Page 124 of Clinically Delicious
“Gabriel.”
“You are. The way you handled him, the way you answered his questions, you were perfect.”
“I was terrified.”
“You didn’t show it.”
“I stress-baked an entire batch of scones at six AM.”
“And they were excellent.” I pulled back to look at her. “Everyone’s going to see what I see in you, Cate. And I’m going to have to get used to that.”
“What do you see in me?”
The question was quiet, vulnerable, and I realized she genuinely didn’t know.
“Everything,” I said simply. “I see everything.”
Her breath caught, and for a moment we just stood there in the hallway, the afternoon light streaming through the windows, the sound of Megan singing to herself in the kitchen.
“We’re going to win this,” Cate said finally. “Aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m not losing you.” I cupped her face, my thumb brushing across her cheekbone. “Either of you. Tonya can bring whatever lawyer she wants. It won’t change the fact that Megan belongs here. With us.”
“With us,” she repeated softly, and I watched her eyes go bright.
“With us,” I confirmed.
She kissed me again, and I let myself get lost in her, in this moment, in the impossible reality that she was my wife.
When we finally broke apart, she was smiling. “So. Anthony Gallagher.”
“Don’t.”
“He seemed very impressed with my baking.”
“Cate.”
“And my coffee. He said it was excellent.”
“I’m going to call him back and fire him.”
She laughed, the sound bright and genuine, and I felt something in my chest ease.
“Come on,” she said, taking my hand. “Megan wants to show you her drawing of our family. Apparently, we have a dragon now.”
“A dragon?”
“And a dog. She’s very insistent about the dog.”
I let her pull me toward the kitchen, toward my daughter and the life we were building together.
Anthony Gallagher was right about one thing: Cate was remarkable.
And I was going to make damn sure everyone knew it.
Even if it meant dealing with lawyers who looked at her like she were the most interesting thing in the room.
Because she was.
And she was mine.
