raised me.” I didn’t take my eyes from hers as it sank in.
“The man?” she paused. “Not your parents?” she asked.
I shook my head. “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. I was the result of a teenage pregnancy. My mother gave me up after the delivery.”
Maria raised her hand to rest it on my chest, and I placed mine over hers. “I was adopted when I was one by two of the greatest people I have ever known, Kathleen and Wayne Tennison. They were older, but that didn’t stop them from taking in an infant.”
I swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. “Kathy died when I was eleven. After that it was always me and Wayne. I looked for my real mom for a short time, but then I realized I had all the love I needed from those two. If at some point in time my real mother contacts me, I would agree to meet her. But I was blessed to have what I had, so there wasn’t a reason to go looking for more.”
“Last night, do you have any idea what you did for that little boy at the restaurant?” She smiled and bit her lower lip. “You took a heartbroken boy, who had recently lost both of his parents, and brought joy back to his life, even if it was just for a short time. He now has a happy memory to help him through his dark days.”
“What?” she gasped. “He lost his parents?” she asked, holding her hand to her chest.
“Yeah, that woman was his old babysitter. He lives in a boys’ home.” Tears fell from her eyes and I wiped them away.
“But what I did wasn’t enough. We need to do more,” she insisted with determination in her eyes. “But how do we? We should have asked, Gavin. We should have asked her how we could do more.”
I slipped my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close, feathering a kiss across her lips. “I did ask, baby. I know where he lives. I’ve already planned on finding a way to be a part of his life, even if it’s just in a small way. You saying that you want that too just goes to show what I already knew.”
She tilted her head, her eyes still reddened from her recent tears. “What’s that?”
“You’re really making it hard for me not to fall further.” I watched as her eyes once again glistened. “You just got this way about ya. I’m not sure how the hell I fought it this long.” I wasn’t ready to say the words. The next time I did, it would be forever. The next time I confessed my love, it had to be forever.
“You better hurry up and catch up, Mr. Tennison. I fell a long time ago. It’s been kinda lonely without you by my side.” She blinked back her tears, and her confession made my chest tighten.
Flipping her over and resting her back against the couch, I lowered my body over hers. “You’re not alone. I promise. I’ve just been really good at hiding it.” I kissed her softly. “Don’t lose hope in me. I just need us to fall together. We haven’t done any of this right. We’re starting over, and this time there’s no holding back, okay?” I kissed her once more. “I won’t push you away. I won’t run. I promise.”
She looked in my eyes with adoration. At that moment, it was on the tip of my tongue, and I could see she was about to say the words herself. Kissing her with more intensity was a cop-out, but I wanted to be able to say it back and I wasn’t quite there yet.
Chapter Seventeen
My phone rang just as we drove past the sign saying Savannah. I hit the button, and the voice that filled the car made my head hurt.
“Where are you? I don’t have all day to wait on you. I have a child who is tired and hungry. You’re late.” Nicole’s bitching had me gripping the steering wheel and grinding my teeth.
“No, actually, I’m early. I have 32 minutes to be exact. So you’ll see me in 32 minutes. Go feed your daughter.” I hit end just as Nicole started to argue.
Looking back, I had to admit she had always been demanding and high maintenance. But love is blind and I just
“The man?” she paused. “Not your parents?” she asked.
I shook my head. “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. I was the result of a teenage pregnancy. My mother gave me up after the delivery.”
Maria raised her hand to rest it on my chest, and I placed mine over hers. “I was adopted when I was one by two of the greatest people I have ever known, Kathleen and Wayne Tennison. They were older, but that didn’t stop them from taking in an infant.”
I swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. “Kathy died when I was eleven. After that it was always me and Wayne. I looked for my real mom for a short time, but then I realized I had all the love I needed from those two. If at some point in time my real mother contacts me, I would agree to meet her. But I was blessed to have what I had, so there wasn’t a reason to go looking for more.”
“Last night, do you have any idea what you did for that little boy at the restaurant?” She smiled and bit her lower lip. “You took a heartbroken boy, who had recently lost both of his parents, and brought joy back to his life, even if it was just for a short time. He now has a happy memory to help him through his dark days.”
“What?” she gasped. “He lost his parents?” she asked, holding her hand to her chest.
“Yeah, that woman was his old babysitter. He lives in a boys’ home.” Tears fell from her eyes and I wiped them away.
“But what I did wasn’t enough. We need to do more,” she insisted with determination in her eyes. “But how do we? We should have asked, Gavin. We should have asked her how we could do more.”
I slipped my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close, feathering a kiss across her lips. “I did ask, baby. I know where he lives. I’ve already planned on finding a way to be a part of his life, even if it’s just in a small way. You saying that you want that too just goes to show what I already knew.”
She tilted her head, her eyes still reddened from her recent tears. “What’s that?”
“You’re really making it hard for me not to fall further.” I watched as her eyes once again glistened. “You just got this way about ya. I’m not sure how the hell I fought it this long.” I wasn’t ready to say the words. The next time I did, it would be forever. The next time I confessed my love, it had to be forever.
“You better hurry up and catch up, Mr. Tennison. I fell a long time ago. It’s been kinda lonely without you by my side.” She blinked back her tears, and her confession made my chest tighten.
Flipping her over and resting her back against the couch, I lowered my body over hers. “You’re not alone. I promise. I’ve just been really good at hiding it.” I kissed her softly. “Don’t lose hope in me. I just need us to fall together. We haven’t done any of this right. We’re starting over, and this time there’s no holding back, okay?” I kissed her once more. “I won’t push you away. I won’t run. I promise.”
She looked in my eyes with adoration. At that moment, it was on the tip of my tongue, and I could see she was about to say the words herself. Kissing her with more intensity was a cop-out, but I wanted to be able to say it back and I wasn’t quite there yet.
Chapter Seventeen
My phone rang just as we drove past the sign saying Savannah. I hit the button, and the voice that filled the car made my head hurt.
“Where are you? I don’t have all day to wait on you. I have a child who is tired and hungry. You’re late.” Nicole’s bitching had me gripping the steering wheel and grinding my teeth.
“No, actually, I’m early. I have 32 minutes to be exact. So you’ll see me in 32 minutes. Go feed your daughter.” I hit end just as Nicole started to argue.
Looking back, I had to admit she had always been demanding and high maintenance. But love is blind and I just
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