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Then when I married Peppa, I never thought she was good enough to be a mom. She was very brash, unnecessarily mean sometimes, and she wasn’t like my mom. Not like Clara. My love would be the best kind of mom. She would make everyone jealous and keep me in awe, but the fact that she can’t have children doesn’t change how I feel about her. She’s so upset, though, her eyes still drowning in tears, and it’s wrecking me.
I have to fix this for her.
Just as she’s fixed me.
“I am,” I tell her, and as if he knows, Gretzky jumps up on my hip, whining. He gives Clara a big, sloppy kiss, and she laughs. The sound eases the tension in my chest. “These are my boys, even your fool of a dog.”
She gives me a sharp look. “Stop calling him a fool. He’s a good boy, and you love him.”
I nod, cupping her jaw. “He is, and I do. I’m just teasing.” I kiss her nose, then her eyes before trailing kisses over her cheeks where the tears ran down. “Are you okay?”
She shrugs, leaning into me. “I don’t know. I’ve never grieved not being able to have children until I saw you with Jessie. This pain came out of nowhere. I’ve never felt less than, but right now, I do.”
I stroke her jaw. “There is nothing less than about you, my love. You are way out of my league, perfect in my eyes. The whole-ass package.”
She quickly shakes her head. “I’m not, though, Riggs. I can’t have kids?—”
“I don’t need them,” I tell her, pressing my forehead to hers, looking deep into her eyes. “I need you.”
Her lip quivers. “But you look so good?—”
“And I know for a fact that I look great with you,” I tell her, kissing her top lip. “I’m sorry you can’t have kids, and I know you probably convinced yourself I needed them, but baby, my love, I only need you. Oh, and our mutts.” At that, Gordie jumps up on her and kisses her while Darcy circles her legs with his leash. Gretzky is by her side, leaning his head on her thigh as he pants, obviously upset that my girl is crying. He loves her, probably as much as I do, if not more. “Please don’t feel less than. You are everything. Okay?”
She searches my eyes. “Are you sure? As much as I don’t want to let you go, I would.”
I scoff. “Well, I wouldn’t let you go.” Her eyes sparkle, tears hanging from her long lashes. “As long as I have you, I don’t need anything else.”
She leans her hands on my chest and then her forehead to my lips. I press a kiss to her skin as she says, “I don’t need anything else either.”
I cup her jaw, guiding her gaze up so our eyes can meet. As I get lost in her watery gaze, I feel a small smile pull at the sides of my lips. “Are you okay?”
She nods. “Much better.”
“Good,” I say as relief burns through me.
She’s still searching my eyes as she whispers, “Riggs?”
“Yes, my love?” A tear rolls down her cheek, and I catch it before directing my gaze back to hers.
“You know I love you, right?” she asks, pure emotion rocking me off my axis. “I’m in love with you. So in love with you, it hurts.”
I wrap my arm around her waist, the other clutching her jaw. “Just say it.”
Her eyes sparkle just for me, her lips curling up into that smirk I love. My little minx. “I love you, Riggs.”
Her words wash over me like spring rain. I look deep into her eyes, my heart jackhammering in my chest, as I whisper something I haven’t said to any human in over fourteen years. “Oh Clara, I love you too,” I tell her, my voice breaking a bit. “I’ve been in love with you since the moment you smiled at me, and nothing will ever change that.”
When the brightest, most stunning grin comes over my girl’s face, I realize why I haven’t had the urge to say those words to anyone before now.
Because I wasn’t meant to say those three words to anyone but Clara Drew McDavid.
CHAPTER 28
Clara
I swipe away a tear as my sisters all look at me through our FaceTime call. The pity in their gazes is overwhelming, but I know they don’t mean it in the way other people would. Other people would think my life is pointless without my being able to do what God intends for women to do. It’s really frustrating that society thinks everyone should procreate. I was fine with loving my dog and being happy. But because of societal norms, I thought Riggs would want more than what I can provide for him.
Like my sisters, he just loves me and wants me to be happy.
