But finally, he lifted his head. He took her face between his hands and brushed away the tear tracks. “I think you’re right. I think we’re going to make it, after all.”
“I know we will. I always knew—or at least, I kept promising myself that somehow, eventually, it would all work out.”
“I was coming to find you when you knocked on the door.”
She held his gaze, searching. “What? What is it?”
“You wanted me to call a press conference….”
“Yes. I see now that was probably a bad idea.”
“At first, I though it was a bad idea, too. Mostly because of my pride.”
“It’s okay, Rule. Truly.”
“But I reconsidered.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. I did reconsider—and I still decided against it.”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
“Instead, I’m going to give Andrea Waters an exclusive interview.”
She gasped. And then she made a sputtering sound.
He laughed then. “My darling, I believe you are speechless. I don’t remember that ever happening before.”
She groaned. “Oh, you …” And she gave him a teasing punch on the arm.
“Ouch!” He grinned.
“Really, Rule. You’re not serious.”
“Oh, yes I am. I’m going to tell the truth about you and me and our son. I’m going to tell it on Andrea Waters Tonight.”
“Um. Everything?”
“Well, I think it would be acceptable to manage the message, at least to a degree.”
She reached up, laid her hand on the side of his face. That simple touch meant so much to him. It was everything. To have her in his arms again, to feel her cool palm against his cheek, to know they were together, and that they always would be. “It isn’t necessary,” she said in a whisper. “It was too much for me to ask of you.”
“No. It wasn’t.”
She touched his lips with her thumb. “Shh. Hear me out.” She waited for his nod before she spoke again. “Yes, when it comes to us, to you and me, I demand total honesty. But I certainly don’t expect you to share all your secrets with the rest of the world.”
He took her hand, opened
it, kissed the soft heart of her palm the way he’d always loved to do. “I think it should be possible to do this with dignity. With integrity.”
“You can cancel. I’ll be completely accepting of that.”
He only shook his head and kissed her palm again.
She said, “Okay. If you’re determined to do this …”
“Yes?”