“But school—”
“Will be there. It’s not an excuse, Kate. This semester’s been trying enough. How many more do we have to go through apart when nothing’s stopping us from being together?”
She looked back at the ring. “What did my dad say?”
“He was more than happy to give us his blessing, but he warned me that you have a lot of your mother in you.”
She laughed. “He’s right.”
“Say yes. Enough wasting time. We can get married this winter and we can move into the family housing by next semester, you, our son, and me—together, the way a family should be. Please do this for us.”
Her face pinched as a single tear rolled to her nose, her head slightly nodding.
“Is that a yes?”
She sniffled and giggled. “Yes. I’ll marry you, Anthony.”
His grin broke wide as he tipped his head back and laughed. “Finally!” he roared, pulling her to him and kissing her hard. “You’re a stubborn woman, but you’re my stubborn woman. I knew I’d get through to you eventually.”
She giggled and looked into his eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Sure? Woman, I’ve been trying to sell you on being my girl since the day we met. Yes, I’m sure!”
She bit her lip, her cheeks tight with a grin. “We’re getting married.”
He nodded, so many worries laid to rest. “Yes, we are.”
“After finals?”
He thought for a minute. “It depends what kind of wedding you want.”
“I don’t care about the wedding. I just want you.”
“Then we don’t have to wait. We could get a license and go down to the court house this week if you wanted.”
“I’ll have to talk to my mom about that. Her heart might be set on seeing me married in a church.”
He didn’t want to wait too long. Lowering his voice, he looked her in the eyes. “Kate, I want to talk to Nick about signing over custody of the baby. I don’t ever want this child to feel different than any of our other children. He’ll be our son. Nick’s just a shadow hanging over our heads and I won’t feel secure that I can protect my family until I’m certain he can’t interfere.”
Her gaze lowered. “That would require him putting his name on something that legally traces him back to the baby.”
“But it would also legally remove his rights. I know you don’t want to involve him, but it’s what needs to be done. If you don’t want to face him, I will.”
“I don’t think he’ll put up much of a fight.”
The sad part was she was right. Nick would be a simple obstacle, but down the line he might change and Ant couldn’t risk him coming back and jeopardizing their family or Kate’s happiness.
“Let me handle it. All you’ll have to do is sign an agreement in front of a notary.”
“How do you know that’s all it involves?”
“Because I already looked into it. I told you I was serious. I know what I want and I don’t intend to let anything or anyone stand in my way.”
She pressed her forehead to his. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“I ask myself the same thing every day.”
The ceremony was held on a Tuesday at their family’s church. The ground was covered in snow as their families trickled in and became one. Kate didn’t know what made him love her the way he did. She wasn’t sure how his parents had raised such an honorable man. But she knew without a doubt, that Anthony would be an incredible husband and father and teach their son how to be just as honorable.
“Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health?”
“I do.”
The priest looked at her and asked the same. She never believed in a promise as much as she believed in the one she made that day. She’d love him through the fiercest storms and hold onto him during the darkest hours. No matter what lay ahead, they’d face it together, always and forever. Because deep in her heart, beside all the folly and confusion, she knew one truth to be absolute, she loved him with every ounce of her being and Anthony knew how to love her exactly the way she needed to be loved.
“I do.”
Epilogue
“Push, Katie! Push!”
Kate gripped the rails of the bed and gritted her teeth. So help her God, this child was getting out of her tonight! It was Christmas Eve, sixteen days past her actual due date.
“Come on, dearie!”
“Someone dab her with the cloth before that vein in her forehead bursts,” her aunt called and her mother and mother-in-law shoved the doctor aside to get to her before anyone else.
“That’s it!” the doctor snapped. “I need everyone who’s not the father to get out.”
Her mother, her mother-in-law, the aunts, Anthony’s nonna, and her grandmother balked. “We’re just tryin’ to help.”
The doctor looked back at them, but Kate was practically having an asthma attack through her contraction and couldn’t exactly waste her breath on words.
“Anthony, tell him we can stay,” his mother demanded.
He shook his head, so patient and firm. “Sorry, Ma. I promise we’ll bring him out as soon as he gets here, but there are just too many of you.”
This might have been the first time Anthony had ever dared to tell his mother no. She didn’t take it well. “How could you take this away from me? My first grandson!”
“No one’s taking anything away from you. Katie needs some space and I intend to make sure she has it. We’ll call you back as soon as we can.”
The six affronted women shuffled out of the delivery room mumbling and shaking their heads. “Thank you,” Kate rasped, in between contractions.
“Are we ready now?” the doctor asked. “I think we have one or two more pushes before you meet your son.”
She nodded, bearing down as another contraction took hold. It was not pleasant, but there was nothing quite as incredible as hearing those first little squawks as her son drew in his first breath.
Anthony smiled, his eyes glassy as the nurse placed their son in her arms. She couldn’t believe he was finally here. Her beautiful baby boy. Anthony leaned over and kissed his head then kissed hers, his voice a mere rasp. “You did it, baby.”
Kate looked up at him. A thousand beautiful emotions running through her at once. “We did it.”
“Do you have a name?” the nurse asked.
Kate smiled up at her husband, happier than she’d ever dreamed she’d be. Anthony nodded and told the nurse, “We’re going to call him Frank, after his grandfather.”
Weak from such a long labor Kate sighed, overflowing with absolute contentment. “He’s perfect.”
“Yes, he is.” Ant leaned close and spoke softly. “Hey, little guy. I’m your daddy. We’re gonna play football together and your mom’s gonna teach you to hunt.”
As he went on, promising the world to their little boy, Kate stared at him, incapable of counting all the blessings she had. Though their engagement had been an untraditional one and their start a bit different from what most expected, she knew without a doubt that this was where she belonged. Their first home would be small, but eventually they’d return to the mountain and all of these little bumps along the way would be smoothed over by time.
Anthony somehow made her believe that normal wasn’t always better. And like her mother said, love was messy. She loved her life more then than she ever thought possible, all the mess, all the emotion, and all the unusual parts coming together to make what she considered a pretty perfect whole.
Anthony took Frank in his arms and nestled his little face with his nose. “You look like a McCullough, but don’t you worry. We’re gonna bring out the Marcelli in you yet.”
THE END
About the Author
Award winning author, Lydia Michaels, writes all forms of hot romance. She presses the bounds of love a
nd takes readers on an emotional journey of the heart, mind, and soul with every story she pens. Her books are intellectual, erotic, haunting, and always centered on love. Lydia Michaels loves to hear from readers!
www.facebook.com/LydiaMichaels
@Lydia_Michaels
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Other Titles by Lydia Michaels
McCullough Mountain
How to Love Her
Sacred Waters
Skin
Chaste
Faking It
Forsaking Truth
As Tears Go By
Hold Me Fast
Protégé
Breaking Perfect
Simple Man
La Vie en Rose
Blind
Untied
The Surrender Trilogy
Falling In
Breaking Out
Coming Home
The Order of Vampyres
Called to Order {Book 1}
Calling for a Miracle {Book 2}
Destiny Calls {Book 3}
Call Her Mine {Book 4}
The New Castle Series
First Comes Love {Book 1}
If I Fall {Book 2}
Something Borrowed {Book 3}
Remember Me {Book 4}
How to Love Her: McCullough Mountain (McCullough Mountain Prequel) Page 18