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It was his passion, his dream. Why would he do this?
“Why?” He smiled, stepping closer.
His fingertips grazed mine.
“Because you’re not my second choice, Bexley Black. You’re not an afterthought. I made the worst mistake of my life letting you assume you were anything less than my everything. I love you. You’re it for me. Acting was never supposed to be the thing I loved…it was only ever you.”
His minty breath cooled my face; his soft touch scorched my skin. It was all too much.
“But…” I tried and failed to even come up with a coherent response.
“I fucked up back in Portland…but I was so shocked that you’d shown up and there was so much in the works, I was afraid you’d guess at my plans and ruin the grand gesture thing.”
I tried to step back, get some air, but my throat still felt too tight.
“What grand gesture… Did you…?” I couldn’t even say it. I couldn’t think it. I wouldn’t let my heart dare to hope.
“I called about this place, having remembered it might be up for sale while I was still in Brazil. The second I walked away from the film, I put a call in. I choose you, Bex. I want you.” His fingers pressed into my hips as his nose skimmed my face.
I didn’t trust my legs or my lungs to keep me standing, so I gripped his arms.
“So you…” Still not a coherent sentence in my whole damn mouth. “You moved here?”
There it was, my dumb question—purchasing a property did not mean he’d moved here. I winced, realizing my error.
“Yes, I did. I’ve also been keeping up with Cole’s baseball, which was why I stepped in and became coach.”
Wait a second… “Did you rake my leaves…and have you been watching me?”
A slow red flush took over his features, and it was cute as hell.
“Guilty. Maybe I overstepped, especially with getting Coach Meyers fired, but he was being an asshole and I couldn’t take it anymore.”
IknewMeyers hadn’t retired.
In a normal scenario, I’d fume with him over Meyers and gush about how sweet it was that he had raked my yard, but I couldn’t even grasp that tiny thread of news. I was still reeling from the fact that Ryan had been here, setting up his life behind the scenes…for us.
“So…” My voice shuddered as my head tipped back. I didn’t know what to do with this information; it was all too much and too big, but my heart was soaring.
“So, I’m not finished,” he whispered against my ear.
Gripping my hand, he led me to the steps of the house, where he tugged the key out and unlocked the door. I was greeted by greatness. There was dark walnut flooring beneath my feet and freshly painted walls in a soft eggshell hue that looked rich and full against the dark crown molding and baseboards. The windows were bright and airy, the fireplace redone with white brick. It all looked like a house I could only dream about living in, something I’d pin on one of my Pinterest boards.
“No furniture?” I looked around curiously. Ryan’s place in Portland had been meticulously thought out, so the fact that this place was bare made me curious.
“I know you love your home, Bex…but I was wondering if you’d consider moving here…moving in with me—and the kids, obviously,” he rambled nervously. I looked up in time to see his jaw reddening. “You should know…they’ve already said yes.” He recovered, smiling at me with that panty-dropping grin.
Move in…here…my dream house? I turned my back to him and headed toward the kitchen, where my heart nearly stopped. It was perfect, massive, glorious…
“You asked the kids?” I softly exhaled, trailing my fingers along the tall butcher block counters. It was similar to what he had in Portland, which proved he was planning to tailor this house to his tastes.
“I did…and for what it’s worth, they have very strong feelings about my next question.”
I turned around in time to see him kneeling in the middle of the floor.
“I took you for granted ten years ago. I knew you were the one for me then, but I just let you hang in the background while I chased my dreams…always assuming you’d wait there in the shadow of my spotlight. Then, I get this second chance with you, and because I was too chickenshit to own up to my insecurities, I let you go again.”
Tears were already threatening to fall down my face as his eyes brimmed with love. I stepped closer to him while his throat bobbed up and down.
