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“Yeah. And you know what? I’m gladyou sent that video.”
“Really?”
“Really. And not just because of the affair, either. I don’t hold any ill will towards her. In a way, you freed us both—me and Laura. If I never found out she was having an affair, who knows if we ever split up? We might still be trapped in an unhappy, unfaithful marriage. Hell, if you sat her down today and told her you sent it, she’d probably thank you.”
I scoffed. “I doubt that.”
He brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “I’m serious. She’s happynow, Isabelle. She’s got five kids. That’s what she wanted from her partner. That’s what I wasn’t ready to give her, what I couldn’t give her.”
“I still feel so grimy about it,” I said. “Because it’s true, Rust—I had ahugecrush on you growing up. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been so eager to find out who Laura was with that night. But Iswear,I didn’t come to Vegas to track you down or anything like that. Yeah, I thought you were hot for the longest time, but I thought I outgrew all that.” I bit my lip. “Until I saw you in the club box that night. Then it was like … my crush started right up again.”
“I know you didn’t chase me to Vegas,” he said, chuckling. “I’m sorry for that, too. Your dad put the idea in my head. I thought it was crazy at first—but then I called that number, and April answered, and I guess I spiraled. I totally ran with it. I was afraid. Afraid we weren’t real.”
“I totally understand. I don’t blame you for reacting that way. I probably would’ve done the same thing.” I frowned. “Rust, I’m really, really sorry about everything.”
“I forgive you, babe,” he said, hugging me. “And I’m sorry, too.”
“For what?”
“When your dad first told me he got Eleanor pregnant, I gave him terrible advice. I truly don’t remember saying that, about abortion or adoption, but I believe him. Thank God he didn’t listen to me.” Rust guiltily shook his head at himself. “I was such a selfish person, Isabelle. All I cared about was hockey. That’s why I made the pros and your dad didn’t. But that’s also why Laura and I had our problems, like I said. But I’mnotgoing to be that person anymore. There’s so much more to life than hockey.” His hand slid cautiously to my belly. “I hope I’m not too late?”
I shook my head. “No, of course not.”
He let out a breath of relief. “Thank God. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if you’d done something.”
“I wanted to give it up for adoption …”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t. You can’t.”
“But I meant what I said, Rust. If you have any doubts about me or us or this baby, tell me now. Because I don’t want to raise a baby unless it’s trulywanted.”
“Iwantit, Isabelle. And I wantyou,too. I need you both in my life so, so bad. More than anything else.”
“But what if it doesn’t work out between us?” I asked, and rambled my list of worries: our age difference, the fact my parents would never support us, his career, on and on.
Rust soothed my worries by planting a kiss on my forehead. “It’s going to work.We’regoing to work, Isabelle.”
“But what if we don’t?” I asked. “You’d be a single dad. Would you really be okay with that? Would you even be able to with your career?”
He told me about his teammate, Tank, who was a single dad. He told me how moved he was last night, seeing Tank with his son, and how it made him feel like he was missing out.
“I’d understand it if you don’t want me back,” he said. “I’d be crushed if you didn’t want me anymore. But that doesn’t change the fact that I want this baby, no matter what. Iwantto be a father, Isabelle. I’m ready. And I want you right by my side.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Still, it sounded too good to be true.
“What about my dad, though?” I asked. “He’ll never forgive you, you know.”
“He might not forgive me.” Rust nodded understandingly. “And that’d suck. But like I told him—I’m crazy about you. I want to make this work.”
My eyes narrowed. “When did you tell him that?”
Rust grinned. “Last night. After the game.”
“You guys hung out?” I asked, surprised.
“I wouldn’t exactly say we hung out, no,” he said. “I stopped by your parents’ house and the three of us had a chat.”
“You did? Why?”
