Page 41 of Game Over
She smiled, touching her forehead against his. “I love you too. So much. I just wasn’t sure where we stood. You went quiet the past few days and I thought that meant you’d already written me off.”
“I was just trying to give you some space to figure things out. I didn’t want it to seem like I was pressuring you.” Even though it was the longest seventy-two hours of his life and he slept with his cell phone clutched in his hand every night, in case she decided to call.
“I want this, Deke.” She kissed him, framing his face with her hands. “I want a life with you. But that’s not all I want.”
He brushed his cheek against hers while gripping the back of her head, taking it all in. This may be it… their chance. Finally. “What else you want, baby? Anything.”
“I was wondering if you could squeeze me in today.”
Their eyes met as understanding dawned. “You mean you want me to cover your tattoo?”
“I want his name gone,” she whispered. “And yours there. Where it should have always been.”
Damn. She was doing him in. “I can do that, if you’re sure?”
“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything,” she murmured against his lips. “But that’s not all I want.”
He smiled. “Oh yeah? What else can I do for you, beautiful?”
She traced a fingertip over his heart, outlining the general area of the tattoo bearing her name. “Can we piece this heart back together again? I hate to think of you with a broken heart, because of me. I want to see it healed and whole. Like us.” She brushed her lips across his cheek. “We may have been broken, Deke. But not beyond repair.”
“Never beyond repair,” he whispered, knowing that it would take time to mend all of the fractures that time and distance created, but this girl was his forever, so there’d be no shortage of time to heal.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Harper couldn’t believe one girl could get as lucky as she had. She was living with the love of her life, well on her way to being debt-free, planning her dream wedding, and now celebrating the grand re-opening of her very own business.
Carolyn had taught her everything she needed to know about taking over for her and Harper finally felt confident enough to pull it off. She’d even started implementing some of her own ideas to increase registration and hired two new staff members.
And her landlord had given her, uh, very favourable terms when it was time to re-negotiate her lease. She’d learned accepting help from Deke didn’t make her weak. It made her feel fierce, knowing she had a man like him to back her up, no matter what life threw at her.
And life had just thrown her an unexpected curveball.
Deke slipped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. “I’m so proud of you, baby.” He looked around, admiring the changes they’d made to the centre while it had been closed for renovations. “The place looks great.”
She looped her arms around his neck as she kissed him. “I couldn’t have done it without you. I couldn’t imagine any of this without you.” She pulled him in close. “When I think of how different my life would have been if I’d married him—”
He growled, holding her tight. “Don’t. I can’t even stand the thought of you wearing that asshole’s ring.”
Deke had obliterated the memory of the ring she used to wear with a custom made two carat marquis that took her breath away every time she looked at it. “This,” she said, holding up her hand, “is the ring I was always meant to wear. And you,” she punctuated her point with a kiss. “Are the man I was always meant to marry. End. Of. Story.”
He grinned as he curled his arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground. “You know it, gorgeous. We may have taken the long way, but we got here eventually. That’s all that matters.”
He was right. In spite of everything that happened: the heartbreak and loss, failed relationships, secrets and lies, she wouldn’t trade any of it because it made them stronger as a couple.
“So, everyone’s gonna be here in a bit, huh?” he asked, setting her back on her feet and kissing her neck. “Wish we had a bit more time.”
They may not have enough time for what he had in mind, but they had more than enough for her surprise. “Everyone should start arriving soon. Jason and Jude should be here first. They’re picking up the cake and balloons on their way.” Her best friend was now engaged to her high school crush and they were moving in to their new house next week.
“Yeah, and my brother and Drew are picking up the rest of the stuff up from the party rental place, so we should be covered.”
Deke loved having his kid brother back home and Drew couldn’t get enough quality time with his daddy. That meant they had their apartment all to themselves again, except when they offered to babysit, which was often.
Deke teased her that they needed the practice, since he couldn’t wait to have one of their own.
“So, I did something,” she said, holding his hands in hers. “I hope you won’t be mad.” She prayed he’d be as happy as she was, but it would undoubtedly come as a shock.
