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The truth was, I wasn’t either at that point.
When I first met little Embry, she had stolen my heart. Just like Jurnee had when she first walked into my life again not so awfully long ago. Those two were special, easy to love, and were meant to be loved back. They deserved to be handed the moon.
“I’m so sorry babe, that had to be hard.” Not able to imagine what my girl had been through while trying to console Embry, and not being able to promise her the world like I knew Jurnee would have wanted to do, I was almost at a loss for words. Almost, but not quite.
I think it is time to reach for the stars.
Suddenly the timetable in my head changed course.
“Let’s get the dishes cleaned up, a movie picked out, and let me hold you okay?”
“Sounds perfect.” She paused. “And Brax... thanks for everything.
“You know I told you that you never had to thank me for being here for you.” I knew I was frowning and didn’t want her to think I was mad, but I needed her to understand she didn’t have to keep thanking me for supporting her in any way I could.
She offered me a small smile. “I know, but it’s been one thing after another, along with emotional shit too, and that’s just not fair to you.”
“Of course it’s fair, we’re a couple. That’s how it works and always will. Come on, let’s get cleaned up and comfy.”
Thirty minutes later, Jurnee was laying between my legs on the sofa, with her head on my thigh, while we watchedTransformers. After our first lunch date, it seemed only appropriate that we would watch that together.
Lightly stroking her hair, she seemed relaxed and content. When she turned a little and looked up at me with her big brown eyes, the words I spoke next were out of my mouth without thinking. But the moment they were, I had known they were exactly what I’d wanted to say.
“Marry me, and let’s adopt the little Doodlebug.”
Looking thoroughly shocked, she completely froze. I just carried on. Jurnee was my family now too, and with every ounce of blood flowing through my body, the angel that had captured my girl’s heart was too.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Braxton
I meantall eight words that came so swiftly from my lips, but I knew it was going to take many more to convince Jurnee that what I’d asked her was what I honestly wanted.
This wasn’t the first time proposing to her had crossed my mind, but I hadn’t over-analyzed since I had no clue when the time would be right. But in my heart, I knew that having her as my wife, along with Embry as my daughter, was what I wanted.
My heart raced with nervous energy as I waited for my girl to respond. “Are you going to say anything, Dimples?”
A wide-eyed Jurnee jumped off me and the couch then started pacing. It was like watching a caged lion at the zoo. Walking from one end of the room, turning, then heading the other direction. Back and forth she went, until suddenly, she stopped, looked at me, and…
“I have to pee.”
And just like that, she was gone.
It wasn’t the time to laugh, I knew that, but my girl didn’t make it easy not to sometimes. She was so damn adorable, and her nervous peeing habit was cute as hell. It would never get old. I just had to wait for her to convince herself to come back out.
Before long, she was back. Only now, she was pacing again, nearly burning holes in the hardwood. Finally stopping in the middle of the room, she placed her hands on her hips, a stern, crazed look on her face, and finally spoke her peace.
“Why would you say something like that, Braxton? You can’t mean it and it wasn’t fair to just blurt that out when you know what happened today and how badly I yearn for both of those things, yet I can’t have them!”
Now my girl was getting worked up. She needed to see that she could have both. We talked about this once— that I didn’t make it a habit to say and do things I didn’t mean, and she needed to believe in and trust that. Because I was one-hundred percent ready for this.
“What did I tell you before?” I asked her, standing up and moving in closer to her.
Looking at me confused, I wasn’t going to make her think too hard, she was struggling already.
“I told you I don’t say things I don’t mean, and neither do you. I know that you may find it hard to believe, but I’ve been thinking about this before tonight. I may not have known this was the time, but I have no doubt now. That little girl needs us, and you were meant for her, and she was meant for you. I just get the bonus of having you both in my life forever.” Pausing to see what she would say, I had to admit, I was scared shitless. And I didn’t get scared. But this woman waseverythingto me.
“You said you want to fix this for me, but that’s not the reason you go and get married.” Jurnee was teary-eyed and the anxiety panic laced her tone. You can’t just swoop in with grand gestures like that to save the day. Even if it’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
