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“What? I don’t have a million dollars, Dad! I don’t even know if I have a thousand,” I shriek, then mouth Sorry toward my mom when the baby jumps startled in her arms.
“You got plenty of money, baby,” Zach looks at me with incredulous eyes. It’s like I hurt his feelings. “Everything I have is yours.”
“Well, what is this then?” I throw my hands on the papers still in my lap. “Somebody better explain.”
Mom walks toward the bed with a whimpering Jake in her arms. “I think he needs his momma,” she gives me a watery smile. “I can’t believe you’re a momma now.” She wraps her arm around my shoulders to give me a side hug. “I am so proud and happy for you,” she whispers in my ear.
“Thank you, Mom.” I lean my head against her shoulder and sigh. Life is good.
“Back to this money…” Zach breaks the tender moment. “We don’t need your money.”
“It’s not for you.” Dad crosses his arms over his chest when he says that. “For Jake and any future kids you may have.”
“I don’t understand how that’s my money though.” I am really tired and I don’t understand anything anymore.
With a sigh and a cuss word under his breath, Dad stares Zach down. “She doesn’t know?”
“It never came up,” Zach shrugs with a confidence I can tell he’s not feeling one hundred percent.
“Know what?” Somebody needs to tell me something already.
“Tell her,” Dad instructs with a lift of his chin toward me, leaving Zach with no choice but to talk.
“Remember when we were in Vegas, and you told me that you wanted to pay your parents back for your tuition?”
“Yeah. I didn’t get approved for the loan because I quit my job.” I blush, unwilling to meet my parents’ eyes when I say those words. I know I hurt their feelings with my actions back then.
“I paid them for you.”
“With a million dollars?” If I didn’t have the baby sleeping in my arms right now, I’d jump out of this bed to shake him like a ragdoll.
“I didn’t know how much it all cost, with housing and…”
“Zach!” I yell. “A million dollars?”
The baby starts crying, and now I’m panicking.
“Here, baby, let me take him. Is he hungry?” Mom takes Jake from my arms and starts rocking him.
“No, he just ate.” My eyes go back to Zach. “A million dollars?”
“You didn’t want to feel like you owed them anything. And I wanted you to be happy.” His face is a mask of worry. I am not sure what to say. I am just in shock.
“I love you so much. And I know you’d love me even if I had nothing,” Zach takes my hand in his, placing soft kisses on my knuckles.
“We’re in this together, Zach,” I choke out. How was I able to stay away from this man for as long as I did?
“We sure are,” he winks at me.
My heart is full.
EPILOGUE 2
Three and a half years later
Zach
“Go tell Mommy that Daddy’s waiting outside with a surprise,” I pat Jake on the butt and send him off to find Hunter.
