gently asked her.
“I’m forty-two years old.”
“So?” Clay knelt down next to her.
“So? So the odds are stacked against me ever bringing another baby into the world, Clay.”
Jay left the bed and knelt down next to Clay in front of her, taking her hand. “Do you want to have children, Izzy?”
“I would have had many children, but I wasn’t about to with the asshole.” She told them about her ex, and anger for her welled up inside him. “I was a single parent that had to figure out a way to make ends meet for me and Gabby. No time for love. Now, my daughter is an adult, I have a career, a good life, and time for love. But it’s too late for me to have children. There are risks for women my age. I won’t put you through that. Yes, I love you and you me. But it’s not enough. Not now. Not ever.”
“Sweetheart, if the three of us want children, we’ll have children,” he told her. “If we can’t have our own there are plenty of kids who need a loving family. We can always adopt. And if you don’t want babies, then I don’t want any either.”
“Same for me, angel,” Clay added. “Your happiness is all that matters to us.”
She kissed him and Clay tenderly. “And yours is what matters to me. Do you understand?”
He and Clay said in unison, “No, we—”
“Please, stop. My heart is breaking. Don’t make it any worse. I won’t. I can’t. Let’s finish this job and then we can say good-bye to each other.”
“You won’t have a chance to forget us, Izzy. I promise you that.” He pulled her in close, and he pressed his mouth to hers. She didn’t resist but melted into him.
Then Clay kissed her. “You need some sleep, sweetheart. That will clear your head.”
Together he and Clay helped her into the bed, covering her with the blanket. They walked to the door and turned off the light.
“Guys?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” they answered together.
“What we had was special and wonderful. I’ll never forget either of you.”
Chapter Fourteen
The limo pulled up to Izzy’s home, and she felt her heart seize in her chest. She was between Clay and Jay. When their investigation was over she would never have that opportunity again. Even though it killed her to end it with them, she knew it was what needed to be done, for them as well as for her. Every additional moment she spent with them was only harder.
Clay and Jay had honored her request and had stopped trying to convince her that she belonged with them. But she knew they weren’t giving up. It was just one of the many reasons she loved them, but it didn’t change the fact that it would never work out.
The three of them stepped out of the vehicle onto the sidewalk.
“When will you be back to take me to the warehouse?” she asked.
Jay kissed her on the cheek. “How much time do you need, sweetheart?”
He and Clay still don’t believe I meant what I said. Do I really mean it? “I want to freshen up and unpack. Plus, I want to call my daughter. And I need to get on that conference call I rescheduled with Tom and Lyle so they don’t become suspicious. Can you give me two hours?”
“That works for us, too,” Clay said, grabbing her hand and squeezing. “I want to get some bolt cutters, because, unlike in London, I bet we’ll need them here. Plus, we also need to stop at our place to get our guns. I don’t expect any trouble but I think a little extra caution is in order.”
