Reckless Temptations (Tempted #4)(114)

“Someone is anxious to meet his mommy,” the nurse enthused, as she opened the incubator.

Riggs helped me stand up, moving the wheelchair out of the way as he laced his arm through mine and brought me to the chair next to the incubator.

“Are you good? Comfortable?” Riggs asked, as he eased me into the chair.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, turning my eyes to the little bundle the nurse was holding and felt my breath catch as I positioned myself and waited for her to place him into my arms and reunite me with Pea.

“Oh, my,” I whispered, as I held him for the first time, staring down at his face, memorizing all his features. “Hi, my angel, I’ve been waiting for this moment since I found out about you.” I bent my head and kissed the tip of his tiny nose. “I love you so much,” I whispered to him.

I’ve experienced love. I love my family. I love Riggs. But I never knew the true extent of my love and how much someone could mean to me until that very moment. I glanced at Riggs as he took photo after photo with his phone.

“He’s perfect,” I said.

“Isn’t he?” He smiled and my heart grew even larger. Everything I needed was right there. Riggs and Pea.

This was where I was supposed to be.

This was the plan.

And such a sweet plan it was.

Thank you, God.

Thank you, Bones.

I nuzzled my baby, brought him as close as I could, careful of the incision on my chest, and kissed the top of his head as I looked back at Riggs.

“Thank you for telling me to take the detour, getting here, it was a wild ride but the best one,” I whispered.

He opened his mouth to say something but I shook my head silencing him.

“I know his name,” I said, diverting my eyes back to our baby for a moment, fitting his name to his face…a perfect match. I lifted my eyes back to Riggs.

“What do you think about Eric?”

He stared at me for a moment, realization settling across his features.

“That’s Bones’ real name,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“I know, he told me the day I bumped into him at the hospital,” I said, looking back at my son. “Eric Robert Montgomery, after his uncle and his dad, the two men I hope he grows up to be just like.”

“Eric,” he whispered, kneeling down before me, reaching out to take Eric’s hand. “It’s perfect,” he agreed.

I smiled up at the nurse, tipping my chin toward the name on his incubator “Baby Boy Bianci.”

“Can we change that?”

“Absolutely,” she said.

“Kitten,” Riggs called, forcing me to turn and watch as he went from kneeling on both knees to one.

No.

Please.

Yes.

God, is this a dream.

“Count his toes,” he said, nodding toward the baby.

“What?”

He grinned, winking at me before he unraveled the blue blanket from the baby.

“Count his toes,” he repeated.

I looked at the nurse and noticed she wasn’t the only one staring, but all of the NICU nurses had gathered around and were watching us. I looked back at Riggs and saw my mother and brother standing behind the glass window witnessing this moment.

“Go ahead,” he urged.

I unwrapped the blanket from Eric’s feet, blinded by tears that I tried to blink away before setting my eyes on the ring that dangled from my son’s big toe.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered, looking back to Riggs. “Is this what I think it is?”

“I’m going to make a hundred mistakes, but I promise I’ll fix them. I’ll always fix them. I know I’m not your plan, but I’ll make the detour worth it. We’ll make new plans, and you’ll dream…please keep dreaming. I want to make all your dreams come true, starting with a family. We already are a family but I want to make it official,” he insisted.

“You want to make an honest woman out of me?” I joked through my tears.

“I want to make you my woman,” he corrected. “Marry me, Kitten, be Mrs. Tiger.” I laughed, earning another smile, the kind that reached his eyes…my favorite one.

“I love you, Lauren Bianci, so goddamn much,” he added.

“I love you too,” I replied, watching as he gently lifted the ring from Eric’s toe, laughing when the baby curled his toe and held the ring hostage for a second. He slipped the ring onto my left hand before he looked back at me.

“Tell me it’s a yes.”

“Yes! Of course,” I exclaimed.

“I knew you’d say yes,” he grinned, pointing his thumbs toward himself. “How could you say no? This is all yours now.”

“I got news for you, Tiger. It was always mine and it would still be mine with or without the ring.” It was my turn to wink and grin back at him. “But the ring is a nice touch and the baby? Is the best bonus.”

“Good, glad you feel that way. I want more.” He said seriously, as he rose to his full height. “I’m thinking five or six.”

“Five or six kids?” I questioned. My eyes widening in disbelief—I’m pretty sure my uterus twitched violently at the thought.

“Yeah,” he tipped his head over his shoulder toward my mother. “Think she’ll move in and watch them when we need alone time? You know, when we feel like playing drop the pencil or just the tip?”