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My head feels like it’s going to explode and I sit on the edge of my desk, trying to figure out how the hell all this happened so quickly. It feels like a bomb dropped on me.
“I was engaged once,” Mason says. “A long time ago, now. Over a decade ago. I loved her so much, and I was ready to do the whole thing—settle down, have kids, all of it. But she had an affair.”
I press my fingers against my lips. “That’s horrible.”
“Yeah. So, I told myself I would never love again. When I met you, I couldn’t help myself. I fell for you so hard; there was no way to change the fact that I’m crazy about you. Even when I thought it wasn’t a good idea. Even if I was terrified. So when I saw you with Sam…”
“It all came back again.”
Mason shakes his head. “I’m sorry. But I want to be with you, Natalie. I mean it when I say I’m in love with you. No, Iloveyou. And I want to be there for you and for Kylie and for the baby. I want to do it all.”
It’s everything I’ve always wanted. But I shake my head.
“I can’t do this,” I say. “I can’t let you take responsibility for this when you carry so much already.”
“You can’t decide what I do and don’t want in my life,” he says. “Only I can decide that. And I want you.”
“Mason,” I start, but he grabs me and kisses me, cutting off the rest of my words. I melt against him, his body warmth seeping through my clothes. Every reason I had for not being able to be together melts away until it's just me and him and what we feel for each other.
Because I love Mason, too.
More than I ever thought I could love anyone again after David.
And I want a family with him. A future. I want him to be in Kylie’s life, too.
“Are you sure?” I ask when we finally break the kiss.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life, babe,” Mason says, and kisses me again.
And damn it, there’s no arguing with that.
Epilogue
Eight months later
Natalie
When Mason parks the car in front of End Zone, he jumps out and runs around to the passenger side to open the door for me. Kylie hops out the backdoor and runs to the restaurant door while Mason helps me hoist my large belly out of the car.
“Stay close, honey,” I call.
“She’ll be okay,” Mason says with a smile.
We walk to the door, and Mia, the hostess, greets us with a smile.
“Hello, cutie,” she says to Kylie, ruffling her dark hair before she smiles at me and Mason. “Right this way.”
She leads us to the couches. I sink down into them and groan.
“My back is killing me.”
“I’ll rub it better later,” Mason says, and when Kylie doesn’t look, he winks at me.
I roll my eyes.
Mia brings Kylie coloring pages, and my daughter sits on the far couch, her crayons and coloring pages on the low table in the center.
I look around. “It’s quiet tonight.” We’re the only diners in the whole dining room and bar area.
