The bitter cold
cut through their denim coats, but he refused to rush her. If she needed to
stand here all day, then he’d remain beside her and hold her hand.
The
hours after her attack, the time she’d spent in the old well, hell, he knew she
had some catching up to do to settle it all in her mind, to free her soul of
the guilt she felt over Joseph’s death. Funny how things worked out sometimes,
how life raced at you full speed and knocked you on your ass.
He’d
loved Lacey for three years, but she’d been married to Danger. He’d never
expected to hold her in his arms. Because of Danger’s involvement with another
woman, and the attack on Lacey and her son, she was now his wife. From the ashes of their wrecked lives, this was the one
thing he refused to regret or was willing to change or give up. Lacey — his wife.
“Are you ready?” she asked quietly. “I need the last of
the boxes from the house. I want to get out of here, Rafe. Please?”
By here, he knew she meant Montana. “Are you sure you’re ready?” He hesitated, then
cleared his throat. “Lacey,” he said huskily. “Sweetheart, Karen’s in the
house. So is Danger. He’s weak. The man can barely stand. He’s using a walker
for mobility. I just wanted to prepare you, baby.”
“Walker?” Her gold eyes rounded with sadness.
“It’s temporary. He’ll get strong again in time. I can’t
believe he left the hospital without the surgeon’s release.”
“Danger does things his way,” she said a bit sadly. “And
the surgery, well you know, they drilled, instead of cutting his skull apart. I
think maybe that was less invasive than…” She shrugged. “You know?”
“Yeah. You’re right. I know I told you this before, and
God knows it kills me to say it again, but if you still love him, still want
him, I’ll set you free.”
A faint smile touched her lips, there, and gone in a
blink. “You keep making that offer one might think you want your freedom.”
“God no, sweetheart,” he rushed to assure her. “Never.” He wrapped his arms around her
waist and held her tight against his chest. “I never want to let you go. I want
to take you home and spoil you. When you’re ready, and if God’s willing, I want
us to try for another baby. I want our home overrun with the sound of childish
laughter, Lace.”
Her face abruptly looked blank. “Another baby?”
Maybe it was too soon for him to mention more children to
her. He cleared his throat. “At least three, if you want…someday.”
She fiddled with the collar on his denim coat. “I want
you, Rafe. I want your babies…someday. Right now, I can’t think about having
more children.”
He felt as if a knife had been thrust in his heart. “Okay.
I didn’t mean to rush you. I wasn’t rushing you. I just want our marriage to be
solid, a little something to cement it together.”
She tilted her head, searching his face. “I love you,
Rafe. For now, that has to be enough glue to hold us. You have no worries where
Danger is concerned. Danger…well, he made his choices…and he took away mine. He
made decisions without consulting me or giving me a chance. I’ve made mine.
Now…” She smiled. “I have three boxes in the house, in our bedroom.”
“Our bedroom?”
He lifted a quizzical brow.
“The one you and I slept in together. After you left, I
moved into that room. Danger stopped being a husband to me months before, long
before you and I slept together. You’re the only one I’ve had sex with in over
a year.”
Rafe cupped her chin and pressed a light kiss against her
mouth. “We didn’t have sex, Lace. I made love to you. You gave me the most
incredible night, the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me.” He
rubbed his mouth against hers. “Wait for me in the truck. I’ll get the boxes
and we’ll get the hell outta here.” He handed her the keys. “Start the engine.
Lock the doors.”
Her gaze flashed to his and she nodded. She took the
cut through their denim coats, but he refused to rush her. If she needed to
stand here all day, then he’d remain beside her and hold her hand.
The
hours after her attack, the time she’d spent in the old well, hell, he knew she
had some catching up to do to settle it all in her mind, to free her soul of
the guilt she felt over Joseph’s death. Funny how things worked out sometimes,
how life raced at you full speed and knocked you on your ass.
He’d
loved Lacey for three years, but she’d been married to Danger. He’d never
expected to hold her in his arms. Because of Danger’s involvement with another
woman, and the attack on Lacey and her son, she was now his wife. From the ashes of their wrecked lives, this was the one
thing he refused to regret or was willing to change or give up. Lacey — his wife.
“Are you ready?” she asked quietly. “I need the last of
the boxes from the house. I want to get out of here, Rafe. Please?”
By here, he knew she meant Montana. “Are you sure you’re ready?” He hesitated, then
cleared his throat. “Lacey,” he said huskily. “Sweetheart, Karen’s in the
house. So is Danger. He’s weak. The man can barely stand. He’s using a walker
for mobility. I just wanted to prepare you, baby.”
“Walker?” Her gold eyes rounded with sadness.
“It’s temporary. He’ll get strong again in time. I can’t
believe he left the hospital without the surgeon’s release.”
“Danger does things his way,” she said a bit sadly. “And
the surgery, well you know, they drilled, instead of cutting his skull apart. I
think maybe that was less invasive than…” She shrugged. “You know?”
“Yeah. You’re right. I know I told you this before, and
God knows it kills me to say it again, but if you still love him, still want
him, I’ll set you free.”
A faint smile touched her lips, there, and gone in a
blink. “You keep making that offer one might think you want your freedom.”
“God no, sweetheart,” he rushed to assure her. “Never.” He wrapped his arms around her
waist and held her tight against his chest. “I never want to let you go. I want
to take you home and spoil you. When you’re ready, and if God’s willing, I want
us to try for another baby. I want our home overrun with the sound of childish
laughter, Lace.”
Her face abruptly looked blank. “Another baby?”
Maybe it was too soon for him to mention more children to
her. He cleared his throat. “At least three, if you want…someday.”
She fiddled with the collar on his denim coat. “I want
you, Rafe. I want your babies…someday. Right now, I can’t think about having
more children.”
He felt as if a knife had been thrust in his heart. “Okay.
I didn’t mean to rush you. I wasn’t rushing you. I just want our marriage to be
solid, a little something to cement it together.”
She tilted her head, searching his face. “I love you,
Rafe. For now, that has to be enough glue to hold us. You have no worries where
Danger is concerned. Danger…well, he made his choices…and he took away mine. He
made decisions without consulting me or giving me a chance. I’ve made mine.
Now…” She smiled. “I have three boxes in the house, in our bedroom.”
“Our bedroom?”
He lifted a quizzical brow.
“The one you and I slept in together. After you left, I
moved into that room. Danger stopped being a husband to me months before, long
before you and I slept together. You’re the only one I’ve had sex with in over
a year.”
Rafe cupped her chin and pressed a light kiss against her
mouth. “We didn’t have sex, Lace. I made love to you. You gave me the most
incredible night, the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me.” He
rubbed his mouth against hers. “Wait for me in the truck. I’ll get the boxes
and we’ll get the hell outta here.” He handed her the keys. “Start the engine.
Lock the doors.”
Her gaze flashed to his and she nodded. She took the
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