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“Let me help you with that,” a deep voice says.
I whirl around to see Cole standing at the other end of the conference room, his hands in his pockets. I was so busy tearing at the bubble wrap, I didn’t notice him come in.
His posture is nonchalant. But I can see the tension in his jaw.
“Is it...?” I ask.
He cracks a crooked smile. “Let’s give you the full effect.”
He strides to the painting, pulls out a pocketknife, and slices huge swaths of plastic away from the painting, until it’s completely revealed.
It’sLeap of Faith.The one his dad owns. The one that inspired me to move to New York.
“Is it...is it a reproduction?” I ask, trying to make sense of why he’d give me this.Howhe could give me this.
“Fuck no,” Cole says. “You wanted something real.”
My chest tightens. I stare at the painting, scared to think of what this can possibly mean.
I tear my gaze from the painting to look at the man I’ve spent far too long trying not to love.
“Cole,” I say. “What does this mean?”
“You said this painting helped you make a decision once. To risk doing something messy, before you were ready, because you knew something wonderful could come of it.” He swallows. “Because you knew...you knew you wanted it.”
I nod. The intensity of his gaze steals my breath.
“So, I thought, if you had this painting to look at every day, it could help you believe in me. In us. In our family. Help youbelieve the mess is worth it.” He watches me intently, waiting for my reaction.
My heart’s beating fast as I turn back toward the painting. “Is it on loan?” I ask.
“No. It’s yours. Whatever you decide.”
The money needed to buy this painting would mean nothing to Cole. But the person he would have had to buy it from...
“What did it cost?” I ask.
“Breakfast once a month with my dad. He wants to work on our relationship if you can believe it,” Cole says. “Also, I had to use up Kiera’s college fund.”
I gasp, whirling toward him. “No!”
He laughs. “Kidding. About the college fund.”
“But...you told me you’d never ask him for anything.”
Cole takes a step closer to me. “You’re worth changing for,” Cole catches my face gently between his palms. So I can’t look away from the truth in his eyes.
“You and our family come first, Amelia,” he says. “Before my pride. Before this company. Before my dad. You come first. And it might be messy at first, as I learn how to show that. But if you give me the chance, I promise I’ll keep trying.”
My breath feels ragged. I realize I’m on the verge of crying.
“I love you,” Cole says. His voice is hoarse. “I love you so fucking much, Amelia.”
Then he kisses me. I’ve never had a kiss like this. It tastes like hope, and commitment, and telling the truth, and trying again tomorrow. It tastes like falling for him, again and again, every day for the rest of my life.
It tastes like love.
I pull back, searching his face. “Cole, it’s not just me anymore. I’m pregnant. So it will be less sex toys, and more figuring out to be a parent. I mean, you’re already a parent,” Ibabble. “But I’ll be figuring it out, and I might get cranky when I’m pregnant and...you don’t look surprised.”
