“Date.” He chuckled. “Maybe not formally, but there have been plenty of times the two of us have been out together alone. Like I’ve taken you to half a dozen movies at least when your mom or sister couldn’t take you.”
That was true. Despite my attempts at being hateful, he would volunteer to take me to the Marvel movies Mom and Chris had no interest in seeing.
“And I’ve taken you out to eat more times than I could count. Hell, I would hold your hand and tell you it was to get you across the street just so I could. But no, I never asked you on a date, though we’ve been on plenty.”
How had I forgotten? Then again, my feelings for him were based on all his actions over the years.
“That was kid stuff,” I countered.
“To you. But to me, every time, I fell a little more in love with you.” My heart melted in my chest. “Jillian, since you’ve shut me out, I’ve had nothing but time to examine why I’ve never really had a serious girlfriend.”
“Chelsea?” I tossed out there.
He shook his head. “That was duty. First, I thought she was pregnant, and then because I thought it would be wrong to end our engagement when she lost the baby.”
“Do you think she was ever pregnant?” I blurted.
His shoulders fell. “I don’t know. I’d used a condom every time. Plus, with everything her girlfriend has gone on record saying, I don’t know. But I’d been willing to make a go of it until I stood at the wedding. I knew then the wrong woman stood before me.”
Though he didn’t say it, Eddie was a stand-up guy. He wouldn’t have been a runaway groom.
“You don’t know what a relief it was when I found out she was scheming,” he said.
“You had an out.”
He nodded. “I hate to think that way. I would have been faithful to her, but things worked out the way they did for a reason.”
Our hands were clasped while lying on the bed between us and I gave his a gentle squeeze.
“It took all the love I had for you to walk away the first time. I wanted you to have no regrets when I finally married you. But you’ve had your time. That old guy has to go.”
I laughed. “He isn’t old.” He gave me a mocking glare. “He’s a silver fox and out of the picture.”
That had been one of the first things I’d done when I returned, not that Cole and I had been in a committed relationship. But he was a good guy too. He’d guessed that Eddie was the guy I told him I was in love with as my reason for breaking things off.
“Good, because you’re mine. I’m never letting you go.”
“Yours?”
“Mine.”
He picked up something from his side and revealed the gold bands we’d been married with that first time. I was surprised he’d kept them. Then he kissed me in that possessive way he did the first time, and I knew my heart was forever safe in his hands before producing the box with the sparkling ring.
I didn’t take them from him, not yet at least.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” He held my gaze, waiting for me to continue. “I asked about your feelings because I didn’t want you to feel obligated in any way for what I’m about to say.”
Eddie, being the smart guy he was, figured it out. “You’re pregnant.”
I bobbed my head in tiny movements, but he got the gist.
“And it’s yours. I swear.”
He looked at me like I just offered him crack. It wasn’t like he didn’t realize we hadn’t used protection. A thought that hadn’t crossed either of our minds in the frenzy we’d been in when we were together.
“I love you, Jilly, and more importantly, I trust you. That was never a thought.” His hand found my heart. “You are mine.” His hand went lower to spread over my currently flat belly. “This baby is absolutely mine.”
I could have cried, but he kissed my tears away. We fell onto the pile of petals and he showed me just how much he loved me and the bean a million times over. Love him, I did absolutely. He was mine and I was his and there was no doubt in my mind that he was my forever.
Epilogue
We stood on the Champ de Mars, the beautiful gardens behind the Eiffel Tower which stood in the backdrop as we neared the end of our destination wedding ceremony.
How quickly my life had changed after sharing my secret.
Eddie was insistent we get married right away. He wanted our child born with me carrying his name and not weeks before our son or daughter was born.
With a potential media circus, I’d suggested a destination far away from people who cared who we were. Paris, being at the top of my bucket list, was my first suggestion. Eddie agreed. The NFL was not the prominent sport here and his brother could come without being mobbed by fans.