“And furthermore. That man is gorgeous. And he can cook.”
Lexi gives her a funny look. “Mom, you know he didn’t cook this right? It’s takeout.” It’s like she’s trying to find somewhere to poke a hole in Mom’s argument.
“I know, but I heard he makes a mean omelet. And more importantly, he loves you.”
Lexi’s voice is soft. “Love is a strong word, Mom.”
Mom doesn’t back down. “A strong word for a strong emotion. He loves her and that’s a fact. It’s written all over that handsome face of his. And he never hurt her. I know a good man a mile away, girls, and let me tell you, that one’s a keeper. He loves you.”
He loves me... her words surprise me. Is she talking about the book cover, or him, the real man? “Gabriel? The man I came to your house with. The man that brought us the food tonight.”
My mom stares at me, her brows knitting together, as if I’m the one with dementia. “Miranda, was there turbulence on that flight? Did you hit your head? Yes, I’m talking about Gabriel Lord. Your boyfriend.”
“Ex-boyfriend.” Lexi gives me a pointed look.
Mom points her fork at me. “He’s all you think about.” She goes back to her food, twirling more pasta on her fork. “I can see it in your eyes. Just like I was with your father.”
My mother is right.The truth is an icy cold slap of a wave. It doesn’t matter if he’s right by my side, or a thousand miles away. He’s never far from me. And he’s always on my mind.And even if you leave me, I hope I’ll still be in your heart. I drop my tray onto the floor. Grab my bag, pull out the note. I reread his words, and one line I read over twice more — Even if you leave me, you’ll always be my babygirl.
I can no longer deny what I feel. I love him. And he loves me. And even through his flaws and his mistakes, I want him. Even if it means risking being hurt, all I want is to be with him. Always.
Holding the note, I fly from my chair, sprinting through the room. I tear past the nurses’ station, Emmie shouting, “Miranda! You okay?”
I wave to her. “I’m fine, I’m fine!” And I run. My heart races as I scan the building for him. Have I missed him?
I catch a glimpse of his square shoulders. The brown curls that just touch the collar of his black coat. He’s further down the hall, walking through the exit doors. I reach out as if I can grab him, stop him. “No, Gabriel! Don’t go!”
The door closes. He turns. He sees me. The weight lifts from his shoulders. The pain erases from his face. He reaches for me and I open the door and run straight into his arms.Chapter NineteenGabrielI hold her to me, and it’s hard to believe she’s here, in the flesh, holding onto me like she finally really accepted those words I wrote to her. Her shuttered gaze and cool detachment have fled.
I breathe her in, the subtle scent of flowers and spice.
God, I’ve missed this.
I cradle her to me and we stand there on the sidewalk as buses pass and pedestrians walk past, a crisp wind making her blonde hair fly. I tuck her against me, shielding her from the wind, on instinct. I want to hold her even tighter, but I can’t push too hard.
“What is it, baby?”
She’s trembling a little, and I don’t know if it’s from the cold or something else.
“Mom just… Mom said she… she knew you loved me,” she says hesitantly, and I don’t know if she’s scared I’ll deny the truth or if it’s something else.
“Of course I do.” I kiss her cheek, then pull her tightly to me again before I hold her at arm’s length so I can look into her eyes.
“I love you, Miranda Montague. I love everything about you. And I’m sorry I ever gave you reason to doubt that or reason to fear me.”
She swallows and nods, but doesn’t speak at first. She opens her mouth and then closes it again. Finally, she draws a shuddering breath and continues.
“And I know I love you, Gabriel. I feel like there’s so much we still have to get to know about each other. But… well, there’s time, isn’t there?”
My chest warms and my heart soars. I’ve wanted this so badly. So fucking badly.
“Yeah, baby,” I say softly. “Of course there’s time. I fucked things up, and I’m sorry.”
“And I have to admit I overreacted,” she says with a sigh. “I’m just scared. There are so many unknowns, so many variables, you know?”
“I do know, baby. I get it. And I don’t blame you, not at all.”
She nods, looking up at me. “Now that I know you had a wife that cheated on you, I can almost understand where you’re coming from?”