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“Is Lee with you?”
I come closer to Landon and greet her. She gives me a big smile, warming up my heart. “Hey, baby girl.”
“Did you get me my special present yet?”
“I’ll work on it tomorrow,” I inform her. “Have you been good to Grandpa?”
She nods firmly.
“Have you helped him with Bob?”
“Yes, and he’s been sleeping with me,” she says, smiling widely.
We sit by the table, and while we’re having dinner, she tells us about her day. Bishop drove her to school on the snowmobile. She helped Bethany with Saturday’s wedding since the flower girl isn’t arriving until Friday.
“I want to be a flower girl,” she requests.
“If either one of your uncles gets married, I’ll convince the bride to choose you as one of the flower girls,” I offer.
“What about your wedding?”
“Cassie, it’s already nine,” Landon interrupts. “It’s time for bed.”
“Don’t forget what you promised me, Daddy,” she pouts.
After the call, I ask curiously, “What did you promise?”
He sighs. “You.”
“What?”
“Hear me out before you walk out on me,” he requests, holding my hand. “I already planned to come with you to New York. I had made all the arrangements with your dad and Carson. Later, when I came home, and Cassie was in bed, she said you were leaving and asked me to give you what you wanted so you can be her mom.”
My heart pounds harder and harder against my ribcage. Cassie has never asked for her mom or been curious about having a mother. She’s content with Landon. It’s the two of them.
“Look, I don’t want to skip steps and talk about the future when you’re still not sure about my feelings. Ideally, one day I’d love to marry you, have kids with you, and if you find it in your heart to adopt Cassie—”
“She’s mine,” I gasp. “I mean, I know she’s not really mine, but I feel as if she’s a part of me.”
He shakes his head.
“I should’ve acted sooner,” he says, standing up and extending his hand to me.
“It’s never too late,” I remind him as he wraps his arms around me, resting his interlaced hands on my lower back.
Our heads nod to the rhythm of Van Morrison. My head rests on his torso and I close my eyes briefly, hoping that whatever happens next includes Cassie and Landon.
ChapterNineteen
Knightly
It’s been years,almost two whole decades that I’ve been waiting for Landon to look at me the way he’s been doing for the past couple of days. He’s familiar. I’m used to having him close. My body is trained to keep itself in check when he’s around, even when my heart is pounding like a jackhammer. I should be elated about this next step. I stand frozen as the reality of what’s about to happen hits me like a lightning bolt.
Everything between us is about to change.
“Are you okay?” he asks, sliding an arm around my waist, locking me against his hard, powerful body.
I shiver as his fingers trail slowly over my face, tracing the lines of my jaw and the curve of my lips, as if he’s studying every inch of me. I don’t breathe or speak, afraid that I might wake up from this dream. My eyes flutter shut as his lips brush mine gently. The heat of his body fires up my insides.
