Carrying Hope (25 page)

“What are you talking about, Marcie? I never stopped wanting you. I will never stop wanting you.” It hurt me to say those words when I knew she didn’t return my feelings. Nevertheless, I couldn’t let anything remain unspoken between us. If this was the last time Marcie and I spoke to each other, I was going to lay everything on the table.

Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she looked up to me through her watery gaze.

“But… I heard you talking to Tanner. You said you didn’t want to play this game anymore and you had to end it. I didn’t mean to hear it, but I did and I thought you just decided you didn’t want me.”

I wracked my brain, trying to remember what she was talking about. It had been so long and so many bottles of booze ago that it was all a little hazy.

I smacked my forehead, remembering the fateful conversation.

“Marcie, that wasn’t about leaving you. It was about being with you. I wanted to ask you for your hand, but you were gone before I had the chance. When I tracked you down, that man said that you were back together with him and you were going to raise the baby together.”

Her mouth parted on a silent gasp. I wanted desperately to kiss her, but I wanted to hear her explanation first.

“That bastard,” she muttered, taking a step towards me. Her pregnant belly kept a distance between us that I wanted to cross more than anything.

“He never told me you visited. I waited and waited, hoping that you’d come looking for me. I just figured you really meant that you didn’t want me anymore. We never got back together. You’ve ruined me for all other men.”

It didn’t seem right that I could be this happy. It didn’t seem possible that all of this was over a simple misunderstanding. I couldn’t accept that she was here, telling me all of this and that it was really real.

“I want to show you something,” I told her, taking her by the hand and leading her inside.

I saw the tiny group of spectators peeking out from my bedroom door and smiled. They all loved her as much as I did; I couldn’t lose her again.

I led her down the hallway to the room I’d had redecorated as a nursery and opened the door.

The walls were covered with colorful murals, the crib was hand-carved and designed especially for this room and there was a rocking chair in the corner over-looking the garden where green shoots were just beginning to poke through the thawing ground.

“Oh my god, Bryce, you did all of this… for us?” Her hand rested on the swell of her stomach and her emotions overtook her.

“I told you. I would do anything to make you happy,” I said, kneeling down. I took her hand in mine and tried to remember all of the elaborate plots I’d schemed for my proposal plan. None of them looked anything like this. But this was the perfect time.

“Marcia Elanor Gallagher, I love you. I have always loved you from the moment you saved me. I’m sorry it took me so long to accept it, but I promise you I will never forget it. I will do anything to make you happy and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life if you’ll have me. Please, do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

“Are you serious?” She asked, one hand covering her mouth as she tried to soak everything in.

“Of course. I have a ring… I bought it before we even… I can’t imagine my life without you, Marcie. I don’t need to imagine it; I lived it for the past two months and I never want to go through that again. Will you marry me?”

She got down on her knees with me, so that we were both kneeling on the ground and threw her arms around my neck.

“Yes! Of course I will.” Her lips met mine and nothing else in the world mattered. I had my Marcie back.

Epilogue

“So, we need your final measurements, the guest list, your approval on the menu and there was something else…” Clara rattled off my wedding to-do list.

“Aren’t some of those things that Bryce can take care of?” I asked, trying to soak in the warm Spring sunshine.

The bundle of blankets in my arms began to squirm and cry.

“Sounds like someone’s hungry,” Clara cooed, giving my baby girl a little tap on the nose.

I sat in my favorite spot in the garden, admiring the vast swaths of tulips that inundated the patch of land. Clara could hardly keep up with them. There was a vase of fresh-cut flowers in nearly every room of the house. I may have been over-zealous in my planting phase.

“Oh, of course! The flower arrangements,” Clara announced enthusiastically as little Hope latched on for her breakfast.

“Clara,” I sighed, exasperated by her energy, “The wedding’s not for another six months. I think some of these things can wait.”

She looked defeated, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. I actually had to talk Bryce
out
of hiring a wedding planner because Clara was so excited about planning everything. I didn’t know at the time that would mean that I had to be there for every minute detail as well. I didn’t know anything about planning a wedding, hosting a formal event, or anything that I really needed to know for this kind of thing. I didn’t know what my cake budget should be or if I wanted butter cream or fondant. I didn’t know if I wanted a band or a DJ; hell, I didn’t even know what kind of dress I wanted. That was something that I thought
every
woman knew about her wedding.

But it just wasn’t me. All I cared about was Bryce and I standing at the altar together, exchanging our vows and pledging our lives and love to one another. All the other things really didn’t matter to me.

“I thought I’d find you out here,” Bryce’s deep rich voice called from the garden gate.

In a few steps he was at my side, stooping down to give me a kiss.

“There’s your Daddy,” I said with a smile.

Hope was happily suckling away, oblivious to Bryce’s presence.

I couldn’t say the same for me. I was always completely aware of his nearness. My body seemed to know that he was around long before I did. No matter how much time went by, I always wanted him; his kisses left me feeling drunk, his touch set my skin ablaze and one smoldering look from him was enough to make me melt. He was so much more than I could have ever hoped for and sometimes I still couldn’t believe that he was mine.

“How are my two beautiful girls today?” He asked, taking the sated infant from my arms.

He sat on the bench next to me and I leaned my head on his shoulder, both of us had our eyes trained to Hope, watching every tiny move she made with overwhelming love.

“Clara is harassing me with wedding plans again,” I sighed. He knew that I was more bewildered than annoyed. It wasn’t that I didn’t
want
to help, I just didn’t really know any of the things she talked about.

“If you’d like, we could always elope,” he suggested with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“Don’t tempt me,” I replied, rolling my eyes, “I think Clara would kill us both if we destroyed her little project, though.”

Bryce’s warm rumbling chuckle spread through me and made my heart swell.

“You’re very likely right, milady. I’m afraid you’re just stuck suffering.”

“Whatever will I do?” I joked, reaching out to stroke Hope’s soft ginger fuzz on top of her head.

“Hmm…I don’t know. I’m sure if you wanted, I could find some ways to take your mind off of the wedding,” he teased with a devilish smile.

“Oh really? And what would that entail?”

He looked appalled by my question.

“Surely you don’t expect me to expand with little ears present?”

We both laughed and lavished Hope with all the attention and love she could stand before her nap time.

I looked around at my beautiful home, the extravagant garden, my healthy happy daughter and the wonderful man who made it all possible. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone more than I loved Bryce and Hope. Against all odds, everything actually worked out for us. It was as perfect as could be.

As a partially-reformed bad boy, Tanner Marx is no stranger to trouble. He grew up on the streets with his best friend Bryce. Together, they pulled themselves out of poverty and always made sure they had each other’s backs. Tanner gets a little more than he bargained for when he meets the alluring and mysterious Elise at his best friend’s wedding. When she disappears the next morning without a word, Tanner goes on an unrelenting journey to discover this woman’s true identity in hopes of capturing her heart.

Elise Van der Poole has led a life of privilege. She went to all of the best boarding schools, had the best tutors, and is now attached to one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. The only problem is that she doesn’t even know the man. Her parents designed the so-called “arrangement” to be mutually beneficial to both families, but where does Elise’s preferences come in to play? It doesn’t help matters that her one-night stand has turned into a pseudo-stalker – how can she tell him to get lost when she so badly wants to revisit their shared night of passion?

About the Author:

Sennah Tate is an up and coming Florida author in the world of romance. When she's not writing and drawing dinosaurs, she enjoys TV, cats, and Disney World. Her exuberant personality brings cheer to dark days and she firmly believes that redheads will inherit the earth.