NICE GIRL TO LOVE (THE COMPLETE THREE-BOOK COLLECTION)(110)

“With my seniority and trial history, no, not at all.”

She chewed on her lip. “Tell me the truth. Have you already checked to see if you could relocate to the California office?”

He hesitated for a beat, and then replied, “They have a corner office ready for me, along with a list of potential homes for me in the area as well.”

The air in her lungs suddenly felt thinner. “And the reason why you haven’t told me this is…”

“Because moving isn’t an option for my brother. It wouldn’t be fair to him if this became a determining factor on your decision.”

Abby slapped both hands on top of her head and rolled off the couch, falling to the carpet in a heap. “Bad boy, my ass. You, Connor Sullivan, are as much of a hardcore goodie-goodie as I am.”

Chuckling, he crouched next to her and helped her up. “For one, don’t talk about your ass again unless you mean business. And secondly, I’m not doing this to be good, I’m doing this because you deserve to make the decision that’s best for you, with as little external factors forcing your hand. If you ended up choosing to be with me because of something like geography, and I wasn’t the one you really wanted...I wouldn’t want that for you, or for me.”

Trying not to get her hopes up too much, she finally dared to ask, “What’s the research position entail?”

“If you get it, you’d get to keep working with writing, specific to different native reservations that choose to participate. There are a few grander scale projects as well, and maybe even some statewide duties. The position involves some field work in the classroom, teacher training, curriculum planning, professional development modules, and work with standards and assessments.”

Whoa. It sounded like an amazing opportunity. She was brimming with excitement, and for the first time in the past few months, she wasn’t thinking about the position in context to its location in Arizona. “Connor, I couldn’t have custom built a more ideal position for myself. How did you find this?”

He looked like a kid at Christmas. “I thought you’d like it. It wasn’t me though. I asked Laura to do some digging. It helped when she worked her way backward with the native reservations focus. So you have her to thank, not me.”

He kept doing this, she realized—giving her opportunities she couldn’t imagine were within her scope. Allowing her not just to dream but to extend those dreams beyond even the furthest reaches of everything she dared to wish for herself. With Brian and Skylar, with work.

With love.

Even though she knew it was treading on dangerous waters, she crawled over and wrapped her arms around him, and held him tight. His arms snapped shut around her just as securely.

“I’ve missed this—having you in my life, being a part of yours,” he whispered hoarsely.

“Me too,” she admitted out loud. Finally.

That was when she knew…and what he said next just confirmed it for her.

“Brian and Skylar are your family. And I know this position isn’t a professorship but it combines so many of the things you love. If this position can help you stay here and be with them…well, I just wanted you to have that option.”

“You’re always doggedly seeking the most options for me. Why?”

His tone hardened. “You had your options ripped away from you by that monster from your past.” Tension vibrated his frame. “You deserve every option for your every happiness, Abby. No matter whether you choose me or Brian, or god forbid, some other man. I want you to have every choice afforded to you so the dreams that you make into your reality are the biggest and best ones you could dream up.”

He pulled back and gazed down at her, his emotions all laid out on the line for her to see. “Because before I met you, Abby, I couldn’t have possibly dreamed up the future I’ve imagined since…the one with you in it.”

A storm of emotions hit her from all sides and she just stared at the amazing man before her. Afraid that what she was about to say would change the way he was looking at her in this moment. “Connor, there’s something you should know.”

She felt the tensing in his arms, the possessive way he cradled her closer. And she let herself dare to dream that he wouldn’t see her differently, view her as damaged goods.

“Whatever it is, we can work through it, sweetheart.”

“I-I should’ve told you—and Brian, for that matter—about this before you two went through the whole joint custody thing over me. Maybe it would’ve had you guys reconsider.”

“Not freakin’ likely, honey.” He pressed a soft kiss to her temple and asked her quietly, “Do you want to tell me about it now?”

The words wouldn’t come out. A whole night she’d spent rehearsing this, ignoring all the images of Connor calling out, “Honey, I’m home,” like he had that one night months ago. Images she wanted to hold on to with hope, not fear.

“I didn’t tell you the whole story about what happened to me in high school, Connor. About what happened…afterward.” The storm of memories crashed into her, stole her ability to speak, to breathe. Tears burned the back of her eyelids as it always did whenever she allowed herself think about it.

“Honey, don’t cry. It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if it’s too painful,” he whispered into her hair, drawing her tight into his arms. “...I already know.”