“I love that house, I always have. Wait until you see it. The basement is finished so you could put your drums down there or have a space to get away. The wrap around porch is perfect for sitting out on a hot summer night and watching the sun go down. There are four bedrooms so each of the kids can have their own space. I think you and Quinn will fit in just perfectly.”
“Can we talk about a few things first?”
“Sure,” I try to sound confident, but I’m not going to lie, my insides are shaking.
Harrison rests his head on his hand and looks at me. “Moving in is a big step toward a serious commitment and that’s something I’m ready and willing to do, but I want us on the same page. I spent so much time trying to woo you that I bypassed a lot of the getting to know you crap that a normal dating couple figures out early on; like do they want kids and what are their views on marriage.”
“Do you want more kids?”
Harrison shrugs. “I don’t know. I can see myself happy with our three and if another one came along, I’d be happy with that as well.”
A part of me feels relief, because having twins is a lot of work and I can’t imagine adding another one, but another part of me longs to give him a child. I just don’t know which part is stronger right now. “I can live with that.”
“Good.” He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine. “Now, marriage.”
I feel my heart drop.
“I’m in love with you, Katelyn, and if you said you wanted to get married, I’d do it, but I’d like for you to think of something first and that’s the girls. I’ve told you that I respect your love for Mason and I’ll never ask you to stop loving him, and that includes changing your name. I don’t need some piece of paper to tell me that you’re mine, what I need is for you to love me, that’s all I ask. What I need is for Peyton and Elle to know their father and to know that I’m there for them when he can’t be. It’s important to me for them to decide how they want me around. If they come to me, years from now and say they want me to adopt them, I’ll do it, but it has to be their decision.
“This doesn’t mean I won’t marry you, I will, you just tell me when you’re ready, but I think we both know that you might not ever get there. I have no doubt in my mind that you’re a one wedding bride, and I’m more than okay with that. I respect that and love you more for it. I know we can have a long and happy life, standing side-by-side, watching our children grow up.
“I know Liam has been taking care of your bills. I know he paid off your house, but I want to take care of you now. I don’t want you to work, unless you want to. I know you like being home when the kids get out of school and I want that for you. Let me provide for you, Peyton and Elle.”
Tears pool in my eyes. How he knows me the way he does is beyond me. I move closer and nuzzle into the crook of his neck. His arms encase me, holding me to his body.
“I think if I was someone different, I’d be kicking you out of bed for saying we’re never getting married.”
Harrison laughs. “Baby, if you were someone else, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“No?”
“No,” he says leaning back to look
at me. “I only have eyes for Katelyn Powell.”
"ARE you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“You know I think it’s going to be sexy as hell, right?” I pick up our joined hands and kiss hers.
“No, I didn’t know that.” I can’t tell if she’s being coy or not.
I shake my head. “Fuck, baby, I’m hard just thinking about it.”
I pull into the parking lot of Rock City. I feel her stiffen next to me. I know she’s scared, but she knows that she can back out at any time. This is something she wants, something that she suggested.
I get out of the car and run around to her door and open it for her. I take her hand in mine and walk with her by my side.
When she came to me and said she wanted a tattoo, I thought she was joking, but she wasn’t. In fact, she had the design all picked out. I asked her how long she had been thinking about getting one, and she said a while.
The chime on the door rings out when we enter. I made her an appointment as soon as she asked. She fills out her paperwork and hands her drawing to the artist, who starts transforming it into something he can work with.
“Right this way,” he says. She grabs my hand. I squeeze hers, letting her know that I’m with her all the way.
“Where do you want it,” he asks. She looks at me and smiles. The location has been a secret until now. She lets go of my hand and lifts her shirt.
“Whoa, what are you doing?” I ask, as I try to pull her shirt back down.