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“Raven said you were seeing some loser from Jessup who didn’t want anything to do with you or the baby. I swear my heart cracked wide open when I found out you were with someone else, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I loved every part of you, even your son.”
“I wasn’t with anyone. Not since you.”
His head pops up, and his intense gaze sears me. “Explain that.”
“I was so hurt that you were gone. I was a mess, and I couldn’t stand to be around our friends for fear I would blurt out the details of our night together. So I went shopping and to dinner on my own. I made up a date, and then it just snowballed from there. When I found out I was pregnant, Raven assumed it was the random guy, and I did nothing to change her mind of that fact. Then I went one step further and simply said the father wasn’t in the picture.”
“I was crushed. No, crushed isn’t the right word. Devastated the day I found out you were pregnant. I thought the day I heard you were seeing someone was hard, but that day, it gutted me. It took me a few days, but I finally realized that he wasn’t in your life, but I could be. I knew that I could love this little guy as my own. It never even dawned on me that he could be mine. I got the information that you were with someone else, and the idea stuck. Did we use protection that night?”
“We did. If you count me being on the pill.”
“He’s our miracle baby.” He pulls the bottle from Hayes’s mouth, and he whimpers but stays quiet as Hudson carefully moves him to his shoulder. “Am I doing this right?”
“You’re doing perfect,” I assure him.
“I meant what I said, Riley. I loved him before I knew he was mine, and now… now, I feel like my chest could explode.” He kisses our son on the forehead and then gives me his full attention. “I want us to be a family.”
“I won’t keep you from him. I understand there was some kind of mix-up. I believe you.”
“Marry me.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to keep saying that. You’re his daddy, Hudson. No one can take that title from you. That’s not what I was trying to do. I truly thought that you didn’t want him. Or me,” I add.
“I’m not worried that you’ll take him from me. I know that as his father, I have rights.” He must see the panicked look on my face. “I know we could figure it out and that we can both love him, but, Riles, that’s not enough for me. I need to love you too. My heart won’t have it any other way.”
“You wouldn’t be asking me to marry you if you weren’t holding our son.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Hudson, be realistic.”
“I am. I’ve had so much time to think and process this. I told you I was coming home to you. I knew you were getting close to delivering from Raven’s letters, and I wanted to be by your side.” He glances down at Hayes. “I wanted to see this little guy come into the world.” This time when he looks at me, I see what looks like determination in his eyes. “I’ll show you, Riles. I’ll prove to you that I want you both. Not because you’re the mother of my son, but because of the woman you are, and I want you to be the mother of all my sons and my daughters,” he adds with a chuckle. “Can we have a houseful? I don’t think I’ll ever get over this feeling of holding our child in my arms.”
“Can you let me get through telling everyone I love that I lied about our son’s father before you start adding more babies to the mix?” His words make me feel all warm and gooey inside, but I have to keep my wits about me. I can’t give in to this just because we have a child together.
“That’s not a no.” He grins. I can’t help but return his grin. His enthusiasm warms my soul. “And we’re doing that together. You are not the only one at fault here. Sure, I didn’t get the letters, but I should have told you that night what you meant to me. I should have made sure that you knew you were not just some fling or a hookup. That’s on me.”
“I didn’t say anything either.”
“And then I didn’t get your letters.”
“I feel the worst about lying to Raven and your mom. Hudson, your mom gave me one of your baby blankets, and I lost it. I ran out of my shower crying like the fool that I am. I was able to blame it on hormones, but I lied to her.” Panic starts to build. “How is she ever going to forgive me?”
