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He stops eating and looks directly at me. “You guess?”
I shrug again and say, “Well…” I try to think of how to say, but finally, I sigh and just tell the truth.
“It’s really hard to be a journalist,” I say, “And I don’t want to spend all this time trying really hard for something only to fail. I don’t… I don’t think I could handle that.”
I know what he’s going to say before he says it, but it still feels wonderful to hear it come directly from him. “Mack, the only way you can possibly fail at this is if you give up. You’re smart, you’re passionate and you’re driven. Those three qualities will make you the best damn reporter the world has ever seen. I’m not saying it will be easy and I’m not saying that all your goals will come to you immediately, but I promise you, if you work for it, you’ll reach whatever dreams you have.”
I smile at him and say, “Well, I’m glad you think so.”
“No,” he says, so sharply that I jump. “It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what you think and more importantly, what youdo. So,” he says, “What are you going to do?”
I take a moment to recover from my shock, then say, “Um, well, I was thinking of applying for an internship while I’m in school. It will take a lot of work, and I probably won’t have much of a social life, but if I get work experience while I’m in journalism school, then I’ll have a foot in the door when it comes time to look for a job.”
He smiles and says, “That’s great, Mack! I only have one problem with that.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Does no social life mean no me?”
I return his smile and tease, “Yep. Completely. I’ll never see you again. The only way you can spend any time with me is if you make—”
My words are cut off when he crosses the table, grabs the back of my head and kisses me fiercely. My senses come alive, and he makes it clear that I still belong to him, regardless of how I might feel about it.
It’s a damned good thing I feel absolutely overjoyed about it.
Chapter 8
Grant
Afew days later
The moment Mack walks into the room, I can tell by her expression she’s troubled. I have a pretty good idea what’s bothering her. “You’re pregnant,” I say.
She looks at me in wonder. “How did you… I… did you see the test?”
I shake my head. “I think I knew from the start. I don’t know how. I think it happened the first time, Mack.”
She nods, her bottom lip quivering. “Me, too.” She looks down at the floor for a moment and then says in a desolate voice, “I guess I knew the moment it happened.”
“You don’t want the baby?” I ask. It’s a bullshit question. I know she wants the baby, but I know what’s really bothering her, what’s making her feel so frightened and nervous. She’s far more concerned about Hank’s reaction than anything else.
“What do you want?” she asks. God, I’m completely mis-reading her. She’s not worried about her father. She’s worried about me. “Do you… I’m not going to have an abortion, Hank, but I won’t tell anyone who the father is if…”
“That’s enough,” I growl. “I want this baby. I want this baby and I want you.”
I can see the disbelief in her face as she says, “You do?”
Stern isn’t working. Oh, it has a short-term effect but this girl needs building up. “Mack,” I say as I take her hand, “I want you.” I lead her to the couch and sit her down. “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re beautiful, smart—hell, brilliant. You’re sweet and caring. You’re perfect for me and you’re all I need. Someday you’ll see yourself the way I see you but for now, you just have to trust me. I’m not a liar. If I say you’re beautiful, believe me. If I say you’re everything I want and all I need, believe me. If I tell you I want our baby, believe me.”
“Grant,” she whispers breathlessly, “I… Oh, Grant!” I think she wants to hug me, but her brain is still processing things. I wonder if this is the first time that she actually believes I find her beautiful. That isn’t the same as believing she actually is beautiful but it’s a damned good start. She’s still tentative, though, and I pull her to me and hold her tightly. She repeats, “Oh, Grant.”
She sounds confident, relaxed, and happy. There’s something we definitely need to address but I want to give her this moment, this time of safety and comfort. I kiss her forehead and her cheek and just keep my arms around her for a while. I gently run my hand up and down her back, but she keeps her hands right in place, just clinging to me. This is a perfect moment for her. I have to admit it’s a perfect moment for me as well.
I hate to ruin it. It can’t be helped, though. If I’m going to keep her safe and content, it can’t be accomplished anymore in secret. I can’t wait at all now that the pregnancy is out in the open. I kiss her cheek and grab my phone. He eyes turn into saucers when she sees me dial her father. Saucers? Make that platters.
“What’s up, Granite?” Hank asks.
“I’m going to ask your daughter to marry me,” I say, “And I know she’s going to accept.”
