by Mary Smith
“I’m a dad. All I ever wanted was to be a good dad like my dad. I thought with Dream by my side, I could be, but she doesn’t want me. Losing her is like losing my...soul. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but when we kissed for the first time, my heart stopped. When it restarted, it only beat for her. Your mom.”
I wipe the tears from my eyes.
“I want to let her in now. I don’t want to hide from her any more. It took me this long to gather the courage to come here. Me,” he scoffs. “I can negotiate millions of dollars worth of contracts but one look from Dream, and I don’t even know my name.
“That’s how you know you found the one. When you can’t think straight, can’t breathe, and can only think of them, that’s how you know.”
I grab a paper towel and wipe my face. Damn, he’s right. Since he left, and even before that, he had been all I thought about and wanted.
I still do.
I didn’t move far away in hopes he would come back to me. I know this, but never wanted to admit it to myself. Gabe’s room and the majority of my home is white. Why? Not because it’s easier to clean, it’s because I wanted it ready for him when he came.
I kept pushing my feelings further and further away because if I didn’t think about them, then it wouldn’t be real.
Who am I kidding? I want Gable. I love him. I want to be a family with him and Gabe.
I ran up the stairs and into Gabe’s room. Gable looks at me strangely as I take Gabe from his arms and place him in the crib. I knew he had fallen back to sleep already. I grab Gable’s hand and pull him across the hall, to my all white bedroom.
“You’re a jerk, an asshole, and so damn stubborn I want to hit you sometimes.”
“You have hit me.”
“You know what I mean. I heard you.” Gable looks away. “The baby monitor was on. Did you mean what you said or are you playing me again?”
“I meant it. I’m not playing you.” He takes my hand. “I love you. No one has ever meant anything to me but you.”
My heart is racing. I’m scared it’ll pound out of my chest. Can I lay my heart on the line one more time? He’s burned me before and more than once.
“I love you, Dream.” He cautiously steps forward and cups my face. “I love you, Dream.” He repeats again.
“Damn you, Gable.” I whisper.
“Do you know how many times I’ve watched Gone with the Wind since you left me?”
He waits for me to answer, but I can’t because I’m crying again.
“Almost every day. I think about you and the first night we watched it together. Do you remember?”
I nod.
“I’ll get on my hands and knees for another chance, Dream. We’ll be a team this time. I swear to you. I will not screw this up.”
There is so much pain in his voice, I know there’s no way he’s lying to me.
“Gable.” I choke out. “If you break my heart again—”
“I swear, Dream, I won’t.”
“I’d never take Gabe from you, but you can’t hurt me, lie to me, or ever treat me the way you did before. Do you understand?” Gable grabs me and picks me up, squeezing me tightly. “Gable, my stomach.” I moan in pain.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He sits me down and pales. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I nod, rubbing my incision. “Gable, I’m not kidding this time. I’ve been as miserable as you have, but I will leave you for good. I won’t take Gabe from you. I’m not mean like that, but I won’t hand out anymore chances.”
“I love you. I swear this is going to be different. I will treat you as my partner, my equal, my wife.”
Wife? He said wife. “Gable, we rushed into the marriage because of lies and selfishness. This time, why don’t you date me and let’s start this out right.”
Gable smiles, showing his dimple. “Okay. I can do that.” He leans in and kisses me.
I moan from the sensation I’ve missed. His lips on mine are soft, but there’s an eagerness under it.
“I love you, Dream.”
“I love you, Gable.”
About the Author
Best Selling Author, Mary Smith, has been coming up with stories her whole life. She has written A HOCKEY TUTOR, THE ICE SERIES, as well as co-authored with Lindsay Paige THE PENALTY KILL TRILOGY and OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN SERIES. When not busy writing or rooting for the Chicago Blackhawks you can find her with her nose stuck in her Kindle.
You can visit her website at: www.authormarysmith.blogspot.com
Follow her on Twitter: @maryms1980
Or Faceook: www.facebook.com/authormarysmith
All Books by Mary Smith:
Melting Away the Ice (Ice Series #1)
Breaking Away the Ice (Ice Series #2)
Shattering the Ice (Ice Series #3)
Thawing the Ice (Ice Series Novella)
A Hockey Tutor
Always Forever
A Royal’s Love (Matched #1)
A Protector’s Second Chance (Matched #2)
A Controller’s Destiny (Matched #3)
Dart and Dash
DREAM
All Books with Lindsay Paige:
Breakaway (Penalty Kill Trilogy #1)
Off the Ice (Penalty Kill Trilogy #2)
Game Winner (Penalty Kill Trilogy #3)
Looking for You (Oh Captain My Captain #1)
A Hockey Player’s Proposal (Oh Captain My Captain #2)
Finding Carson Lett (Oh Captain My Captain #3)
Let’s Be Crazy (Oh Captain My Captain #4)
Their New Beginning (Oh Captain My Captain #5)
You and Me, Forever (Oh Captain My Captain #6)
Tainted (Oh Captain My Captain #7)