Hungry for More (2012)
Page 19
“Tonight?” Paul winced. “Ugh- I had no idea your family were so… so…”
“So horrible?” Bridget asked meekly.
“I thought it would be such a great surprise for you,” he sighed.
“Well it was a surprise,” Bridget giggled. She was just too gloriously happy to let anything upset her now. “And you were so amazing, the way you handled them, I’ll never forget it,” she said, positively glowing at the memory. “And it was adorable of you to ask for my father’s permission too,” she beamed.
“Adorable?” Paul wrinkled his nose.
“I’m afraid so,” Bridget laughed. “Just as it was adorable that you took Tad to help pick out my ring.” She looked down at her finger again, and smiled so much that her cheeks started to ache. “Did he really want you to ask me to be his mom?” she whispered. It just didn’t seem possible that her life had become this wonderful! She was having trouble believing it was all really happening.
“Yes, of course he did. He was so excited when I told him that I was going to ask you to marry me,” Paul chuckled. “I was worried he wouldn’t be able to keep the secret! Although Dixie worried me more on that score I have to admit. I meant what I said earlier though, Bridge.”
She blinked at him. “What did you say earlier?”
“That you’re already Tad’s mom. That you have been since he was born. The adoption paperwork is just a technicality as far as I’m concerned.”
“Paul-” Bridget choked. She didn’t want to cry again. She had only just gotten her tears under control, but she was perilously close to bawling again.
“I mean it, Bridget. You’ve been more of a parent to Tad than Phoebe or me.”
“That’s not true, Paul,” Bridget insisted firmly, but then she visibly seemed to waver. “Well, not now anyway,” she added gently. “You just needed a little helping hand.”
“I needed you,” he said, so decisively that Bridget couldn’t possibly doubt that he meant it. He took her arm, and they walked side-by-side back to the hotel. “I can’t remember what my life was like without you in it.”
“Me neither,” Bridget whispered, staring up into Paul’s face with a mixture of hunger and devotion. “I love you so much!”
“Good,” Paul growled, whisking her into the elevator that would take them up to their suite. “Because I’m never going to let you go.”
“Do you mean that?” Bridget asked breathlessly.
“I mean everything I say to you.”
“I don’t deserve-!” She started to cry, but Paul pressed a finger against her lips and stopped her.
“Don’t go there again. You do. You deserve all of this and more. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making certain you get it.”
THE END
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