Inheriting His Secret Christmas Baby(23)
Author: Heidi Betts

Then she remembered their last interaction, and his threats to take Bradley from her by any means necessary. Grip tightening on the knob, she was ready to slam the door in his face, ready to grab the baby and jump out a rear window if she had to.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, keeping her voice carefully controlled, and trying not to let her anger or fear seep into her tone.

“I had a rough weekend after you left,” he told her, not mincing words. His dark brown gaze was steady, the corners of his mouth drawn tight.

“Wandered around the house without answering the phone or checking my email. Didn’t even hit the slopes or get any work done, which is what I usually do when I need to think. I also had a bit of a heart-to-heart with my brother Blake. Among other things, he pointed out that women don’t get swept away by being told they should get married for practical reasons. They want flowers and candy and grand romantic gestures. So here I am, with the first two, at least.”

He thrust the flowers and box of chocolates at her, catching her off guard enough that she released her hold on the door and took them, clutching them to her chest.

“As for the grand romantic gesture…”

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small, heart-shaped box of black velvet—one that looked disturbingly like a ring box—and dropped to one knee.

Oh, my God. Was this really happening, or was she dreaming it? Haylie’s eyes widened as the room began to spin around her, her brain struggling to process what she was seeing, to make sense, not only of Trevor’s sudden appearance on her doorstep, but of his words and actions, as well.

“As much as I hate to admit it, Blake is kind of a smart guy. He also mentioned that if I just want someone to love and take care of Bradley, I can hire a nanny. But that if I cared for you, I needed to stop being such an idiot and tell you so.”

Her heart was pounding so hard, it made a knocking sound inside her chest that echoed in her ears. Was this going where she thought it was? Maybe she wasn’t hearing him correctly. Maybe he was here to tell her he’d hired that nanny to take care of Bradley and had only brought the candy and flowers in an attempt to soften the blow.

“That’s where the restless weekend comes in. Once I sat down—or rather, paced a hole in the floor—and really thought about it, I realized my brother was right. I don’t love only Bradley,” he continued from his half-kneeling position. “And if the tests had shown he wasn’t my son, I wouldn’t have cared. I would still have wanted you to stick around. I figured it out, Haylie. The two nights of soul-searching worked.”

She watched his Adam’s apple do a slow drop and climb as he swallowed, feeling the same rush of nerves low in her own belly. Her heart thu-thump thu-thump thu-thumped like a herd of wild horses in her chest, making it harder and harder for her to breathe.

“I love you. I love you, Haylie,” he blurted out just before the rigidity in his perfectly squared shoulders eased a little.

“I’ve been with a lot of women,” he admitted, “but I’ve never been in love. I guess that explains why I didn’t recognize it when it finally happened to me. Why it took the sucker punch of you taking off in the middle of the night for me to wise up.” His mouth curved up in one of her favorite wry, self-deprecating smiles.

“But here’s what I do know. I know I’ve been happier and more content in the brief month I’ve known you than in all the rest of my adult life. I know the house is empty and lonely as hell without you and Bradley there to fill the space with warmth and laughter. And I know that when I think about never seeing you again, it feels as though someone is reaching into my chest cavity and ripping out not only my heart, but my soul.”

Of their own volition, tears flooded her eyes. She didn’t think she’d ever heard anything so beautiful, except maybe in her own head when she thought about him.

But did he mean it? Did he really and truly feel this way about her, or would he change his mind the minute some cute little twenty-four-year-old with a short skirt and surgically enhanced bosom crossed his path?

“So I’m here to propose again.” He soldiered on. “This time, though, I’m going to ask instead of tell. And if you say yes, it won’t be a marriage of convenience. I’ll love you with every fiber of my being, and expect the same from you. I’ll expect you to live with me, till death do us part, whether that means you relocating to Aspen or me moving here—I honestly don’t care which.”

Taking a deep breath, his voice softened only a fraction when he said, “And if you say no… Well, that’s okay, too. I mean, I don’t want you to say no, of course, but I’d understand. Understanding doesn’t mean giving up, though. It just means I’ll have to start from scratch and work twice as hard at convincing you that my feelings are genuine.”

His eyes glittered with conviction as he added, “And no matter what, I won’t try to take Bradley away from you. Ever. I don’t want you to worry about that. I want him, don’t get me wrong, but we’ll work out a visitation schedule that we can both live with, I promise.”

Popping the lid of the velvet box, he held it out to her, revealing a bright gold band and stunning, marquise-cut diamond that had to be three or four carats, at least. Every facet winked and sparkled, making her almost dizzy.

“Will you marry me, Haylie? Be my wife, my lover, the mother of my children—Bradley, as well as any more we decide to have together?”

Her chest was so tight, her lungs refused to function. Her heart, which had been racing at full speed only seconds before, seemed to screech to a halt.

She wanted so much to believe him, to throw herself into his arms and shout yes, yes, yes! Nothing would make her happier than to be with him. Forever. Even if it meant moving to Aspen, starting over in a whole new city, a whole new element. Or maybe not starting over, but branching out.

Could she? Should she?

Taking a shuddering breath, she looked deep into Trevor’s eyes, and what she saw there warmed her more than any amount of flowers or candy or pretty words could. Love. And longing. And determination.

He loved her, he wanted her, and if she turned him down, he really would dig in his heels and fight for her.

For a moment, she considered saying no, just to see what he would do. Would there be more flowers, actual dates, attempts at wining and dining her in ways that only a millionaire Jarrod heir could?

But she didn’t care about Trevor’s money, did she? Or about being wooed. She only cared about him.

Letting go of the flowers and chocolates she’d been clutching to her chest, she fell to her knees in front of him and gave the only answer she could. The only one that made sense both in her head and in her heart.

“Yes,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight. His arms circled her waist, squeezing her just as tightly, and then his mouth covered hers, kissing away any further response.

For long minutes, they knelt there, simply kissing, holding, loving. When they finally came up for air, Trevor was grinning, and she could feel a damp smile of her own spreading across her face.

Wiping the tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs, he kissed her one last time before producing the ring box and cocking his head to one side. “May I?”

“Please,” she said, extending her left hand. Her shaking left hand.

He took it by the wrist and slid the diamond on her finger. As large as it was, she was surprised to find it didn’t weigh more. But still, she couldn’t resist lifting it up to the light, turning it this way and that, admiring the symbol of her love for Trevor, and his for her.

That he had picked it out just for her and come here to declare his feelings for her on bended knee… She would never forget this day, as long as she lived.

Climbing to his feet, Trevor pulled her up with him, still holding her close to his chest.

“I know we have a lot to discuss,” he murmured, “and you look like you were on your way out, but there are only two things I want right now—to say hello to my son, and then to put him down for a nap so I can make love to my beautiful fiancée.”

His wolfish grin as he walked her backward into her apartment and kicked the door closed behind him made her chuckle.

“It’s a little early for his nap, but he was up half the night, so you might get lucky.” Kissing his ear, she whispered, “And just in case you do, I’d be happy to call in sick to work so you can get lucky with me, too.”

Leaning back, he met her gaze, his expression serious. “I already have,” he told her in a low voice. “I already have.”

Epilogue

It was Christmas Eve.

Snow was falling softly outside the windows of one of the Manor’s gorgeous ballrooms. Strands of tiny lights were strung along the walls and ceiling like a starry sky, and a humongous Douglas fir decorated with gold ribbons and ivory bulbs stood at the far end of the room.

Round tables draped in white linens spread out all around, leaving only the center dance floor bare, and guests mingled at both, dancing to a mix of romantic and holiday music played by a string quartet, or enjoying the last bites of wedding cake.

The guests of honor, the newly united Mr. and Mrs. Christian Hanford, were seated at a long, rectangular table reserved for the wedding party, but they had eyes only for each other. In fact, the longer the reception went on, the more they looked as though they couldn’t wait to thank everyone for sharing in their special day, then take off for more enjoyable honeymoon pursuits.

Not that Haylie could blame them. She imagined that when her turn came to tie the knot, she would be just as eager to shed the formalities of the official event and get Trevor alone and out of his tuxedo.

A ripple of excitement ran beneath her skin, letting her know just how much she was anticipating her own wedding day. They’d barely discussed plans of any sort since he’d shown up at her door and proposed to her on bended knee, mostly because there were just too many other things going on at the moment.

She’d still needed to see to last-minute preparations for Erica and Christian’s wedding. Then there was Melissa and Shane’s New Year’s Eve wedding, which she would be attending only as a guest, thank goodness. And immediately after, Avery and Guy’s nuptials to contend with.

She still didn’t know exactly when that would be taking place, but Avery had assured Haylie that she wanted her help with everything from setting a date to deciding on centerpieces.

Which was fine. Better than fine, actually, since one of the things she and Trevor had discussed was her carrying on her work here at the Ridge. Rather than closing down or relocating It’s Your Party, they’d agreed that it would probably be smarter to leave the Denver business open and put one of her senior employees in charge.

Trevor had suggested that she then branch out and turn the company into a bit of a franchise, opening a second location—at the Ridge itself, if she preferred. He’d promised to help her find the perfect site on the premises to set up shop, but also wanted her to take over as the resort’s event coordinator. It would mean getting involved in more than just weddings—it would mean anniversaries, birthdays, engagements, bachelorette parties, and she would certainly be available for any family celebrations.