“Because I saw his car.”
I tap the Kindle screen. “Watch your show, okay?”
She turns her attention back to the dog chasing an elephant.
I blow out a breath and wonder how hard actually moving here will be. Can I take Rosie’s stuff? Will Boone care? Will he be angry with me and make me leave it?
I can’t see him doing that. But I didn’t see us like this, either.
My heart cracks again as I remember his smile. His laugh. The way he would order Rosie a cake for dinner because her life had just fallen apart.
How he’d taken her to watch cartoons because what else do you do on a Sunday morning?
How he took her to golf with his grandpa.
The way he knew what her fear meant so quickly about him being gone and how he promised her he’d always be there for her.
I sniffle as discreetly as I can.
How he kissed my forehead in the middle of the night. The way he brushed against me at every opportunity. How he looked at me with stars in his eyes.
Even though it’s only been a short amount of time, he has stepped up. He has shown me—us—that we matter. Why fill your house with everything a little four-year-old girl needs if it’s only temporary.
My stomach sinks.
Am I wrong about this? Am I running out of fear?
I am scared. That’s a fact. But does being scared of losing make it okay not to try?
“Miss Thorpe?” Susan says from the front of the room. “Danny will see you now.”
“Come on, Rosie,” I say, pausing her show and then slipping the Kindle back in my bag. “We have to go do a few tasks, okay?”
“’Kay.”
I take her hand and we walk toward Susan. She leads us down a long corridor to a room on the end.
“Good luck,” she says with a big smile.
“Do we go in?” Rosie asks.
I stare at the big wooden door that’s still closed in front of us. Seems odd.
“Let’s knock first,” I say.
Knock! Knock!
“Come in!” a man’s voice booms from the other side.
I twist the knob. “Let’s go baby … girl …”
My voice drops as the door swings open and my eyes settle on the room.
Danny is sitting on the corner of his desk, one leg swinging back and forth. And, behind his desk in an oversized black leather chair is Boone.
“Boone!” Rosie screams as she makes a mad dash for him.
My heart was not prepared to see him. Not even a little bit.
“How’s my girl?” he asks, scooping her up in his arms.
Her arms wrap around his neck, and she buries her head in his chest.
His eyes stay trained on me.
I force a swallow and beg myself to stay together.
I can’t cry in front of Danny.
“Boone! I slept in your bed last night,” Rosie says, grinning. “I didn’t even try to sleep in mine.”
He makes a face at her but then quickly returns his eyes to mine. “Did Jaxi let you get away with that?”
Rosie nods.
“Well, that’s okay,” Boone says. “I bet she had a hard time sleeping last night. Just like I did.”
Tears flicker in the corners of my eyes, and I blink them back.
Danny hops off the desk and, frustratingly, stands right in my line of vision.
“I have to apologize to you, Miss Thorpe,” Danny says. “There’s been some miscommunication, and it’s all my fault.”
I furrow my brows but don’t speak. I don’t trust my voice.
The chair squeaks as Boone stands with Rosie still in his arms.
“I don’t have the authority to rent you an apartment,” he says, smiling at me.
“Why?” My voice sounds like it’s wrapped in a wet T-shirt.
“Because,” he says, “I sold this complex. And two of my others, actually. All rentals have to be approved by the new owners. It’s a stipulation in the purchase agreement.”
My heart pounds in my chest. My body and brain war whether to join Rosie in Boone’s arms or not.
I know he’ll catch me if I jump.
My jaw drops open, and a hurried breath escapes my mouth.
He’ll catch me if I jump.
I’ve never been able to say that about anyone before. I’ve never been confident that someone would even try to reach for me if I fell.
But I know he would. He’d catch me just as quickly as he caught Rosie a moment ago.
“Who should I speak with then?” I ask even though I know the answer.
Danny grins as he heads for the door. “You’ll have to speak to Mr. Mason.”
My gaze flips to his and he snatches it up like he was waiting for the opportunity. The greens are vivid and bright. They pull me like a moth to a flame.
“I’m going to lunch,” Danny says. “We’ll get the details worked out this week, Mr. Mason. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”
“Thank you,” Boone says. “We’ll be out of here in a moment.”
“Take your time.”
With a final smile and a little wave, Danny exits the room.
The room grows smaller in an instant. The temperature increases. I tug at the collar of my shirt.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Making sure you don’t get away from me.”
The tears well up in my eyes again. He wants us. He wants us to stay.
“Boone …”
“The plan I wanted to go over with you yesterday was the purchase of this complex. I thought it might be a good way for you to see if management was really something you liked. Even if it wasn’t, these places are gold mines. It would be money we could set aside for Rosie.”
I don’t fight the tears. There’s no point.
His words are more than a balm to my wounds. They’re a salve to my fears.
“I understand why you were scared,” he says. “I get why you internalized everything wrong. But I’m the one who let you down. And, for that, I’m sorry.”
The pieces of my heart float back together. The sincerity in his eyes mend them into one.
Not only does he want us in his life but he’s also thought of my dreams and Rosie’s future.
Who is this man? How am I this lucky?
“I panicked,” I tell him. “I got so scared and ran. I thought it would be easier to end it on my terms rather than it ending on yours.”
He smiles sadly. “But I didn’t want it to end.”
He sets Rosie down on the floor. She grabs his wrist and presses her finger to the dial, following the minute hand around and around the glass.
“I didn’t want it to end,” he says again. “What I wanted was for it to be for forever. I was just scared too. I terrifies me to think that I can love you with everything that I have and have it not be enough.”
My breath stalls in my lungs. My knees begin to shake.
“I meant what I said last night. I love you, Jaxi. I love Rosie. I want us.”
He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a light pink box.
“Oh, my gosh,” I whisper.
He picks Rosie up and walks across the room, then bends down on one knee.
Tears flood my face, my body shaking with adrenaline and excitement.
My heart explodes with love.
“You broke into my life like a thief in the day and flipped my world upside down,” he says, making me laugh. “You woke me up, made me see that I had more to give. More to live for. You make me want to be the best person I can be for you and for Rosie.”
“And Wade,” Rosie says.
“Rosie … no,” Boone says, shaking his head. “Not Wade this time.”
“Oh.”
I giggle, covering my mouth with my hands.
“Last night was awful. I want it to be the last night we ever spend apart. I want to make our family official. Boone, Jaxi, and Rosie Mason.”
“Rosie Mason,” Rosie says.
/> Boone shakes her, making her laugh.
“That’s right,” he says. “Rosie Mason. Do you like that?”
“Yes, but my name is Penelope Rose Woods, Boone,” she says, blushing.
“You’re right. But I want you and Jaxi to have the same name as me,” he explains softly.
I love this man.
“What about Penelope Rose Woods Mason?” he asks.
I blink back tears.
“Yes! Boone! I love it,” she sing-songs.
“Then, that’s what your name will be.”
“But what’s all your names gonna be?” she asks.
He sighs and then chuckles. “My name is Boone Michael Mason. It doesn’t change. Just yours and Jaxi’s”
“Oh. Okay. I like that.”
He kisses her forehead and then sets her down next to him.
She takes his hand back.
And then, he looks at me, and I struggle to take in air.
The intensity. The love. The absolute confidence. In me. In us.
“Will you do me the greatest honor by becoming my wife?”
His voice is strong and sturdy, reliable and trustworthy—all the things I know him to be.
I close the distance between us and take his face in my hands.
Tears drip down my chin and onto my shirt. I vaguely wonder what I look like right now.
But I don’t care. All I care about is making sure this man knows that I love him for the rest of his life.
“Um, yes or no, Jaxi. I’m dying here,” he whispers.
I laugh. “Yes. I would love to be your wife.”
He slips a ring out of the pink box. It’s a cushion-cut yellow diamond in a yellow gold band.
“My mom designed this. I saw it in her shop and knew I had to have it,” he says as he slips it on my finger. “When I saw it, it reminded me of how you make me feel.” He pulls me into his chest and kisses the top of my head.
“I love you,” I tell him.
“I know.”
He bends his face to kiss me when a little voice shouts from below.
“Hey! What ’bout me?” Rosie asks.
Boone laughs and picks her up in his other arm.
“That’s better,” Rosie says.
Boone and I laugh.
I have so many questions, so many things to ask. There’s so much to wrap my head around and to plan.
But, for right now, I’m content with standing in this office with the two people I love most in the world.
My family.
“What do you two want to do today? We need to celebrate,” Boone says.
Before I can say anything, Rosie chimes in.
“Cake!” she says.
“Sounds good to me,” I say.
Boone guides us toward the door.
“And Wade!” Rosie says.
Boone scowls.
I laugh.
And we head out the door.
Twenty-Seven
Jaxi
My legs are stretched over Boone’s as we lie on the sofa. The television is off. The Kindle is put away. There’s nothing happening.
Only, everything is happening.
Boone and I sit together and watch Rosie on the floor. She has her Glo Worm on one side and two dolls on the other. In front of her is her school book for learning how to write.
Her tongue sticks out as she traces the letters.
I hold my finger up in the air and admire my new engagement ring.
“So,” Boone says. “Have you given any thought to whether you want to manage the complex or just hire it out?”
“This is so pretty,” I say, shoving the ring in his face and ignoring his question. “Don’t you love it?”
“I do.” He takes my hand and kisses the top of it. “Almost as much as the woman wearing it.”
My cheeks ache from smiling so much.
I pull my leg up and rest my foot on his groin. His eyes go wide. He grabs my ankle and pushes my foot down gently, but just enough to really make contact with his cock.
“Maybe,” I say softly, “someone will go to sleep early, and I can show you how much I love you tonight.”
He smirks. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
I furrow my brow but don’t have time to ask him why.
Knock! Knock!
Boone shouts, “Come in!”
The front door bursts open, and a parade of people come streaming through. There’s Siggy, who gives us a big wave, followed by Holt and Blaire, Coy and Bellamy, a younger couple that are so attractive it takes my breath away, and Oliver.
Rosie springs to her feet. “Hi, Iggy!”
“Hi, sweetheart.” She scoops Rosie up and kisses her cheek. “How are you?”
“Good. Where’s Wade?”
Boone growls, making everyone laugh.
I get to my feet. “Hi, everyone. What’s going on?” I ask with a laugh of bewilderment.
“We’re here to celebrate your engagement,” Blaire says. “I hope you’re ready to eat.”
“I’d love to be eating at our wedding,” Holt says dryly. “Has that thought ever crossed your mind?”
Blaire sticks an elbow in his side. “Stop it. I’ll pick a day soon.”
“When?” Siggy asks. “I mean, do you have a season in mind because I’d like to start thinking about venues and things—in case you need my help, of course.”
Bellamy puts her hand on her belly. “Can you wait until he’s born?” Her eyes go wide. “Oh, crap.”
“It’s a boy?” Siggy asks. “I thought you didn’t know?”
Coy grins. “We were going to keep it a secret. Looks like that went well.”
“Sorry,” Bellamy says sheepishly. “I’m just so hungry that I can’t think.”
“To the kitchen,” Siggy says, herding everyone into the other room.
I start to follow them, but Boone pulls me back. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the tip of my nose.
“I was worried we weren’t going to be okay,” I admit. “Thank you for having the courage to come after me. But I shouldn’t have made you chase me.”
“I would rather you hadn’t.” He winks. “But I’ve learned a few things lately.”
“Oh, have you?”
“Yeah. One of them is that I really like fucking you.”
I laugh.
“And another one is that I hope to have our own babies really soon.”
“Really?”
He grins. “If you want to, of course.”
The idea of carrying Boone’s child inside me makes it really, really hard not to take him to the bedroom immediately. He must sense the heat in my body because he smirks.
“And third,” he says, locking his hands at the small of my back, “I want to love you with reckless abandon.”
“What do you mean?”
He stares over my head and thinks. “I want to love you without caring about what other people think. I want to love you so hard that you can barely handle it. I want to love you so wildly that you never wonder, even for a second, if my heart is yours.”
I bite my lip and bask in the warmth of his words.
I have never known this sort of love before, and although it’s hard to believe that I deserve it, I have a feeling Boone will make sure I know it. And Rosie too.
She’ll never know the doubt Nettie and I had growing up.
“I don’t know if I would’ve understood the need for that if you hadn’t run away from me,” he says.
“I’m still sorry I did it.”
“I’m not. Everything happens for a reason, Jaxi. From you picking the wrong house to being in Savannah when Rosie needed you. Doesn’t it feel like the universe was watching out for you even when things didn’t feel that way at the time?”
He has a point. Of course, he does.
When I look back at my life and trace how I got here—to a spot more amazing than anything I could’ve dreamed of—I had to go through a lot of crap. There were so many times when I thought the wo
rld forgot about me. That I didn’t belong. That I didn’t have a purpose.
The truth is, the world didn’t forget about me. It was just preparing me for the place I did belong. And that I have the most incredible purpose—the best gift—in the world.
Being Rosie’s mom and loving her with all of my heart. And now? Loving and being loved by Boone too.
For the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Boone
One month later
“Where’s Rosie?” Jaxi asks.
“How the heck do I know?”
We look around the backyard. Pink, yellow, and green balloons are attached to nearly every stable surface imaginable. A sign that says Happy Birthday hangs along the house. Streamers stretch from one end of the porch to the other and even a sling to the side of the slide going into the pool.
Holt and Blaire stand with Oliver near the pool. Coy and Bellamy sit under an umbrella with Hollis and Larissa and Libby. Mom and Dad sit with Bellamy’s dad and Hollis’s grandma Judy near the snack table while Wade hides in the garage on a top secret mission.
“There she is,” I say, spying her and Bree crawling under the gift table. “Hey, Rosie. Come here.”
She scurries out from under the table and makes a beeline for me. The rose gold watch I got her for her birthday sits proudly on her wrist.
Jaxi nearly had a stroke when I showed it to her. But Rosie had to have it. I mean, I had to have her have it. It’s too cute.
“We got you a very special present,” I tell her. “Are you ready?”
She nods, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
“Attention everyone,” I say, “it’s time.”
Everyone watches as the door from the garage opens. Wade comes out carrying a little King Charles Cavalier puppy.
Rosie screams as she races to Wade. He must tell her to be gentle because she nods her head and takes the puppy with the care of a surgeon.
She whirls around on her heel.
“Is this mine?” She gasps. “He’s so cute!”
“He’s yours,” Jaxi tells him. “But you’re going to have to take care of him.”
“Bree! Look!” Rosie turns back around to Wade. “Thank you, Wade! I love you!”
Wade freezes as Rosie leans against his leg like a cat and nuzzles the puppy.
Reckless (The Mason Family Series Book 3) Page 22