‘I know you didn’t do it on purpose,’ he said. ‘I think I knew that from the start. I was just looking for an excuse to send you away. You got too close. I wasn’t able to handle it. I’ve spent most of my life pushing people away—even people who cared about me.’
Bella nestled closer. ‘I love you,’ she said. ‘I love everything about you. I think I probably always have.’
He put her from him so he could meet her gaze. ‘I think your father knew that,’ he said. ‘He was so afraid you would rush off and marry the first man who asked you. He made me promise to keep you from marrying anyone before you were twenty-five. But it looks like I’m going to have to break my promise to him after all.’
She looked at him quizzically. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Will you marry me?’ he asked.
Bella gaped at him. ‘But I thought you never wanted to...?’
‘That was before,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen the error of my ways. Besides, what am I going to say to Mrs Baker? She’s going to have my guts for garters if I don’t do the right thing by you.’
Bella looped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. ‘We can’t have Mrs Baker upset, now, can we?’
He grinned at her. ‘So, is that a yes?’
Her eyes were brimming with happy tears as she looked up at him. ‘When have I ever been able to say no to you?’
He cupped her face in his hands and locked his gaze on hers. ‘I love you. I’ve never said that to anyone before, but I plan to say it every day for the rest of our lives.’
She smiled up at him radiantly. ‘I love you too.’
‘I want to have a baby with you,’ he said, rubbing his nose against hers. ‘Maybe even two babies. And then maybe we can adopt a couple of children.’
‘I want that too,’ she said, letting out a little sigh of bliss. ‘I want it so much.’
‘Then we’d better get started, don’t you think?’ he said.
‘What?’ she said, pretending to be shocked. ‘Right now?’
‘Right now,’ he said and scooped her up in his arms and carried her towards the house.