This was progress. He wasn’t professing his deep and abiding love, but it was obvious that he loved Ty and wanted to be his dad.
Piper walked toward her son and his father. “I appreciate the sentiment, but he’s too young to deal with the upheaval of spending some nights with you and some nights with me. Maybe when he’s older.”
“I’m not waiting that long,” Jaeger firmly stated. “Not for him, and not for you.”
Piper felt the world rock beneath her feet. Oh, God, she couldn’t cope with false hope. “What, exactly, does that mean?”
The corners of Jaeger’s mouth tipped up. Jaeger walked toward her and picked up her hand, which she immediately snatched away. If he touched her she’d cave—beg him to love her—and she wouldn’t allow herself to do that.
Piper stepped away from him, ordering herself to think. “Explain that! Right now.”
Ty batted Jaeger’s face with his hand, and Jaeger captured the baby’s fingers, pretending to bite them. Ty’s laughter rang out loud and clear.
“Jaeger!”
Jaeger sent her a half smile. “I want to share custody of Ty with you, but in the only way it makes sense. You and me, together. I want Ty, but I need you. I need you in my bed and in my arms and in my life. I need to wake up with you, fall asleep with you, make more babies with you. I need you. I love you. Frankly, my life is crap without you.”
Piper felt love, hot and strong, well up inside her, but she forced it back down, not willing to allow it to cloud her thinking. “But you said you’d never trust me again.”
Jaeger led her to the sofa and Piper sat down on the edge, grateful, because she wasn’t sure whether her legs would hold her for much longer. Jaeger loved her, wanted her and Ty in his life.
God, was she hallucinating? Not sure, she touched his hard thigh as he sat down and bounced Ty on his knee.
“I went to see your cousin in Sag Harbor. I bought her sapphs.”
She didn’t care about the sapphires. She wanted to hear more about how much he loved her, whether there was some way, any way, they could make this work.
“She’s the sharpest geriatric I’ve ever met, and she also has a magnificent jewelry collection.”
Piper really didn’t care.
“You obviously had a heart-to-heart with Maeve because she immediately tagged me as Ty’s father, as the man you were having issues with. I told her I wouldn’t discuss you, and she told me she wouldn’t sell me the sapphs if I didn’t.”
Piper sneaked a look at him. “So, what did you tell her?”
“That I was confused, that I loved you but I couldn’t understand why you kept Ty from me. Maeve told me about your nonrelationship with your father, and I understand a bit better. Maybe we can talk about it more?”
Piper waved her hand in the air. “I shouldn’t have let my issues with Mick affect my decision.” Piper lifted her hand and rested her fingers on his cheek. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Jaeger, and I wanted to tell you. After Milan, I really did try to tell you. I couldn’t get hold of you, and I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me.” Piper rubbed her hand up and down his thigh. “And then I read about your lack of interest in kids, and I took it at face value. Afterward, and subconsciously, it was also a way for me to justify my decision not to tell you about Ty.”
“I’m not like your father, Piper.”
God, she knew that! “Jaeger, you’re the best man I know and nothing like Mick. You’ve walked through hell and it’s just made you stronger, and better. You’re a good man and God knows, I need one of those in my life. I need you. Another reason I didn’t tell you about Ty was that I knew I would lose you when I did.” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t want to lose you, Jay.”
“I’m here now, Piper, asking if we can move beyond this, whether we can move forward, together.” Jaeger’s voice was low and deep and laced with emotion. And love. So much love. “I trust you. With my heart, my life, my son. Be with me. Love me.”
Tears welled and ran down her face. “I do. I will.”
Jaeger raised his hand and cradled her cheek, his own eyes bright with moisture. “I love you so much.”