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“Lucy…” he started, looking uneasy.
But I held up my hand. “I was already going to ask if you’d be her godfather with Bentley and Beau, so I knew she’d be okay if anything happened to me, but I want more reassurance than that now. I want two people caring for her and responsible for her, no matter what. Even if you and I don’t make it, and you go off and marry someone else and start a family with them, I still want Ava to grow up calling you Dad.”
Vaughn’s eyes watered and his chin trembled.
I shook my head and swallowed thickly. “I’m sorry if that’s too much for you to take in right now because of Duke. And if you can’t or just don’t want to do this, I understand. I do. But for me, it has nothing to do with him. It doesn’t even matter that you’re biologically related to her. You’re her father, and you’re the only person I trust to help me take care of her. And I want help now, not after I’m gone. I want as many people involved in raising her as I can get.”
Eyes growing even redder, Vaughn pressed a fist against his mouth, and his throat worked as he swallowed.
My stomach plummeted, sure this meant something bad. “I’m sorry,” I gushed. “I pushed for too much, didn’t I? God, just ignore me. I’m still shaken from last night, and this is my gut reaction; get more people to help watch over my baby. But it’s okay for you to say no. I was only thinking that it’d be wrong if I didn’t let you know what I wanted, but now I’m freaked out, worrying that I put too much on you. So please don’t—”
“Lucy,” he rasped, calmly taking my hand to get me to stop nervous-talking.
I fell mute and sent him an apologetic cringe.
He blew out a breath, then nodded his head once. “Yes,” he said.
I blinked. “Yes?”
“Yes,” he repeated. “I want to be her dad more than anything. And I’d be delighted to raise her with you and take on all the responsibilities that come with that. But I don’t want split custody or for either of us to go off and marry anyone else. The only family I’m interested in is this one. I love you and Ava. You guys are my world.” Bringing my hand to his mouth, he kissed the back of my palm and said, “So how about you and I just get married, and I become her true stepfather?”
I went a little dizzy as his counteroffer whirled through my head. This was my dream, right here, coming true. It almost didn’t feel real.
“Are you sure?” I asked, trying not to get my hopes up.
He laughed. “I’m absolutely positive. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else, anywhere else.” Then he shrugged. “Though, maybe I’d like to move out of the garage and into your bed if Ms. Landlady feels that accommodating?”
I grinned and started half laughing, half crying. “Yes! Okay. Deal.” Then I shook my head. “But what about—”
“We’ll work through it,” he assured. “Whatever the problem, it’ll be okay. Because there will always be some hurdle to cross, some issue to solve, and some headache to deal with. But I’d rather work through each one of them with you than without you.”
“God, I love you,” I swore, amazed and still dazed that this wonderful man had found his way into my life.
“I love you too,” he replied. “My saving oasis.”
EPILOGUE
VAUGHN
“Ouch, fuck!” I hissed, jerking my hand away from the hot bagel that had just popped up in the toaster. A second later, I noticed a pair of wooden tongs sitting next to the appliance and realized that’s probably what Lucy used to pull them out.
Huffing at my own incompetence, I picked up the tongs and plopped the toasted bagels onto a waiting plate before spreading them with Lucy’s favorite blueberry cream cheese.
Meanwhile, the Keurig finished filling her cup with coffee, and the microwave beeped, letting me know the instant oatmeal was finished heating.
From behind me, small feet clattered into the kitchen. “Daddy?” Ava Grace asked in that voice that told me she wanted something.
“Ave!” I cheered, pointing in her direction while I opened the refrigerator to grab the milk. “Just the girl I need. Hop up in your chair, will you? I just about have your oatmeal ready.”
“Okay,” she endeared in her sweet Ava voice, even as she bypassed the table and approached me instead. “But will you tie my shoes for me?” When she stopped beside me and stretched out a foot, I nodded distractedly. “Sure thing, baby. Just give me a second to pour your milk. And…done.”
Dusting my hands together after I returned the carton to the fridge, I turned to her and held down my hands. “Up?”
She grinned and lifted her arms, then giggled when I swung her up on top of the kitchen cabinets to sit on the edge of the countertop.
Ava loved this and immediately began to swing her feet, reminding me how much she used to kick them when she was an infant.
I kissed her forehead, right where her old scar was and got started. It took me a bit to catch one of her shoes before I could even begin to tie it, though.
