AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her tears gutted him.
He reached up to brush them away and bent to touch his lips to hers.
“What if I turn out to be like my father?” he whispered.
She smoothed her fingers along his cheek. “What if you don’t? We only live once, and we don’t even know how long that might be. I won’t pass on a chance for happiness. Either one of us could’ve died tonight. Would you have died with regrets? I would have. I would’ve regretted that I didn’t tell you how I feel, that I didn’t kiss you enough or make you realize what an incredible man you are.” She curled her fingers into his T-shirt and yanked him closer. “Don’t leave,” she said, her eyes flashing with her passion.
“I can’t,” he said, a sense of release welling inside.
She continued. “Don’t walk away from a life filled with happiness, children and love.”
“I won’t,” he said, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“You’re kind, gentle with children and in complete control of your emotions. You’ll never be like your father. You’re better than him and worthy of all the happiness your heart desires.”
Gerard’s lips spread into a grin. She was so caught up in convincing him to stay she hadn’t heard him.
She stared into his face, her cheeks blooming with color. “You have to understand what an incredible—”
Gerard covered her mouth with his, stemming her flow of words. As the kiss deepened, she melted against him.
When he lifted his head, he smiled down into her eyes. “We’ve only known each other a couple days—”
“The heart knows what the heart knows,” she countered.
“Shh.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Let me finish.”
She nodded, kissed his finger and let him continue.
“You say I saved you when, in truth, you saved me. I shut people out when they got too close. But you didn’t let me. You showed me what I didn’t realize. I can be kind to children. I can control my anger.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead. “I can love without hurting the ones I love.”
Bernie wrapped her arms around him. “You deserve to love and be loved,” she said. “You’re a good man. And if I’m not the one for you, there’s someone out there who is. You just have to open your heart.”
“Bernadette,” he said, liking the way her full name sounded. “My heart is open. To you.”
She looked up into his eyes. “You mean that? You’re not saying that because you feel sorry for me, and my begging got to you?”
He laughed. “I mean it. The thought of walking away from you nearly brings me to my knees. I can’t do it. I want to be with you. I want to get to know you better. I want...” he swallowed hard, “I want to have babies with you.”
She laughed, the sound catching on a sob. “You’re not afraid?”
“Sweetheart, I’m terrified.” He crushed her to his chest, burying his face in her hair. “But I’m more terrified of losing you. Of wasting time second-guessing my ability to be a good father. I want you. I want a life with you. A family filled with children, love and laughter. I think I’ve always wanted it but was afraid I could never have it.”
She raised his hand to her cheek, tears streaming down her face. “We can have all of that. Together.”
Epilogue
Gerard stood at the stove in the farmhouse he now shared with Bernie, making scrambled eggs while coffee brewed on the counter behind him.
He wore nice slacks, a white button-down shirt and patent leather shoes. It had been a long time since he’d worn a suit. Thankfully, Bernie had helped him pick out this one. She’d assured him he could use it for multiple occasions, including their wedding, just three short months away.
He'd wanted to get married sooner, but Bernie’s friends talked her into waiting long enough for them to secure a venue and schedule all the things women expected at a wedding.
Bernie said none of that mattered to her, but it made her friends happy to be involved, and she was happy her friends were happy. So, she’d agreed to go along for the ride.
Wearing the suit today wasn’t for a happy occasion but more for closure.
After learning Dean Chauvin was her half-brother, Swede looked further, searching for Bernie’s father. He found him listed as Bernard Chauvin, former resident of New Orleans. He’d died over a decade before—the cause of death: heart failure. Bernie had visited his grave in New Orleans and seemed to have made peace with the memory of her father.
