Page 103 of Next Time We'll Fall

“A view of the water on Coconut Beach. Do you know how much money that would cost?”

“I have a fair idea,” he says, nodding.

“I can’t afford a beach house, and as far as I know, you can’t afford a beach house.”

“Well, maybe I can.” He grins. “Would that be something you’d like though?”

“Rafe, what are you saying?”

“So, obviously, you know Mia and I didn’t grow up with a lot of money. And when I say a lot of money, I mean compared to Luke Haverbrook, whose parents practically own half the island.”

“Yeah, I know that.”

“And as such, when you compare my family to the Haverbrooks, it really is like we are just solidly middle class. But I might or might not be a millionaire in my own right.”

“You what?” My jaw drops. “How? What? I know Mia’s not a millionaire.”

“She also doesn’t own her own veterinary practice, and she also hasn’t been investing for years. Well, let’s just say, I have some stocks that have done well, and my practice is doing well. Very well, in face. What you may not know is that I also have some apartments that I rent. And if I can combine my assets and money together, we can buy a beach house if that’s something that you want.”

“Rafe, you are not buying a beach house just because …”

“Just because what?”

“Just because you think I might want one.”

“You do realize that my only job in life is to make you happy.”

I laugh at his words. “Not yet. We’re not married yet.”

“But you do know that I plan on making you my wife, and I plan on making you breakfast in bed every weekend, and I plan on having at least five kids with you.”

“Five kids?” My jaw drops.

“Unless you want six.”

“That’s a lot of kids for me to push out, Rafe.”

“Plus …”

“Plus what?”

“Plus, are we going to have enough bedrooms?”

“I’ll make sure we have enough bedrooms. I just want you to know that just because I’m not Luke Haverbrook or August Pitt, I can still take care of you. I want to take care of you.”

“I’m not with you for your money or what you can provide. You know that. I’m with you because I think you’re funny and cute, and you love animals, and you’re kind and you’re sweet,and you always look out for me and Mia. And, well, you’ve always just been someone that I knew I could rely upon.”

“Really?”

He sounds surprised by my words, and I nod.

“You’ve always been there for me, Rafe. It’s probably one of the reasons why I fell for you in the first place. I never had the most solid background, and I never really had anyone I could depend upon to really just be there and look out for me. And you’ve always been that person, and it’s always meant something. And obviously, it helps that you are extremely good-looking and that you are sexy and hot. But you always make me laugh. You love animals, and any man who loves animals is a good guy. No matter that you’re grumpy and mean and can be way overprotective at times. I know you’re going to make a great dad, and I can’t wait for us to have a family, but I want to make sure that everything is equal between us. And it doesn’t have to be fifty-fifty equal because I don’t know that I’m ever going to make a shit ton of money at Salty Pages. And that’s okay because I don’t need a shit ton of money, but I just want to make sure that we’re never in a position where you feel taken advantage of or I feel like you’re treating me differently.”

He nods slowly. “I understand.” He cocks his head to the side and runs his fingers through my hair. “Did you know one of my greatest joys when we were younger was when I would brush your hair for different parties you would go to?”

“What?” I am taken aback at his words.

“Yeah. Weird, right?”