Not Quite Mine (Not Quite #2)(72)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“What if we’d never figured it out? What if I’d taken Savannah and left the country?”

Dean ran his hands up and down Katie’s arms. “Maggie would have told me…eventually.”

She’d stopped shaking and the tears were fading. Dean followed Katie down to the couch.

“Does…does she want Savannah back?” Pain laced Katie’s question.

Dean kissed her forehead. “No. She’s not ready to be a mom. I’m not sure I like her explanation for leaving Savannah, but it is what it is.”

Katie stared at Savannah. “There are plenty of people who can have kids and not be a parent.”

Both of them watched Savannah in her swing, lost in their thoughts.

Katie squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry, Dean. I should have told you about Savannah the minute I found out. My own selfish insecurities stopped me.”

He hushed her. Katie didn’t own the title of insecure. “You’re not the only one feeling guilty. I took Savannah to my doctor and had a paternity test.”

“You did? When?”

“The day after you left. I kept thinking about the letter left with Savannah and the conversations I’d had with Maggie. I couldn’t believe she’d have my child and not tell me. But then there’s that little bundle.” He nodded to his little girl, smiled. “She has the Prescott nose.” He saw it now as sure as the one on his face. “I knew it was possible Savannah was mine.”

“She does have your nose. Your appetite, too.”

“I didn’t want to tell you over the phone either,” he said.

Katie offered a coy smile.

Dean placed his palm on the side of her cheek. “I wouldn’t have gone back to Maggie. Yeah, I was raised to take responsibility for what’s mine, for what I created. But I wouldn’t leave you for her. It’s you I love, Katie. Not her. It’s you I want to be the mother of my children…Savannah and any others we may choose to have. You are my family and I’m not giving you up ever again. Either of you.”

He kissed her then, sealing his words, and doing everything he could to burn his conviction into her brain.

From the baby swing, a clapping sound shortened their kiss. Savannah sat with a smile on her face as she clapped her hands together.

Katie’s laugh warmed the part of him that had been chilled all day. “Looks like Savannah approves.”

He kissed her forehead and hugged her close. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Dean.” They settled into the couch and watched Savannah watching them. “This means we’re getting married…right?”

Dean found her question funny and started to snicker.

She pushed away and offered a playful frown.

His laughter reduced to giggles. “I wanted to have a ring before I dropped to my knee.”

“A ring?”

“Yeah, shiny thing I put on your finger before I ask. A ring.”

She frowned and leaned back into his arms.

“You know,” she said a moment later, “you don’t have to have a ring to ask.”

“We already have a child before the wedding. I don’t want to mess up all those traditions.” He’d search out the perfect ring first thing in the morning. He’d already had one in mind before she left for Florida.

She huffed out a breath. “But you are going to ask…”

Oh, boy, he could see they weren’t going to get far. “The question isn’t if I’ll ask, it’s if I can get to it faster than your father and my best friend show up at the door with a shotgun. That’s the question.”

Now it was her turn to giggle. She kicked her legs under her bum and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“What…that’s it? No more drilling?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?” It wasn’t like her to give up so easily.

“I told my dad and brother they had to wait two days before they came to meet Savannah.”

Dean tipped his head back and laughed. When Katie joined him, the weight of the days and weeks faded.

Epilogue

Katie had Savannah playing in a playpen while she burned yet another meal on the stove. “Remind me to hire a cook,” she said to Savannah.

Savannah babbled to herself and jumped at the side of the playpen. She was ten months old and close to taking her first step.

“Cooking shouldn’t be this hard.”

Savannah muttered, “Da Da.”

“Yeah, he’s a better cook. Don’t remind me.”

“Da Da.”

Katie lifted the sticking pasta from the pot with a frown before taking it to the sink and letting the garbage disposal eat it.

“Da Da.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and flattened her hands on the sink. The three-carat square-cut diamond set in white gold with a matching diamond band twinkled on her hand. So she was a lousy cook. She had the wife thing down and loved everything about being a mother.

Life could be worse.

Maggie had moved out of state without a good-bye. Katie thought about her from time to time but no longer worried that she’d return and demand custody.

With some legal help, Dean’s name was added to Savannah’s birth certificate. The three of them were a real family now…in every way.

The floor squeaked behind her before a bouquet of flowers was thrust in her face.

“For my beautiful wife,” Dean whispered behind her. His lips found the nape of her neck and she leaned into him.

“What are these for?”

“Do I have to have a reason?”

She twisted in his arms and cocked her head to the side. “A husband brings a wife flowers on Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and anniversaries…or if he’s feeling guilty for something.” She sniffed the flowers and smiled. “So what has you feeling guilty?”

Dean’s strong jaw dropped in mock offense. “I’m offended.”

“Ha! Takes more than that to offend you. I know. You eat my cooking and you’re not offended.”

He looked past her and into the sink. “Looks like I’m off the hook tonight.”

She poked him with the stem of the flowers “Hey!”

“It’s OK. I’m taking my Prescott girls out tonight.”

“You are?”

“Yep, and pack a bag, cuz we’re staying overnight.”

“We are?”

“Yep.” Dean leaned over and turned off the water, which was still running.

“Wow,” she said. “You must have done something awful for this kind of guilt. Flowers, dinner…overnight stay.”