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I shake my head. “No.” I slash my arm through the air. “No.” I glare at him. “No. You’re living your dream. I cannot—I will not—ask you to give it up because I’m squeamish and worried. I’ll get used to it.”
“Boy.” His voice is soft yet commanding.
My knees quiver. “Yes, Daddy?”
“You are my dream. When I look into the future, I see the two of us. We’re the cake. Everything else is icing. I need you like I need oxygen. I don’t need rugby.”
“Yes,” I whisper. “You do. But I appreciate the gesture. Just try not to get hurt too often or too badly, Daddy. Please?”
He chuckles. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all I’ll ever ask of you.”
“Remind me before every match, boy.”
“I will, Daddy.”
“And I’ll text you as soon as possible to let you know I’m okay.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“Are we okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, we’re good.”
He uses his good arm to pull me into a hug. “I meant what I said, Wren. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
I sniff. “I can’t imagine mine without you.”
“Look at me.”
I lift my face.
He bends down and kisses me, wincing a little. “Let’s go home.”
“Don’t you need to celebrate as a team or something? You won.”
“No. The only person I want to celebrate with is you. Alone.” He winces. “You might have to be gentle with me, though.”
“I will be, Daddy. It’s my turn to look after you.”
Chapter 13
Tanner
Nine months later
* * *
By the time Wren gets home from work, I’ve transformed our flat and the terrace into a twinkling wonderland, thanks to low lighting and hundreds of fairy lights. Dinner is in the slow cooker, ready to be served whenever we want. A linen cloth and rose petals adorn the table. Soft, romantic music is playing in the background. I’m wearing a suit in the same cut and style as the one I wore on the night of our sixth-form prom. My pulse is racing, and my nerves are jangling, but there’s also a flicker of excitement building up within my heart, getting bigger as the moments tick by.
A key turns in the lock. I stand, waiting for Wren to come into the living area.
“Daddy?” his voice is soft and a little confused.
“In here, boy.”
There’s a pause. No doubt he’s taking his shoes off and putting them away on the rack in the closet. Then he steps into the living area, his eyes widening as he stares at the fairy lights hanging everywhere. His gaze settles on me, and his eyebrows climb so high they vanish beneath his blond curls. The lights twinkle in the lenses of his glasses and his big brown eyes.
