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“What?” I urge gently, leaning closer until our hands meet on the blanket.
“Sometimes, I think he’s right. I’m too impulsive and don’t think about the consequences. I mean, look at me. Pregnant at twenty-three with no clue which of you three is the father. Daddy’s going to be furious, and I won’t blame him.” Mia nibbles on her slice of cheese, falling silent.
“You know, he and your mother weren’t married when she got pregnant the first time,” I say, watching Mia closely. I don’t know if her parents have ever told her that part of their history. It always seemed like Karen and Mike found it too painful to talk about—even to me.
“I’m sorry. What?” Mia turns her full attention to me now, her hand lowering from her mouth as her lips remain slightly agape.
“Yeah. Your mom found out she was pregnant about three months into their dating, and when she told your father, he proposed to her on the spot. I don’t know that anything else would have driven him to put so much into that relationship. He’s always been a workaholic.”
Mia snorts. “Don’t I know it. But then… what happened?” she asks, her tone hesitant, like she’s not sure she wants to know.
“They had something of a shotgun wedding.”
“Which you officiated,” she says, a smile spreading across her lush lips.
I laugh. “Which I officiated,” I confirm. “Nice to know they managed to fit that detail into the story.”
Mia leans closer, her arm brushing against mine as she gives me her undivided attention.
“They lost the child very late in the pregnancy—too late, really. It nearly destroyed them. Your father turned to his work for solace, trying to forget his grief by working himself ragged. Your mom, on the other hand, man, she rose above her sadness like an avenging angel. And she told him she would have a child—with or without him.”
A sad smile spreads across Mia’s face now, and the tip of her nose pinkens as her eyes start to shine with emotion. “That sounds like Mom,” she breathes.
“You were born a year and a half later, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen prouder parents.”
Mia shakes her head, her face baffled. “I’ve never heard them tell the story that way. I never thought… well, I guess I always assumed my mom wanted kids and my dad compromised with giving her me.”
“I assure you, they both want you. They wanted you more than the sun and the moon combined. But I don’t know that your dad ever fully recovered from the grief of that first loss. I think he never discovered how to pull himself out of the sanctuary of his work. It’s his safe space, where he knows he can reside without feeling too much of anything. You know? But he loves you, Mia. More than you’ll ever know.”
“How do you know that?” she murmurs, her voice hitching.
“Well, because I spend more time with him than anybody. He talks about you all the time. And though I know it might not always seem like it, he would give anything to see you happy. In truth, I think part of why I love you is because I feel like I already know all the wonderful things about you.”
A tense silence stretches between us as Mia’s blue eyes search mine, their intensity like lasers cutting straight to my soul. “You love me?”
Shoot, I did say that, didn’t I?
Not that it’s untrue. I feel more strongly for Mia than I do about any woman I’ve ever been with—and we’re not really even dating. Yet. But I’ve seen the woman she’s grown into. I’ve spent enough time with her to know I love her humor, her intelligence, her vivacity. And now, I know that I’m attracted to her too. With an astounding intensity.
“Does that scare you?” I ask softly, slowly raising my hand to brush my knuckles along her fine cheekbone.
Her breath catches in her throat, her eyes dilating as her lips part. But she seems at a loss for words. Then she murmurs the single sweetest word. “No.”
My heart swells, and I lean in to capture her lips in a soft kiss, a warmth surrounding us in its cozy glow. Mia pulls back a moment later, her eyes finding mine once more.
“I feel like I know you too, Luke. Sometimes, even better than my dad. But I do wish I knew you better. I mean, I know all the big stuff like where you’re from, where you live now, and what you do for a living. But I don’t really know much about your hobbies outside of the business—or even if you’ve had a serious girlfriend before. I vaguely recall Daddy saying something about how you’ve never been married.” Her blush is adorable, and it makes me chuckle as I realize the direction we’re going.
“Ask me anything, and I’ll tell you. The afternoon is yours, and I want to spend as much of that time with you as you’re willing to give me.”
The warmth of Mia’s smile could melt away the snow, and she snuggles closer to me now, resting her head on my shoulder.
“Okay, did you have a favorite pet growing up?”
“Definitely my black lab Furby.”
Mia laughs. “Okay, there has to be a story behind a name likethat.”
I grin. “Well, you know I have three younger sisters, right?”
