Ash were here. But now he’s gone, and I won’t be silent anymore.”
“Richard. . .”
“Let me say all this while I have the nerve to do it, Lainey. I can give you and Max the kind of life you want, and he will be my son. My son, Lainey. Not Ash’s. Mine. And he will have the DeHan name and inherit everything my father has worked for, everything I’ve worked for. Max deserves the life his family wants to give him.”
Lainey frowned and closed her eyes as she rubbed her hand across her forehead. When she looked at Richard again, his unwavering stare bore into her. “Have you thought about what we’d do if Ash realized Max was his son and wanted to be a part of his life?”
Richard shrugged. “We would face that problem together.”
“B-but what about Edward? What would he say if he knew you felt this way?”
“He knows.”
For a moment all she could do was stare into the blue eyes that were so unlike Ash’s. Richard was offering her something she would never have dreamed of, but she wasn’t sure he really knew what he was asking for.
A sad smile pulled at her lips, and she reached over and cupped Richard’s cheek in her hand. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply as his head turned slightly toward her palm. His eyes opened as she eased her hand away.
“Richard, I’m so flattered by your proposal.” She stood and walked to the fireplace and then faced the couch where he still sat. “I’ve had a lot of time to think these past months, to examine my life. About the time I became a teenager, I made a vow that I would remain a virgin until I married the man I loved. I wanted to save myself for him. Then I met Ash, and that promise flew right out the window. I forgot who I was and who I’d wanted to be. The night Ash left I found out I was pregnant, and I thought God was punishing me by taking away what I wanted and giving me something I didn’t want.”
Richard rose to his feet. “You don’t have to tell me this.”
“I want to. That night I just wanted to die. I felt so alone and deserted, and I thought I deserved it. Then you and Edward came. You saved my life. In more ways than one.”
He frowned and joined her by the fireplace. “How do you mean?”
“The way you took care of me, your concern for me and my baby, your making me feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. It’s been a long time since I’ve had those things. And as I’ve thought about it over the past few months, I’ve come to realize that even though I had disappointed myself, God still loved me. I might have lost Ash, but He sent you and Edward to me. And He also gave me the greatest gift I could ever have—Max. So I have to do whatever I think is best for him.”
“Then marry me and let me take care of both of you. Ash deserted you, Lainey. If he meant what he told Dad, and I assume he did, he’s never coming back to St. Claire. You’re going to have a baby who will have no father. This child is a DeHan and needs to take his place in this family. But most of all, he deserves the love and security that I can offer him.”
Lainey placed her hand on top of his. “No matter what Ash did, I still love him. I may always love him.”
He closed his eyes and grimaced. “I know.”
“But I also love you, Richard. You must know that.”
He nodded. “Like a brother, right? Not the way I wish, but it’s a start. We can build a good life together if you’ll just give me a chance.”
“But can you really marry me knowing that I’m still in love with your brother?”
He scooted closer to her. “I’ve asked myself that question a hundred times, and the answer is yes. I won’t lie and tell you that I won’t mind, because I will. I’m sure sometimes I’ll be so jealous that I’ll want to scream, but I won’t. I’ll take what you can give me and be thankful for it.”
“That’s so unfair to you.”
Richard shrugged. “Life’s not always fair. Ash wasn’t fair to you when he went off to the jungles
“Richard. . .”
“Let me say all this while I have the nerve to do it, Lainey. I can give you and Max the kind of life you want, and he will be my son. My son, Lainey. Not Ash’s. Mine. And he will have the DeHan name and inherit everything my father has worked for, everything I’ve worked for. Max deserves the life his family wants to give him.”
Lainey frowned and closed her eyes as she rubbed her hand across her forehead. When she looked at Richard again, his unwavering stare bore into her. “Have you thought about what we’d do if Ash realized Max was his son and wanted to be a part of his life?”
Richard shrugged. “We would face that problem together.”
“B-but what about Edward? What would he say if he knew you felt this way?”
“He knows.”
For a moment all she could do was stare into the blue eyes that were so unlike Ash’s. Richard was offering her something she would never have dreamed of, but she wasn’t sure he really knew what he was asking for.
A sad smile pulled at her lips, and she reached over and cupped Richard’s cheek in her hand. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply as his head turned slightly toward her palm. His eyes opened as she eased her hand away.
“Richard, I’m so flattered by your proposal.” She stood and walked to the fireplace and then faced the couch where he still sat. “I’ve had a lot of time to think these past months, to examine my life. About the time I became a teenager, I made a vow that I would remain a virgin until I married the man I loved. I wanted to save myself for him. Then I met Ash, and that promise flew right out the window. I forgot who I was and who I’d wanted to be. The night Ash left I found out I was pregnant, and I thought God was punishing me by taking away what I wanted and giving me something I didn’t want.”
Richard rose to his feet. “You don’t have to tell me this.”
“I want to. That night I just wanted to die. I felt so alone and deserted, and I thought I deserved it. Then you and Edward came. You saved my life. In more ways than one.”
He frowned and joined her by the fireplace. “How do you mean?”
“The way you took care of me, your concern for me and my baby, your making me feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. It’s been a long time since I’ve had those things. And as I’ve thought about it over the past few months, I’ve come to realize that even though I had disappointed myself, God still loved me. I might have lost Ash, but He sent you and Edward to me. And He also gave me the greatest gift I could ever have—Max. So I have to do whatever I think is best for him.”
“Then marry me and let me take care of both of you. Ash deserted you, Lainey. If he meant what he told Dad, and I assume he did, he’s never coming back to St. Claire. You’re going to have a baby who will have no father. This child is a DeHan and needs to take his place in this family. But most of all, he deserves the love and security that I can offer him.”
Lainey placed her hand on top of his. “No matter what Ash did, I still love him. I may always love him.”
He closed his eyes and grimaced. “I know.”
“But I also love you, Richard. You must know that.”
He nodded. “Like a brother, right? Not the way I wish, but it’s a start. We can build a good life together if you’ll just give me a chance.”
“But can you really marry me knowing that I’m still in love with your brother?”
He scooted closer to her. “I’ve asked myself that question a hundred times, and the answer is yes. I won’t lie and tell you that I won’t mind, because I will. I’m sure sometimes I’ll be so jealous that I’ll want to scream, but I won’t. I’ll take what you can give me and be thankful for it.”
“That’s so unfair to you.”
Richard shrugged. “Life’s not always fair. Ash wasn’t fair to you when he went off to the jungles
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