need to hide his feelings underneath hardened layers in his soul. In fact Richard was the most loving person she’d ever met, and the most honest, the kind of a man she could spend her life with.
She took a deep breath and turned to Edward. “I suppose Richard has told you he proposed to me last night.”
Across the table Richard choked on a bite of eggs and clamped his napkin over his mouth as he coughed. Edward glanced his way. “Careful there, boy. No need to kill yourself.”
He looked back at Lainey and smiled. “Yes, he told me. And he said you didn’t accept.”
Millie returned at that moment with a bowl of oatmeal and a plate with slices of melon and bananas on it. Lainey speared a bite of the cantaloupe and put it in her mouth before responding. When she’d swallowed, she looked back at Richard, whose eyes were glued to her face.
“No, I didn’t answer him then, but I’m prepared to this morning.”
Edward pushed up from his chair. “Maybe I should leave you two alone.”
Lainey waved her hand in dismissal. “No need for that. After all, you and Richard seem to have discussed the futures of Max and me already. So we might as well all do this together now.”
Richard cleared his throat. “Lainey, I meant what I said last night. I hope I didn’t cause you any distress.”
She smiled and folded her hands in her lap. “You didn’t, Richard. It was just such a shock. I needed time. That’s all.”
Edward sank back into his chair. “What are you trying to tell us, Lainey?”
She’d thought she could do this without crying, but now she wasn’t so sure. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked to keep them from rolling down her cheeks.
“I want you both to know,” she began, “that I never expected anything from either of you. When Ash left, I thought I was alone. I didn’t know how I could face being a single mother, but then the two of you showed up. You opened your home to me, you love my child, and you want to provide for both of us. These are all wonderful gifts.” She hesitated and let her gaze drift to Richard. “But last night Richard offered me the greatest gift of all—his unconditional love. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve all this.”
Richard’s eyes raked her face. “Just by being you, Lainey.”
A tear leaked from the corner of her eye, but she didn’t wipe it away. “I can’t promise you. . .” She paused and glanced at Edward. “And I can’t promise you. . .” Her gaze drifted back to Richard. “That I will ever forget him. I loved him with a passion I didn’t know I possessed, but I’ve come to see that it wasn’t enough for him. I need to let Ash go, so he can follow whatever path he wants to travel, and I need to reach for the life I want, the one that you’ve offered to me.”
Richard’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “What are you saying?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m saying that I would be honored to be your wife. I promise I will be faithful and true to you alone and will never give you reason to doubt why you asked me to marry you.”
Moisture sparkled in his eyes, and he reached his hand across the table. With a smile she laced her fingers with his. Edward pushed up from the table again and cleared his throat. “Now I think it’s time I left you two alone.” He walked around the table and kissed Lainey on the cheek. “You’re now an official member of the DeHan family, my dear, and it’s made me happier than anything has in a long while.”
“Thank you, Edward,” she murmured. He didn’t say anything else but glanced at Richard and nodded before he walked from the room.
When he was gone, Richard exhaled a long breath. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“Well, I am. Ash wants to live an adventurous life all over the world, so now he can do that. I want a home and a family for my child, and I’ll have that. Edward wants his grandchild to have the DeHan name, and he will. You are the only one I’m
She took a deep breath and turned to Edward. “I suppose Richard has told you he proposed to me last night.”
Across the table Richard choked on a bite of eggs and clamped his napkin over his mouth as he coughed. Edward glanced his way. “Careful there, boy. No need to kill yourself.”
He looked back at Lainey and smiled. “Yes, he told me. And he said you didn’t accept.”
Millie returned at that moment with a bowl of oatmeal and a plate with slices of melon and bananas on it. Lainey speared a bite of the cantaloupe and put it in her mouth before responding. When she’d swallowed, she looked back at Richard, whose eyes were glued to her face.
“No, I didn’t answer him then, but I’m prepared to this morning.”
Edward pushed up from his chair. “Maybe I should leave you two alone.”
Lainey waved her hand in dismissal. “No need for that. After all, you and Richard seem to have discussed the futures of Max and me already. So we might as well all do this together now.”
Richard cleared his throat. “Lainey, I meant what I said last night. I hope I didn’t cause you any distress.”
She smiled and folded her hands in her lap. “You didn’t, Richard. It was just such a shock. I needed time. That’s all.”
Edward sank back into his chair. “What are you trying to tell us, Lainey?”
She’d thought she could do this without crying, but now she wasn’t so sure. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked to keep them from rolling down her cheeks.
“I want you both to know,” she began, “that I never expected anything from either of you. When Ash left, I thought I was alone. I didn’t know how I could face being a single mother, but then the two of you showed up. You opened your home to me, you love my child, and you want to provide for both of us. These are all wonderful gifts.” She hesitated and let her gaze drift to Richard. “But last night Richard offered me the greatest gift of all—his unconditional love. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve all this.”
Richard’s eyes raked her face. “Just by being you, Lainey.”
A tear leaked from the corner of her eye, but she didn’t wipe it away. “I can’t promise you. . .” She paused and glanced at Edward. “And I can’t promise you. . .” Her gaze drifted back to Richard. “That I will ever forget him. I loved him with a passion I didn’t know I possessed, but I’ve come to see that it wasn’t enough for him. I need to let Ash go, so he can follow whatever path he wants to travel, and I need to reach for the life I want, the one that you’ve offered to me.”
Richard’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “What are you saying?”
She took a deep breath. “I’m saying that I would be honored to be your wife. I promise I will be faithful and true to you alone and will never give you reason to doubt why you asked me to marry you.”
Moisture sparkled in his eyes, and he reached his hand across the table. With a smile she laced her fingers with his. Edward pushed up from the table again and cleared his throat. “Now I think it’s time I left you two alone.” He walked around the table and kissed Lainey on the cheek. “You’re now an official member of the DeHan family, my dear, and it’s made me happier than anything has in a long while.”
“Thank you, Edward,” she murmured. He didn’t say anything else but glanced at Richard and nodded before he walked from the room.
When he was gone, Richard exhaled a long breath. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“Well, I am. Ash wants to live an adventurous life all over the world, so now he can do that. I want a home and a family for my child, and I’ll have that. Edward wants his grandchild to have the DeHan name, and he will. You are the only one I’m
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