CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

VALERIE

Sunshine filled the room, making it warm and cozy. Making it impossible for me to picture it as anything other than a nursery.

A nursery.

Worry churned in my stomach at the unknown, mixing uncomfortably with what Bryan had done. He’d bought us a house. Not just any house but the house. I couldn’t have dreamt up a place more perfect. Standing at the bay window, I watched Bryan and his brothers chase after a giggling Lexi, and I tried not to let my imagination run wild with what could be.

“I like this room more than the kitchen.” A feminine voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to face Nicola at the doorway. “I think this is my favorite room of the entire house,” she shared, and I smiled as she stepped in closer, sitting at the bench seat next to me. I had to agree. It was a great room.

“It has great lighting,” I pointed out, a little nervous about being alone with Nicola. I loved her, she was interesting and funny, but she was a handful and you never knew what to expect.

“It does,” she agreed as a soft, wistful smile fell over her face as she took in the sight of her grandsons and great grand-daughter. “Did he tell you I came with him when he first saw it?”

“No.”

“I told him he should bring you, but he wanted to surprise you. After everything that happened with Courtney—“

“You couldn’t argue with him?” I guessed.

“The one and only time I haven’t been…” She shook her head, her eyes glittered.

“I think we’ve all been in the same boat. I still can’t even get myself to disagree with him about what to eat for dinner,” I admitted, and we both laughed.

“We need to stop it, or else we will create a monster,” Nicola deadpanned. I knew she was right, and by the look she was giving me, she knew I knew. “The house has some work it needs done.”

“Yeah.” I smiled dreamily. Thinking about how he’d pointed out each project we could work on together made my smile even brighter. He was looking forward to us working side by side, and I had to admit the idea of renovating and making this house our home made me giddy.

This is our home. The thought settled in my soul in a beautiful way. I have a home. With the most incredible man.

A whisper of what might or might not be on the horizon crashed into me, and I smiled weakly, looking away from Nicola. My eyes focused on the strong-looking tree as my mind ran slightly wild.

It was a tall, thick tree. Bright pink flowers bloomed over the branches, the leaves bright green and glossy. Somehow, staring at it, it stood for everything I had ever wanted and until now had just found in my life. The color of life so bright and beautiful that it moved you. A foundation so solid, you knew it could withstand any type of weather life would throw at you.

Bryan and I had just faced one big obstacle, and in my opinion were overcoming it just fine. If anything, I loved him even more than before the whole Courtney thing escalated, if it was even possible.

Would he be okay, happy, if things changed again? He’d shared repeatedly about wanting a family. A family he had wanted in the past. The only thing was, he had never said he wanted one with me.

Would he want more than me? More than a huge, sprawling house? He hadn’t straight out said he wanted it with me, had he?

Nicola’s delicate, wrinkled hand touched my shoulder, and I turned to face her. Soft and warm eyes stared back at me. The strength of her hand radiated through me. Weirdly enough, the small touch alone made me feel a little braver, more confident. Belief that no matter what, everything would be okay.

“He’s going to be beyond the moon excited, Val,” she gently shared, and my eyes widened.

“What?” How does she know?

“Honey, look at me.”

“Nic—“

“I know my age doesn’t show.” She winked. “But a girl that’s been around as long as I have, hell, I’ve been around the block a time or two.”

“Nicola, I—“

“You haven’t told him yet?” she guessed, and I swallowed.

“I don’t know if there is anything to tell yet,” I answered honestly, letting go of any pretenses. What was the point of lying?

“You know, Valerie, I’ve been a very lucky… blessed woman. Each of my grandkids, all of them are so different. Night and day different. I mean, look at Garrett and Marc. They look so much like each other, but they’re complete opposites. But as different as they are, the thing all my grandkids had in common, honey, was a sense of who they were. What they wanted to do with their lives and where they wanted to go.” I smiled thinking how great it must have been to have a woman like Nicola to help them figure out those things. “Bryan has always wanted to have a family.”

“But—“

“And when that conniving, little—“ Her tone died off and she shook her head, obviously sweeping all her thoughts of Courtney aside. “My point is, sweetheart, he’s going to be happy. Beyond happy, my child.“

“What if he’s not?” I asked, not caring how exposed it left me.

“Valerie. We both know you’re a smart girl. Why do you think he bought such a huge house?” I blinked slowly, looking away from Nicola and around the room, thinking about the size of the place, and I finally let my heart hope.

“Are you bothering my girl, Grandma?” Bryan asked, making me jump and fake a smile.

“I could never bother her. She loves me,” she scoffed playfully.

“Right,” he mused as his mouth fought from smiling, and I nodded.

“It’s true, I love your grandma.”

“And she loves you,” Nicola shared. Warmth spread through me, her eyes reflecting her sincerity. With a wink, she turned to Bryan. “I was just telling Val how I think this room should be a dove grey,” she added, tilting her head, looking back and forth between him and me. “With navy blue and bright yellow accents.” Is she hinting at what I think she is? If Nicola was, she wasn’t going to give me anything else. With a squeeze to my hand and a pat on Bryan’s shoulder, she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

“I know I invited them, Val, but I want to be alone with you.” I smiled weakly and knew I had to talk to him.

“Bryan—“ I started to say. He stepped in even closer. His hands slid around me, his fingers at the small of my back.

“We need to talk,” we both said.

At. The. Very. Same. Time.

BRYAN

Earlier, he hadn’t had the right words, and before he could find them, his family showed up and he had to wait.

Again.

No more. He needed to talk to his girl and ask her once and for all.

“I know I invited them, Val, but I want to be alone with you,” he laid out, holding her in his arms, his fingers stroking her lower back as he tried to ignore the way his heart was pounding against his chest.

“Bryan—“ He was done talking.

“We need to talk,” he said, her voice echoing each of his words.

“What?” they both asked, and he shook his head.

“Me first.”

“No. Bryan, what I need to say is really important…” But he was done waiting.

“Please,” he said letting her go and taking a step back. He was grateful that she stayed quiet, her inquisitive eyes trying to figure him out. Slowly, his eyes never wavering from hers, he kneeled at her feet. With a deep breath, he took her left hand in his and licked his lips.

“Valerie Duncan.” He swallowed and looked up at her. Her beautiful green eyes stared back at him in surprise, and the smile on his face grew.

“Oh, my gosh,” she gasped so softly he almost missed it.

“I love you. I love you in a way I never knew possible. I love you in a way that I know that no matter what life throws at us, as long as we’re holding hands, we weather any storm.”

“Handsome—“

“I want what we have. I love what we have. But I also want it to grow into more. Blondie, fuck me, I want the world to know you’re mine. I want my ring on your finger and yours on mine.” His voice was thick with emotion as he reached into the front pocket of his pants. Taking out the black box that had been burning a hole in his pocket.

“Bryan.” Her wide eyes moved to the box and then back to him. “Oh, my—“ she started to say, tears running down her face, and he reached up to wipe them away.

“From the first moment I saw you, hair all wet, wrapped up in that tiny towel,”—he shook his head and beamed at her—“I thought you were the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.” She laughed and sniffled. He kept talking, “Then you opened your mouth and called me on my shit, and I fell for that fire in you.”

“Baby…”

“I want a future with you. I want this house filled up with babies. However the hell we make that happen, whether we make them or adopt them, I don’t care. I wanna have a family with you. I want you to be the first thing I see every day and the last when I close my eyes at the end of one.”

“Bryan.” She smiled, tears streaming down.

“What do you think?” he asked, not letting her say anything. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my partner, my best friend, my wife?” She giggled, and he watched how she bit down on the right side of her lower lip.

“How fast would you want to get started on that family thing?” she asked him, and he froze.

“What?” he rasped and blinked. His heart felt like it had stopped mid-beat.

“I’m not saying we are, but I’m not saying we aren’t.”

“Val,” he warned, confused as to what she was trying to spit out.

“Between all the stuff that was going on with Courtney, handsome, I never got to the pharmacy for my refill and—“

“Baby.” He stood up, his hands on her face. “You saying you’re late?”

“I’m a week late.” A week late. That was good. Unless she didn’t want this.

“We need to get a test,” he spouted off thinking they shouldn’t get their hopes up or worry without knowing.

“Bryan, you didn’t tell me what you thought about this.”

“I’m fucking happy, baby… Jesus… I don’t think I have ever been happier!” he answered honestly, holding her close to him. “Are you?” he asked, and any worry that might have bubbled up faded away when her face softened and joy glittered through her eyes.

“Thank fuck,” he groaned. Squeezing her tightly in his arms, he kissed the top of her head, enjoying her soft giggles.

“Handsome?”

“Yeah?”

“Ask me again,” she sniffled and looked up at him. Ask me again.

“Marry me? Be mine?” he repeated, holding her face with his hands, leaning in close. “Say you will be mine. Only mine and wear my ring?”

“Yes!” She nodded. His lips fell to hers and it was a long while before they stopped and he slipped the band with a diamond solitaire over her finger. Then they went out to where his family was waiting for them.