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So he cared about me, that was something. Right?
“What I’m trying to say, Zola, is that I’ve done what you asked and I have answers.”
“You do?”
Drew nodded. “Yes. I do.”
I stared at him, waiting for an answer or an explanation. Anything. “Drew.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Right. Sorry. This is kind of fun, and it’s all new to me.”
“What?”
“Being in love again.” He shook his head. “This isn’t what I expected and I didn’t handle it well, but now I know and I’m certain how I feel about you Zola. I am positive that I love you, that I am madly in love with you.”
I sucked in a breath at his words, unable to believe them. The walls I erected around my heart wouldn’t accept them, hadn’t received the words. Not yet. Not fully. Drew loved me. “You…love me?”
He laughed again. “I do. I love you, Zola.”
I wanted to believe him. Truly, I did. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Once I knew it for sure, I headed to the airport because I couldn’t wait to tell you, not one day never mind a full week. I needed you to know Zola.”
“Why?”
“Because we have a life together to map out. We need to figure out where we’re going to live. Obviously my first choice is Jackson’s Ridge, but what I’ve seen of Alabama is pretty cool and the people are friendly. Maybe we’ll pick someplace completely new.” He sighed and cupped my face. “We have to find a doctor for you wherever we end up. And jobs. Jobs would be good. Really good.”
He’s nervous. The realization made my heart squeeze because it was so full of love and happiness and excitement, and hope. “Drew.”
“Zola,” he smiled and pressed his forehead to mine. “I love you and I want a life with you. And our baby. And our future babies.”
“Oh Drew, I love you too.” The words tumbled out of my mouth faster than my brain could edit them. “I wanted to tell you but you were adamant that you didn’t want it, that you would never love anyone the way you loved Sarah.”
“And I won’t,” he cut in. “I will love you better than I loved Sarah. We made so many mistakes, Sarah and me, and I don’t want to repeat them with you. I’ll give you the space you need to soar as high as you want to go, as long as you promise to love me for who I am.”
“That’s easy because I already do. You’re grumpy as hell, blunt, demanding and short-tempered. But you’re also kind and sweet, focused on being the best surgeon you can, a good brother and an excellent soup maker. I know every part of you Drew, the good and the bad, and I love them all. I don’t want you to change because all of that is the man I’ve fallen in love with.”
A low growl of satisfaction escaped from his lips and I smiled. “You mean it?”
“I do.” My hand went to his jaw and my thumb scraped along his scruff covered jaw. “I don’t need you to be perfect Drew because you are already perfect for me.”
“Damn, that’s way better than what I said.”
“No. What you said was perfect. It was just what I needed to hear.” And then, because I could and because he was mine, I pressed my lips to Drew’s and sealed my fate as his. Forever.
There was a lot to figure out still. Where would we live and work? Would we move in together right away or take our time during the pregnancy to date like a regular couple?
Drew put a thumb to the middle for my forehead and rubbed until the frown vanished. “We’ll figure out the answers along the way, Zola. We love each other and that’s a pretty damn good start for the rest of our lives.”
“It is.” It was and I couldn’t wait to see what the future held.
THE END
