Two months later, Daisy looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised to see she actually looked good.

She was tired. Really tired. She looked a little pale, and there were shadows under her eyes. But she’d managed to take a long shower while Chloe was watching Molly, and she’d even blown her hair dry for the first time since Molly was born. Her red hair was shiny and smooth around her shoulders, and she’d put on a pretty lavender tunic top and a pair of black leggings.

She was too exhausted to wear anything that wasn’t comfortable, but she wanted to look pretty.

Carter was coming over for dinner tonight.

He’d been a regular visitor for the past two months, coming to Preston at least twice a week and sometimes even more often. He’d been great about spending time with Molly, and he’d been sweet and helpful with her.

They were friends again. And they were working together as parents really well.

But Daisy wanted them to be more than friends, and she just wasn’t sure how to make it happen.

She hadn’t really had time or emotional energy to work on her relationship status since every minute she had was spent caring for Molly or catching up on much-needed sleep. It was normal. Everyone told her it was normal to be in this state of exhaustion for the first months of a baby’s life.

But still…

She was finally feeling almost human again after waking up only once last night to nurse Molly and then taking a shower and putting on decent clothes. She’d made beef stew in her slow cooker so dinner was ready to go.

And Carter should be here any minute.

She walked out of her bedroom to find Chloe sitting on the couch, trying to stand Molly up on her knees. She was making faces, and the baby was laughing.

Daisy felt a wash of sentiment and found herself smiling sappily.

Chloe slanted a look toward her. “You’re not going to cry again, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Because you cried when I got Molly that blanket and—”

“I’m not going to cry! I was just… overly tired. I don’t cry about silly things.”

Chloe chuckled and adjusted Molly against her chest. “Yes, you do. You can blame it on exhaustion or hormones if you want, but you’ve definitely become a crier lately.”

“Well, I’m sure it won’t last very long.” Daisy came over and reached out for her baby. She’d never believed it was possible to feel this way—to need to see, hold, love a tiny person the way she did Molly. But she missed her when she wasn’t around Molly—even for just a half hour. “I’ll be back to my normal non-crying self any day now.”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so.”

Chloe’s eyes ran up and down Daisy’s body, from her shiny hair to her fuzzy lavender socks. “You look gorgeous today.”

Daisy glanced down at herself self-consciously. “I still need to lose some of the baby fat.”

“Eh. Not very much. And it certainly doesn’t make you look less than gorgeous. Big night planned tonight, I guess?” Chloe gave her a decidedly naughty look.

Ridiculously, Daisy felt herself flushing. “I don’t have anything big planned.”

“So it’s just an accident you look all sexy and feminine? You’re not trying to move things along with Carter?”

“Of course not.”

“Really.”

“Well, maybe a little. He’s been a perfect gentleman. I really appreciate him taking it slow.”

“But sometimes going slow isn’t all it’s cracked up to me. Best to give him a little push.”

She nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“You want me to watch Molly tonight? To give you all some grown-up time?”

“No. Carter will want to see her. I don’t even know if he wants grown-up time with me. He hasn’t made a move in…”

“Of course he wants grown-up time! That man is crazy about you. Any doubts he had were resolved the night Molly was born. He’s all in now, and he’s not going anywhere. He’s just trying…” Chloe shook her head. “I think he’s just waiting on you.”

“Waiting for me to what? What exactly does he expect me to do? Drag him into bed or something?” She asked the last sentence in a hushed voice, as if Molly shouldn’t be hearing it.

Chloe chuckled. “That’s not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all.”

Daisy sighed and felt happy and excited and nervous and everything at once. “We’ll see. He should be here in a little while.”

Chloe stood up. “Then that’s my cue to go. If you need anyone to babysit while you all have a little fun, just let me know.”

Daisy said she would.

***

Two hours later, Daisy and Carter were sitting on the couch, having eaten dinner and put Molly to bed.

Now was the time for Daisy to make her move, but now that the time had arrived, she was absolutely terrified.

What if Carter was happy with the way things were?

What if he wanted to keep his life the way it was, being part of Molly’s life but keeping his independence and life in Norfolk?

What if she was misreading all those soft, hot looks he gave her?

What if she’d imagined the fact that whatever sparked between them at the wedding had grown into something real and solid and lasting?

What if he was going to break her heart without even trying?

“What’s the matter?” he asked softly when they’d gone a full minute without speaking.

“Nothing.”

“Really? Because you look kind of… spooked or something.”

She sighed, deciding the only thing she could do was lay it all out on the line. She’d waited long enough.

They’d waited long enough.

“It’s just that… I don’t know… I’m a little nervous about telling you something.”

His shoulders went slightly stiff, and she had the sudden thought that he knew what she was going to say and didn’t want her to say it. “Telling me what?”

She swallowed and then swallowed again. “I…” She couldn’t say the truest thing, the most important thing. Not yet. So she started with something else. “I was talking to Jace the other day. You know Jace, who lives downstairs and is married to Isabella from the beauty salon?”

“Yeah, I know who he is.” Carter’s eyebrows had pulled together as if he were confused by the turn of conversation.

“Yeah.” Daisy took a couple of ragged breaths and made herself keep talking. “He works for the town of Preston. Did you know that? Anyway, he was telling me there’s a job coming available soon. He… he suggested it might be good for you.”

Carter stared at her for a long moment. “You want me to take a job with the town?”

“I don’t… only if you want to. It was just an idea. If you wanted to be closer. But it’s totally fine if you don’t. I’m not trying to pressure you or anything. I promise I’m not. You just seem to want to be around… around Molly all the time, and it would be easier if you weren’t so far away. It was just an idea. I’m sorry if it feels like I’m pressuring you. Jace just—”

Carter interrupted her rambling by raising a hand and cupping her face. “Angel, stop. I’m not mad. I’m not pressured.”

She made a silly little gasp. “You’re not?”

“No. I’ve actually been thinking about moving, looking around at possibilities.” He sighed and dropped his hand. “So what’s this job? Some white-collar, respectable, desk job?” His mouth twitched up in a wry way.

She gasped. “No! Of course not.”

“It’s not?” Carter asked, blinking twice.

“No! I’m not trying to change you. I’d never try to change you like that. I know it sounded like I was before, but that wasn’t about what I want you to be. It was just about… just about wanting everyone else to like you as much as I do. But that was wrong, and I’m really sorry for it. I want you exactly as you are, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”

His mouth parted slightly. “You want me?”

“Of course I want you. I love you! I love you like crazy—exactly as you are.”

His whole body went completely still. “You… love me?”

She realized she’d blurted out the thing she’d been too scared to admit before. Her cheeks were hot and her breath was uneven, and the world seemed to be shuddering in front of her eyes. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I love you. The job was a mechanics job—servicing the town vehicles. But if you don’t want it—”

“A mechanics job? You got me a mechanics job?”

“I didn’t get the job for you. Jace just said it was coming open. It’s not been advertised yet, but you could apply if you—”

Before she could finish the sentence, Carter had taken her face in both hands and leaned into a kiss. It wasn’t a gentle or soft kiss like the ones he’d been giving her for the past two months.

This was different.

This was deep.

This was powerful and urgent and possessive.

Like he was finally claiming what was his.

She gasped against his mouth and wound her arms around his neck, opening to the advance of his tongue.

It had been almost a year since the night they first met—at Chris and Heather’s wedding. Almost a year since they’d first had sex.

So much had happened in between, but this hadn’t changed.

She still wanted, needed Carter’s touch just as much.

And he obviously wanted her just as much too. “Angel,” he murmured, pulling away from her mouth so he could press a line of kisses along her jaw. “I love you too. I always have.”

Deep feeling was bursting to life in her heart at his words, at the way he was kissing her, and it didn’t take much effort for him to lay her down on the couch and kiss her again, even deeper this time.

“You really love me?” she asked hoarsely, when she’d finally managed to drag her mouth away from his.

He’d kept busy, nibbling down her neck and running his hands up and down her body. “Of course I do. Surely you know how much I do. I’ve loved you… forever.”

“Me too.”

“I know I made mistakes. I know you needed to feel comfortable that I was fully committed to this. But I am. You and Molly are my life now, and that’s never going to change.”

She let out a little sob of pure joy. “Me too! I made mistakes too, but I trust you completely. I love you. I want you always in my life. I want you as close as you can be. That’s why…” She trailed off when Carter’s hands found her breasts and fondled them over her bra.

“That’s why what?” he asked with a smug little smile.

He obviously knew the effect he was having on her body and was enjoying it. She moaned uninhibitedly as arousal built inside her. But she managed to say, “That’s why I wanted you to move closer. But only if you want to.”

“I do want to. I want to live with you and Molly, if you’ll have me.”

She arched up into his touch, her hips shifting restlessly. “I’ll have you. I want nothing more than to have you.”

Carter’s body was hot and tense—so tense if felt like it might implode with everything he was feeling. His eyes were like blue flames as he gazed down at her, everything she ever needed to know about his love and devotion there for her to see.

She hadn’t been wrong. She hadn’t been imagining things.

He wanted this as much as she did.

They were in this together all the way. With Molly.

Forever.

A family.

She was almost crying with the joy of it as he leaned down to kiss her again. And soon they were rocking together urgently, tearing at each other’s clothes.

She’d just reached between their bodies to wrap her hand around his erection when a sound broke into their ragged breathing and soft moans.

A sharp, piercing, familiar sound.

Molly had woken up and was screaming her head off from the nursery.

Carter slumped on top of her. “Shit,” he said, holding his body very tightly.

Daisy still had her hand wrapped around him intimately. She stayed still. “Just wait a minute. Sometimes she stops.”

They waited for two minutes, but the screaming didn’t stop.

Daisy groaned. “Oh, the poor little thing.”

“I can go—”

She chuckled as she hauled herself off the couch. “I think I’m in better condition than you.”

Leaving Carter sprawled on the couch, shirtless and visibly aroused, she hurried into the nursery and picked up Molly, checking her diaper and then sitting down to rock her back to sleep.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

In a few minutes, she was able to return to Carter.

He was in better condition now, after the break, and he stood up when she came in.

“All good?” he asked, his eyes soft on her face.

She nodded. “All good.”

“You still in the mood?”

She looked at him—handsome and sexy and sweet and strong and rough around the edges. Her Carter, exactly as she wanted him. “Definitely still in the mood.”

His face relaxed in relief and he reached out to scoop her up in his arms. She let out a little squeal of surprise as he carried her into her bedroom.

He laid her down on the bed, and she gazed up at him as he shucked his shoes, socks, and jeans. Then he lowered himself on top of her, and she pulled him down against her.

They just lay together, hugging for a minute, and Daisy was almost crying again with feeling, with joy, when he finally raised his head to look down on her.

“I love you, angel,” he murmured thickly.

“I love you too,” she whispered back.

“You and Molly and the family we can make together is everything I want.”

“It’s what I want too.”

He kissed her very gently, and she couldn’t hold back anymore. She responded immediately, without hesitation or inhibition, finally, finally taking everything she wanted and giving it back to him.

They didn’t stop kissing as they removed what was left of their clothes, touching and stroking and claiming until they were both tense and aroused again. Then Carter was sinking inside her—slowly, deeply—and she was crying out from the pleasure of it as he started to thrust.

He was trying to keep his rhythm slow and steady, but she was too excited to go slow. She rocked up into him eagerly, accelerating their rhythm until both of them let go completely, their lovemaking hot and intense and almost wild.

Soon the pleasure was resting inside her, and she was crying out loudly as her orgasm coiled up and released. Then he was coming too with a loud, helpless exclamation, and both of them were hot and breathless and deliciously sated as they relaxed together, still tangled up in each other’s arms.

Carter kept pressing little kisses against her mouth and cheeks and chin, murmuring out “I love you” under his breath.

She clung to him, knowing for sure that she’d never have to let him go.

He wasn’t going to leave her. Ever.

He was completely hers—and Molly’s—as much as she was his.

“So I won’t have to dress up for this job with the town?” Carter asked after he finally rolled over onto his back.

She snuggled up at his side with a smile. “Not unless you want to dress up to work in a garage.”

He chuckled. “Probably not.” He paused. “And you really don’t care—about what your folks and the people from church and everyone think?”

She shook her head. “My folks already like you. They’ve warmed to you a lot since Molly was born, and they’ve seen how great you are with her. And the people I really care about will get to know and like you too. The rest of them…” She shrugged, realizing suddenly that she’d really changed—she’d changed as much as Carter had since Molly was conceived. “Who the heck cares?”

His smile was warm and fond, and he leaned down to brush a kiss against her hair. “That’s my angel. Telling the world to go to… heck.”

She giggled but wasn’t even embarrassed. She knew Carter loved her—all of her—the way she loved him.

And he didn’t care if she still couldn’t bring herself to swear.

He loved her just the same.

***

Two weeks later, Daisy was holding Molly in her arms and watching Carter, Chris, and Jace as the men were hauling boxes into her apartment.

Their apartment. Hers and Carter’s and Molly’s.

Carter was moving in today.

So was Teddy.

Carter had gotten the mechanics job with the town without any trouble at all, and he was starting next week. He’d worked out with his friend Kirk the run of his garage in Norfolk so he didn’t have to close it down. But most of his work would be here. In Preston.

They were going to build a life here together, and at least for a year or two, they were going to keep living in Preston’s Mill.

She loved this building. And she loved the other tenants.

She wasn’t ready to move into a house yet.

The guys were laughing over something Chris had said as they lowered their boxes onto the floor of the living room. Carter wasn’t a pack rat, and he really didn’t have a whole lot of possessions. There shouldn’t be any trouble working his stuff into the apartment.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, jostling Molly when she started to fuss softly.

“Nothing,” Carter said, his blue eyes sparkling.

Daisy frowned suspiciously as she looked from guy to guy. They all looked amused—and slightly sneaky.

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

Before anyone could answer, Chloe strolled into the room, her hair wilder and bigger than normal from the humidity today. She was carrying one of Carter’s boxes, and she balanced it on top of two others. “Have you told her yet?” she asked, her eyes focused on Carter.

Carter shook his head, clearly hiding a smile.

“Told me what?” Daisy demanded. “Someone tell me what’s going on?”

“Hold on a minute, angel,” Carter said. “You’ll see when we come back up.”

Daisy huffed and scowled as the guys left the apartment to go back downstairs. She tried to get Chloe to tell her, but Chloe wouldn’t say a word. Her eyes were laughing though, so there was definitely something going on.

In a few minutes, Daisy discovered the source of the amusement. The three guys came back into the apartment, holding between them the ugliest green-brown recliner that Daisy had ever seen.

Daisy stared at it in shock.

Chris was almost snorting in his attempt to keep from giving in to his obvious hilarity. “Isn’t she a beauty?”

“What… what is that?”

Carter frowned at her. “It’s my favorite chair.”

“But it’s… it’s… it’s…”

“Is something wrong with it?” Carter asked, arching his eyebrows with impressive coolness. His eyes were still laughing though.

Daisy walked over to the recliner to inspect it, and it was even uglier up close, with a weird, hypnotic tiny pattern in the fabric. “It’s the color of baby poop,” she said at last.

“You just say that because of all the diapers you’ve been changing lately. It’s a nice earthy color. And who cares what color it is? It’s really comfortable. You don’t mind if I keep it, do you?” Carter gave the chair an affectionate pat.

Daisy almost strangled on the words, but she managed to say, “Seriously?”

“If you can believe it,” Chris said, “he hasn’t even given the chair a name. My recliner is named Flo.”

“I know all about Flo,” Daisy said.

“So I’m trying to convince Carter to name his chair to. What do you think about the name Jo?”

Daisy looked from Chris to Carter, and she was still trying to make up her mind how to respond when Molly let out a little giggle and waved a hand toward the recliner.

“See,” Carter said, stepping over to take Molly out of her arms. “Molly loves the chair too.”

Daisy couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine. You can keep the ugly thing. Maybe I can cover it with a pretty throw or something.” She stretched up to kiss Carter on the jaw. “If I love all of you, I guess that means accepting your horrible recliner.”

Carter kissed her back. “Sounds like love to me.”