If I Need You (If You Come Back To Me 5) - Page 36

“Look at me,” he said.

She slowly lifted her head and met his stare. It annoyed her that she found the topic so charged. What did it matter to her that Ryan had a passion for the freedom of the open skies?

“Maybe the reason I always got so homesick when I wasn’t flying was that I never really had a permanent home after my parents died. I lived all over the globe in my years in the military. A plane became my refuge. That doesn’t mean I can’t eventually find a refuge somewhere else someday.”

“On the ground?” She glanced out the floor-to-ceiling windows again, not wanting him to see the doubt in her yes.

“Yeah. On the ground. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving to fly, but it’s possible to feel at home in more than one place, isn’t it?”

She put on a brave face and nodded. “Of course it is.”

She was glad when the music came to an end. She had a feeling from Ryan’s narrowed gaze that he didn’t really believe her convicted tone. He tugged on her hand when she started to return to their seats at the table.

“Let’s get your wrap and step onto the terrace for a moment,” he said.

“Okay,” Faith replied. Her heart started to do a drumroll on her breastbone as he led her out onto the empty terrace. The sun had sunk completely into Lake Michigan at this point, leaving a lingering residue of pink, purple and gold streaks in the western sky.

“What is it, Ryan?” Faith asked when they faced one another next to the rail of the terrace and she saw how somber his expression was. A chilly lake breeze swept past them. Faith shivered and pulled her wrap closer around her. Before she suspected what he planned, Ryan took her into his arms. She stiffened at first, but then found herself melting against him. She sighed, pressing her cheek to his lapel. The fortress of his embrace felt wonderful—solid, warm and secure.

“There’s something important we need to talk about,” he said. She became distracted when she felt him press his mouth to the top of her head, kissing her.

“What?” she asked, something in his serious tone making her wary.

“We need to talk about the baby—its security, both legally and financially.”

Faith swallowed and lifted her head. She could just make out his stark features in the dim light from the restaurant.

“All right,” she said. “What about it?”

He reached up and gently removed a windblown curl from her cheek. She shivered, but not from cold, when he tucked it behind her ear and his fingers grazed her skin.

“The thing of it is, Faith,” he began, “given the circumstances, I think the right thing to do—the only thing to do—is for us to get married.”

Chapter Eight

From her stunned expression of disbelief, Ryan realized it’d been the last thing she’d expected him to say. He felt himself sinking and forced himself to rally. He’d known this particular challenge wouldn’t be easy.

“You can’t be serious,” she said.

“I’m dead serious. Think about it, Faith. If we marry, I’ll have a legal responsibility for the child, no matter what.”

Anxiety leaked into her expression. “You need it to be a legal obligation to be a father to the baby?”

“No. That’s not what I mean. Of course I’ll do my part no matter what. More—if you’ll let me. But my point is, the legal contract of marriage makes things easier all around. The baby will automatically become my dependent. There won’t be any hassles with the Air Force in regard to providing all the benefits that go along with the fact that I’m a veteran.”

He saw her brows pinch together in dubious consideration at that. He pushed on. “Think about it, Faith. You have your own business. You know how expensive buying your own health care is. If we’re married, you’ll have coverage not only for the baby forever, but for yourself, as well. During the delivery.”

She bit at her lower lip, looking bewildered.

“There’s not only the legal and financial considerations,” he continued. “I’d love to say that in this day and age, it doesn’t matter to a child whether his parents have ever been married or not, but I think we’d both agree that just isn’t the case.” When he saw the doubt and anxiety lingering on her face, he threw out his trump card. He hadn’t wanted to use it, but Faith wasn’t going to give him any choice in this.

“We can get a divorce after the baby is born, if you like,” he said. He forced himself not to grimace at the words.

He was desperate for Faith to accept him into her life. If he had to resort to partial measures in order to gain her compliance, he’d take what he could get. His only hope was that if she allowed him in partially, he could eventually coax her into accepting him completely. Faith clearly had doubts about his worthiness as a partner. Given her past with Jesse, he couldn’t say he blamed her.

He just needed a chance. An opportunity to prove himself, once and for all.

He slid his hand into his jacket pocket. Her eyes went huge when he opened up the ring box. The lights from the interior of the restaurant glittered in the center diamond brilliant and glowed like a subdued fire in emeralds surrounding the band.

Tags: Beth Kery If You Come Back To Me Romance
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