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She shakes her head, still staring straight ahead.
Romeo parks his truck behind mine and swings the door open. “What’s going on?”
Ignoring him, I yell at Carly, “I’ll bust the window if I have to.”
“Whoa,” Romeo says, grabbing my arm. “Calm down, brother.”
I shake free of him. “Go away, Romeo. This is between me and my fiancée.”
That gets Carly’s attention. She turns her face to look at me for the first time, cracking her window an inch. “What did you just call me?”
“My fiancée,” I say through clenched teeth.
“That’s funny,” Carly says, “I don’t recall getting engaged.”
I pull the ring out of my pocket. “That’s because you took off before I could propose.”
She eyes the box, biting her lip. “I’m going home, William.”
“Home is right there,” I growl, pointing at the cabin.
Her eyes meet mine. “I’m going back to California.”
“Going to renege on our deal then? Because you made a promise to marry me, remember?”
“That’s why I came back to Mercury Ridge,” she admits.
“Then why are you leaving?”
“I heard you talking to Theo. You said you didn’t want to have a child with me.” Tears fill her eyes, and I feel my anger melt away. “I want children.”
I blink in confusion. “You do?”
“I want to at least try,” she says. “I know it’s a long shot at my age, even with fertility treatments. And if it doesn’t happen, well, it doesn’t happen. I could have been happy with just the two of us in that case. But I can’t be with you knowing what you think of me.”
“What are you talking about? I think the world of you!”
“You said you might have wanted kids...but not with me.” Her voice cracks with anguish.
“Open the door, Carly, please…we need to talk about this, face to face.” When she doesn’t open the door, I sag against it, leaning as close as I can to the tiny gap in the window. “Yousaid you didn’t want kids, sweetheart. Back when we made the pact. Don’t you remember?”
“What?” she says, sniffling. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. I asked if you thought you’d ever want kids, and you said, ‘No way. I want to be a brilliant, career-minded businesswoman. I won’t have time for kids.’ And you’ve done everything you said you would, babe. Youarea brilliant businesswoman.”
“Oh,” she says, her voice barely a whisper. “Well…I’ve changed my mind.”
“A woman’s prerogative,” Romeo mutters behind me.
I stare straight into Carly’s eyes but address my brother. “Romeo. Go home. My fiancée and I need privacy. We’re going to make a baby.”
Carly swings open the door and flings herself into my arms. “Do you mean it?”
“I love you, Carly Ormsbee. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give you.”
Epilogue
Carly
