Close to Heart (23 page)

“I love you, Justin,” she whispered.

“I love you.” He bent his forehead to hers, still in shock at having her in his arms again. “We have a lot to talk about.”

She nodded and grasped his hand, pulling him toward the house. “But first, I need to get out of this dress and feed my son.” Almost on cue, Sam’s quiet complaints sounded. “Franklin’s not equipped.”

J
USTIN STOOD IN
the doorway watching Lyssa tuck Sam into his crib. The entire room was a mess of half-placed furniture and half-unpacked boxes. Lyssa turned toward him with a soft smile on her face. He loved the way her face lit up when she looked at Sam. She was an amazing woman, a wonderful mother.

She put a hand against his chest, pushing him backward from the room, and reached for the light switch, her hand catching on the edge of the box. He caught a glimpse of a worn book cover. He chuckled quietly and paused, moving her back into the room as he reached into the box, pulling out a well-read copy of
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
, flipping it toward her.

“You’re already reading this to him?” He smiled, remembering how much he’d loved it as a kid. “My mom used to . . . ” Justin lifted the cover and the picture of him with his parents slid to the floor. He bent down and picked it up, sighing, resting his elbows on his knees before slipping the picture back inside and standing, handing her the book. “You took this?”

She nodded unapologetically. “I did.”

“Why?”

“Come on,” she said, reaching for his hand and leading him down the hall. “We have a lot to talk about, and if we wake him, we can’t.”

Justin was surprised when she led him past the living room to her bedroom. He arched a brow as she closed the door behind them. Her large, very comfortable-looking king-sized bed was behind him, making it difficult to concentrate. The last thing he was thinking about right now was holding a conversation. He felt his body heat as desire beat in time with his pulse. He set the book on her dresser and pulled her into his arms, his hands sliding down to cup her rear. He wanted to hear her explanation, but later.

“Never mind, I don’t care why.”

She smiled up at him and he could see the hunger making her eyes glitter like emeralds. “I’ve messed up so much already. Just let me explain.”

He sighed and let his shoulders fall dramatically. “Fine, but I’m not letting you go.”

“Okay,” she agreed. Justin sank onto the edge of her bed, pulling her into his lap. “After you left that afternoon, your friend, the officer, showed up and escorted Elijah off the property. He only left me because Bailey agreed to drive me into town. When you left, I was devastated. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

His fingers traced the curve of her neck and his lips found the hollow behind her ear. “Honey, I’m sorry,” he whispered against her skin, his voice husky. “I should have just asked you.”

She squirmed in his lap, setting off explosions of need in him, making him seriously consider delaying this conversation. “If you keep doing that, this is going to have to wait.”

Lyssa turned and straddled him, cupping his face in her hands, forcing him to look into her earnest face. All it did was make him want her more. His hands roamed over the back of her T-shirt down to cup her flannel-clad rear and pull her closer. “That’s not helping matters.”

“When I first stayed with you, I was snooping and saw the picture. Ever since then, I’ve had this image in my head of myself holding Sam and smiling up at someone I love, the way the woman in that picture was. I’ve been picturing you all along.” She brushed her lips against his in a kiss so light he almost thought he imagined it. “That picture is what carried me through the past two months. That picture is why I wouldn’t give up the idea of coming back and seeing you again, begging you to listen if I had to.”

“I’ve been so stupid. I should have trusted you.” His lips plucked at hers, unable to keep from kissing her now that she was in his arms again. He wrapped his arms behind her back, letting his hands curl over her shoulders, her hair falling around them like a dark curtain.

“Yes, you should have,” she agreed with a teasing smile.

“You really bought this place?” She nodded. “I didn’t think you’d want to stay. I thought you’d planned on going back to LA all along.”

“You never asked,” she pointed out between kisses. Her fingers began working the buttons of his tuxedo shirt, her hands slipping inside the collar to let her fingers roam over his heated skin. “I always planned on avoiding that life for Sam. I just didn’t know where I wanted our future to be until I met you.” She ran her hand through his short hair, cupping the back of his neck and biting his lower lip gently before licking away the hurt.

“You have no idea how much it hurt to lose you.” He buried his face in her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin. “And to know that I didn’t have to kills me. I wasted so much time.” He cupped her jaw in his hands. “I hurt you.”

“You did,” she agreed, “but you also helped me stand on my own feet, to fight my own battles again and to know how strong I really am. I love you for those things, too. As much as it hurt and was difficult, I knew I was coming back to prove myself to you, to convince you what we had was worth fighting for.”

“Worth giving up everything for?” He shook his head. “I can’t even imagine what you went through.”

She smiled and forced him to look at her. “I got the best part of the deal. He walked away from Sam and me. He signed off parental rights in exchange for my silence. I have more than enough for Sam and me to survive on, without ever having to work again, and I never have to worry about Elijah’s shadow over us. He was glad to see us go. I was able to walk away with more than I ever had during my marriage. The only thing missing is you.”

Justin rose, holding her under her thighs and laying her onto her bed. “Honey, you have me. If I hadn’t been such an idiot, you would have had me sooner.”

She looked up at him and wound her hands around his neck. “What?”

“Never mind.” He shook his head and stripped his shirt off, throwing it aside before fumbling with the hem of her shirt. “We’ll remedy it tomorrow. Right now, I want to touch you, to feel your skin against mine.” He slid up the length of her body, burying his face between her breasts. “Please tell me you’re cleared by the doctor to—”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t matter if he hadn’t. I’m not waiting a day longer.”

A
LYSSA WOKE TO
Sam’s quiet whimpers coming from the baby monitor. She slid out of Justin’s arms and slipped on her flannel pajama pants and her T-shirt. She crept down the hall and into Sam’s room, cooing to him quietly as she scooped him out of bed and took him to the rocker, cuddling with him as she nursed. She closed her eyes and dropped her head against the back of the rocking chair, completely at peace for the first time in years. She looked down at her son again, her heart filled with joy.

“He’s a good man, Sam. That’s why I gave you his name. He’s someone for you to look up to.” The corners of Sam’s mouth curved up in a smile as he listened to his mother’s voice. It was irrational since he probably had no idea what she was saying, but she felt as if he understood, and approved. She ran a finger over his cheek. “I love him. You will, too.”

“Marry me.”

Alyssa looked up, surprised to see Justin standing in the doorway, his jeans slung low around his hips, looking deliciously rugged with his mussed hair and scruffy jaw. She tried to catch her breath, unable to believe she’d heard him correctly.

“What?”

Justin moved into the room and knelt in front of her, cradling Sam’s head with his huge palm. “Marry me?” His blue eyes were so entreating she couldn’t look away. “I was going to ask you right after Sam was born. That was why I went back to my place, to get my mother’s ring. But then I got that phone call and . . . I messed everything up, Lyssa. I don’t want to go even a day without you by my side. I love you and Sam in a way I never thought I could love anyone. The last couple months without the two of you have been hell.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Justin, I don’t even know what to say.”

“Say yes.” He moved toward her, curling his fingers around the back of her neck and stealing her breath in a kiss that would have melted any reservations, if she’d had them. “Say yes, and I promise that I will spend every day making that image you had into a reality.”

She smiled against his lips. “Do you promise to always believe me when I tell you something?”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “I’ll do my best.”

“Do you promise to stop being so stubborn?”

“I can’t promise the impossible.” He laughed as she lifted Sam to her shoulder and patted his back. “What do you say, little man? Do I get to be your Dad?”

Sam let out a burp that must have come from his toes before smiling broadly at Justin. Alyssa couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out. Justin joined her, shaking his head.

“I’ll just assume that was a resounding yes.” He pulled Alyssa to her feet as he dropped to one knee in front of her. “Alyssa Stone, will you forgive my stupid, stubborn cowboy pride and spend the rest of your life letting me show you how much I love you and the children we will have?”

She tried to bite back her smile and look thoughtful, tipping her head to one side. “How many children?”

“As many as you want.”

“And we have to raise them on the ranch, with their cousins nearby.”

“Deal.”

“With dogs and horses and—”

“You do realize I’m not getting any younger down here, right? At this rate, we’ll be celebrating Sam’s first birthday before you say yes.”

She cocked a brow, looking down at him. “You’re awfully sure of yourself.”

Sam patted his chubby hand against Justin’s forehead. He reached for it and pressed a kiss to his baby fingers, standing to press another to Alyssa’s lips. “Because I believe you when you tell me you love me.”

“Good, then my answer is yes.”

A
LYSSA TURNED TO
look at her reflection in the full-length mirror. It was strange to see herself in a wedding gown again. The last time she’d been just out of college and scared she would make a mistake. Some might see it as exactly what had happened, but that mistake had produced her son and led her directly into Justin’s arms.

“Are you ready?” Julia asked. She stood in the front room of the cabin with Jessie while Bailey bounced Sam on her hip, ready for the wedding to commence.

She walked into the room to join them and heard Julia gasp as she wrapped one hand around her protruding belly. “Alyssa, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Alyssa smiled at the woman who would become her sister-in-law in less than thirty minutes. “Are you sure you’ll make it through the ceremony?”

“She’d better,” Bailey warned. “I didn’t get all dressed up for a trip to the hospital.”

“Is he ready?” Alyssa knew Bailey had already been to see Justin.

“He is.”

“Did you know he wouldn’t let the guys throw him a bachelor party?” Jessie asked, puckering her lips and blowing against Sam’s palm, making him laugh. “Said it was disrespectful to his bride-to-be.”

Bailey rolled her eyes. “I never thought I’d see my cousin domesticated.”

Alyssa just smiled, knowing that there was no domesticating Justin. He was still the same strong-willed, stubborn man with a temper, fiercely protective of those he loved. A hero who rescued her from a car accident, saved a litter of puppies, and went on to help deliver her son.
Their
son, she corrected. He was so many contradictions wrapped into one man who could drive her wild with his touch or comfort their son when he was colicky. He was her cowboy, and in a few moments, he would become her husband.

Franklin poked his head inside. “Time to do this.”

The three women pressed kisses to Alyssa’s cheek. “We’ll be on the porch.” They walked outside, leaving Franklin alone with her.

“You sure you want to go through with this?”

“There’s not a doubt in my mind.”

He gave her a half smile. “I had to ask.”

Alyssa took a step closer and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I know and I appreciate it, but this time, it’s right.”

“I know it is.” He held his elbow out to her. “You’re sure your dad is okay with me walking you down the aisle?”

Alyssa laughed. “Yes. He said he did it last time and it didn’t turn out well, so this time he suggested someone else do it.”

“He’s that superstitious?”

“You have no idea.” She tucked one hand through his arm and smoothed her free hand over the lace ivory wedding gown. It was supposed to be a simple ceremony at Heart Fire Ranch with only friends present, so Franklin had hired security to form a perimeter, ensuring no paparazzi snuck inside. “Thank you again, Franklin.”

They stepped out onto the porch, and she could see Justin waiting under the flower-covered arch near the corral. He looked so handsome in his half tuxedo, reminding her of the night she’d bid on him. Heads turned as the music began, and Jessie led the procession.

“He adores you. Anyone with eyes can see that,” Franklin whispered. “Don’t tell him I said so, but I’m so grateful to him for bringing you back. I thought you were lost.”

Tears of joy burned her eyes, threatening to ruin her makeup. “I would have been if not for him.”

Franklin placed her hand into Justin’s. When she looked into his eyes, everyone else disappeared and she saw only Justin, the man who’d brought her back to wholeness. His thumb brushed over her wrist and he smiled down at her, his eyes bright as he motioned for Bailey to bring Sam to him. Sam immediately smiled up at him, then looked over at his mother.

“Lyssa, we agreed to write our own vows, but I have to admit that I had some help.”

He pressed a kiss to Sam’s hand when he placed it over his lips. Their families laughed and she couldn’t help but feel her heart swell with devotion when Sam leaned into Justin for a baby kiss. Justin didn’t hesitate to return it, no matter how sloppy it might be. He slid a medallion from his pocket and slipped it over Sam’s head, making a point to include the boy in their ceremony.

“From the moment I first saw you outside the clinic, I was completely enthralled. You have a beauty that shines from within, like the sun. You have a stubborn determination to rival my own, although you won’t admit it.” She laughed, even as the tears slipped down her cheeks. “You’ve shown me that it’s okay to be vulnerable and trust, even when I want to hide from the truth.” He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away her tears. “Your love has been the greatest gift I’ve ever known. You and Sam are the reason I wake up. I promise that until the day I take my last breath, I will spend every minute showing you how much I love you both.”

For a woman who had been memorizing scripts for most of her adult life, Alyssa found herself at a loss for words, her memorized vows completely forgotten. “I love you, Justin. More than I ever thought was possible.”

She leaned forward, needing to feel his lips against hers, sealing their future as man and wife. She felt Sam press his mouth against her cheek as Justin kissed her and she laughed.

“Justin, you’re my strength and my hero, the man I want our son to emulate and the man of my dreams. I may not know what our future holds, but I know it doesn’t matter as long as we are together. You’ll always be my superhero.”

He gave her a lopsided grin, the dimple in his cheek deepening. “As long as it’s Thor and not Aquaman,” he muttered as he pulled her into his arms again.

Justin sealed their vows with a kiss that had their families cheering and left her blushing, feeling as if every bone in her body had just pooled in the cowboy boots she wore under her dress. She clung to him, just as she had done from the moment they met, knowing they shared a love like no other. It wasn’t something she could find in any romantic comedy or script. Justin was a hero who defied any stereotype. He was simultaneously flawed and perfect. As the chaplain introduced them, he bent his lips to her ear, kissing the outer shell and making her shiver with yearning, wishing they could skip the reception altogether.

“I love you, Mrs. Hart.”

“I love you, Dr. Hart,” she returned with a laugh as Sam reached for her arms. “You realize this means we’re keeping Rocky and Lucky, right?”

“Was there ever a doubt?” He brushed her hair to one side, letting his breath feather over her neck. “Think we could sneak away? I have a couple of new dance moves to show you.”