Three years later…

I pressed my fingertips to the shape in my pocket and inhaled sharply. Three fucking years with the woman of my dreams and I was still nervous about this. Go fucking figure. This time, however, it was more because I was hesitant about what she’d say. We loved each other, but this was a big step, and one we hadn’t agreed to yet.

My phone buzzed, and I lifted it off the desk. “Hello?”

“Doctor?” My receptionist, Janie, spoke down the line. “I’m about to clock out for the day. Do you need me to wait for you or should I—?”

“I’m on my way out now, Janie, thanks.”

“Sure!” She hung up in her usual cheerful style, and I pushed my chair back, forcing myself to ignore the nerves and let go of my damn jean pocket.

Shit, three years with a gorgeous daughter of our own. We were happy. We deserved this.

“Stop,” I muttered, and crossed around my rosewood desk, right to the front of the office. I clicked off my lights, then let myself out into the hall. This practice was much smaller than Doctor Crown’s had been, but that was only because I preferred it that way.

Me and one other doctor. Perfect. Fewer complications, and being in charge and owning the place had its perks. I could choose who I worked with, rather than having to work with a jackass like Perry.

I grinned at that, locking my office behind me.

Perry wouldn’t be a problem anymore, at least. He and Tabitha had been caught in the act in his office by one of his patients, and the medical review board had finally come through and taken his license away. The pair had moved out of Stoneport shortly after.

Good fucking riddance.

I left thoughts of them and the past behind and headed out the front door. Janie waited outside, smiling at me. She was older than I was, with graying hair at her temples. She dressed smart, though, and was a beast when it came to organization. Heck, she could probably manage two practices and all the appointments all on her own.

“Have a good weekend, Janie,” I said and finished locking up, my heart tha-thumping in my chest.

Christ, this was ridiculous. I hadn’t been this sweaty or nervous in fucking years. The last time had been when Becca had been caught in her house fire, and this was definitely less intimidating and threatening than that.

So why the fuck did my insides want to pop out of my fucking body?

I waved a final goodbye to Janie then headed for my Dodge, ignoring the nerves. The weekend ahead would be kickass. It was just us—the family. Our family.

Twenty-five minutes later, I pulled up in front of the house. My house. The Starr house had officially become Becca’s bed and breakfast, after much renovation and work. I parked in our drive, then got out and looked over at the bed and breakfast. The door was open, and Becca emerged, holding our two-and-half-year-old on her hip.

She waved at me, and I blew her a kiss, the nerves intensifying. My cell dinged in my pocket, and I brought it out.

“Be home in about twenty. Just some last-minute cleanup. No guests this weekend.”

Which was perfect, since I didn’t want her running over to work on a weekend, no matter how much fun that work was, and how much she loved it. This weekend would be about us and us alone.

“See you soon, angelface.”

I buried my cell back in my pocket, then headed to the front door and opened it up for myself. Ty barked and bounded toward me. He jumped up and licked at my hands, and I grinned in return, ruffling his velvety golden ears. “You ready, buddy? Things are about to get real.”

He barked in reply, as if to say that he’d been born ready, and I led him upstairs and into the bedroom. I prepped everything as fast as I could, attaching the box to the back of his collar where he couldn’t reach it, then feeding him a treat. Even if he scratched at the box, it wouldn’t pop free—I’d made sure of that.

“Now, when I call, you come over, all right?”

Ty huffed and lay down on all four paws, placing his chin on the front two.

“You know, for a lab, you’re pretty lazy. Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment,” I said, talking more for my sake than his.

I made short work of preparing the rest of the bedroom. Rose petals on the bed, water and food in the corner for Ty in case he grew an appetite or thirst in the next ten minutes or so. I didn’t light the candles, but placed the lighter on the dresser, for when the time came.

The front door slammed downstairs, and I gave Ty a double thumbs-up. “Showtime, buddy.”

He flopped his tail lazily.

“Don’t let me down. Aw, who am I kidding? I know you won’t.”

“Mason?” Becca’s voice traveled up the stairs, and I made for the bedroom door, slipped out, and shut it behind me.

I walked out, and she met me at the top of the stairs, Angelica clasped to her side. Both of them threw their arms wide.

“Daddy,” Angelica cried, her chubby hands reaching for me and smooshing open and closed. “Daddy, love you.”

“Hey, baby,” I said and lifted her out of her mother’s arms. I pressed her to my chest in a gentle hug. “Did you have a good day?”

She grinned and plastered my cheeks with sloppy two-year-old kisses.

“A good and tiring day,” Becca said and kissed my cheek. “I can’t wait to take a shower, but first, we’ve got to get dinner in this cutie and get her into her PJs for bed.”

“Meet you in the kitchen,” I replied and carried Angelica through to her bedroom and placed her in the little pen I’d built with my own two hands. She immediately attacked her favorite toys, tugging them from the play box in the corner.

She dragged a teddy across the floor, marching over to the LEGO DUPLO train set. She was just like her mother in so many ways. Determined, strong, smiling, friendly, beautiful, with dark hair and olive-toned skin. She would grow up to be a strong, beautiful woman, and I couldn’t have been more proud.

“I love you, Angelica.”

“Love you, Daddy,” she said and blew me a sticky kiss, then returned to her toys. Down to business as usual.

I checked that her water bottle was full then headed out of the bedroom door, turning on the overhead light as I did. I paused on the landing and looked out of the windows to either side of the front door. Outside, the sun had started its descent in the sky, casting orange and pink streaks and tinging it in colors both bright and fierce.

Like Becca. Like Angel.

The sound of pots and pans clamored from the kitchen, and I followed the sound down the stairs and right into the lemon-yellow tiled room. Becca hummed in front of the stove, placing pots and pans on burners, swaying her hips from side to side.

“How does breakfast for dinner sound?” she asked. “Eggs, sausages, bacon, fried tomatoes?”

“I was thinking we should get takeout. Pepperoni pizza?”

Becca turned to face me. “Oh yeah? Is this a special occasion?” She popped a hip and narrowed one eye at me in a near wink. “What aren’t you telling me, Doctor Dunn?”

“How’s about you give me a proper hug hello first?” I asked.

She sauntered over, her gorgeous blue eyes flashing with a hunger that had nothing to do with food. She wrapped her arms around my waist and I pulled her close, inhaling that familiar scent of rose petals. I kissed her cheek, the tip of her nose, then her lips and deepened it, massaging her tongue with mine as I’d done countless times before.

Becca responded with a tight moan.

“Has Angel had a snack? She’ll be OK if we order pizza?”

“Yeah, she had some carrot sticks and fruit over at the bed and breakfast,” Becca replied, breathing me in.

“Then come with me,” I said and took her hand.

“Doctor Dunn.” Becca’s voice was scandalized. “I don’t think we have that much time.”

“Ha, you underestimate my powers.” I led her up the stairs, and we both peeked in at Angel—still happily playing away—and then down the hall toward our bedroom. “There’s something we need to talk about,” I said, stopping in front of the closed door. “It’s been on my mind for a while now.”

“OK. Is everything all right?” Becca asked, a frown breaking through her usual unsinkable demeanor.

I answered her by opening the door and walking her through to the bedroom. She entered, then paused, staring at the bedspread covered in rose petals. “What’s the occasion?” she asked, turning to me.

“Ty,” I said.

“Huh?” She blinked at me, but switched her gaze to our doggy dearest, who rose from the floor and padded over, right on cue.

I stroked his head.

“What’s that, Mason?” Becca nodded to the ring box on the back of his collar.

“Why don’t you pick it up and find out?”

She detached it from his collar and lifted it. She opened it as I dropped to one knee in front of her and reached up for her hand. Becca gasped. “Mason—”

“We agreed, at the beginning of all of this, that we wouldn’t complicate things, for Angel’s sake. We said that we’d only get married if we were absolutely sure. That we didn’t want to jeopardize her future with a messy divorce. I wanted the time too, Becca. We were both bruised after our past relationships.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, and Ty let out a sonorous bark and licked at her free hand. She sniff-giggled and stroked him, absently.

“I’m past all of that. All I see in our future is us. Me and you and our little Angel. If you see that too, if you believe in us like I do, then this question won’t be a shock to you.” I inhaled deeply. Moment of truth. “Rebecca Starr, will you marry me?”

“Just try to stop me,” she replied, and dropped to her knees in front of me. She threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in it, weeping openly now. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more.” We hugged, and tears built in my eyes too—now, that was a fucking first. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” I pulled back and took the ring box from her shaking fingers, removing the princess-cut diamond ring from within.

Ty gave one final bark, then wandered out of the room, presumably to seek out his favorite buddy, Angelica.

I slipped the ring onto Becca’s finger, my heart just fucking exploding with joy. “So,” I said. “Pizza?”

“Oh, hell yeah. And I think there’s a bottle of wine in the fridge,” she put in, stroking fingers down my stubble-covered cheek.

I drew her into another hug, squeezing her against me, just breathing her in.

This was the perfect moment, with the perfect woman. The perfect love.

And it was ours forever.