The Hero (Thunder Point #3)(84)

She just shook her head. “I don’t know, Spencer. I do love you, but I’m afraid to get involved again. Maybe we should just give it some time.”

“No time like the present,” he said. “If you ever feel like you’re in over your head or if you’re having second thoughts, you tell me. I’m not going to hold you captive—I’m just going to love you as well as I can for as long as I can. I don’t deserve it, but will you give me another chance? We were so good together.”

“We were,” she said, giving him a small smile.

“I want to marry you.”

“Now wait a minute. I’m not sure I’m convinced enough to take that plunge.”

“I just want to negotiate one plunge at a time—it’s all up to you. Let’s start with dinner and a game of Candy Land and after the kids are asleep...”

She couldn’t help it, she laughed at him. But then she started to cry.

“Aw, baby, don’t,” he said, pulling her into his arms again. “Don’t be afraid. I had a meltdown, that’s all. You know I’m not really that guy—that afraid-of-commitment kind of guy. That was just an overreaction. I know how I feel, I really do.”

“I’m a little too emotional to make a good decision about this.”

“I scared you, that’s all. I screwed up and made you think I’m fickle. That I don’t know what I want or how I feel. That I scare easy. But I’m not any of those things. I’ll prove it. Just let me try. Any time it doesn’t feel right, all you have to do is say so, tell me what you want and you’ll have it. I just want a chance. I can’t walk away from you again.”

“I want to,” she said. “It made me so happy, loving you, being loved by you.”

He wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “Devon, I’d walk into hell for you, I love you that much. Let’s take it one day at a time. Together. Can you trust me that much?”

She put her hand against his cheek. “Do you have any idea how special I felt with you? Curled up on the couch, just watching a movie? Hanging out with the kids? Watching you train or coach your team? Making love?”

“We’ll have all that again, I promise. I’ll be there for you, I swear.”

“One day at a time? You’ll let me relearn that I can count on you?”

“Absolutely. I won’t rush you, but I’m ready.”

She sniffed back her tears. “Okay, then. I’ll give us a try.”

He grabbed her and kissed her again, deeply, passionately, holding her against him so tightly he was surprised she didn’t break.

There was a tapping on his shoulder and he broke away to stare into Mercy’s beautiful blue eyes.

“Why you always kissing?” she asked.

“Because I love your mommy,” he said.

“Oh,” she said. And she turned and went back to her bucket and pail.

He chuckled. Then he looked at Devon and said, “The first thing we’ll do is spend some quality time together. Then I’m taking you to a jewelry store so you can pick out a ring.”

“Spencer,” she said in warning.

“You don’t have to wear it until you’re ready, but I want you to have one. I want to spend my life with you. With you and Mercy and Austin.”

“You’re going to rush me,” she said.

“Go easy on me, honey. I almost lost you.”

“I almost lost you, too, Spencer,” she whispered.

* * *

Eric got a call from Ashley—Gina wondered if he’d be willing to come to the house to have a chat with her and her husband. Here it comes, he thought. He didn’t regret the way he played it out—giving them plenty of time to talk it over and give him an honest answer regarding his possible full-time presence in Thunder Point. It had been the right thing to do. He didn’t expect her to be happy with such a decision. After all, it brought into focus so many regrettable things from her past. Not only had she gotten pregnant by some loser who’d abandoned her, but that loser had gone to prison. What woman in her right mind wanted regular reminders?

The service station in Thunder Point had been a good piece of property, one that he could easily renovate. It wasn’t a rich town and he hadn’t expected to turn a big profit on gas and repairs, however some of his customers had come from far away for his custom restoration work and if he added space and equipment to any property, many of them would follow him. Classic car restoration was not only good business, most of his customers collected cars—it wasn’t usually a matter of one or two, but many. To that end, Eric had looked at many similar properties. He’d begun to like the idea of taking the investors’ money and putting it into something new, some little gem he could grow into something good.

When he arrived in Gina’s neighborhood at the edge of town, he felt an odd kind of happiness knowing that she’d settled herself so well. Life couldn’t have been easy for her, living with her mother and raising their daughter alone. But now, while she was still young, she had a fine husband, a good home and many nonjudgmental friends in Thunder Point. It gave him a sense of comfort, if not relief, to know he hadn’t completely destroyed her life. And she’d done an outstanding job with Ashley—she was as fine a young woman as any he’d ever met.