Page 144 of Fierce-Baker

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

“Because Madeline kept advising me to let the process work. I get it, she was doing her job, but I should have said what I was feeling. I should have done that with you too. Not tried to put a pretty face on my fears and insecurities. I knew you had a lot going on in your life and I didn’t want to drag you down with me.”

“First off,” he said, reaching for her hand and threading their fingers together, “there is no dragging me down. And not that much is going on in my life. I can handle my parents and I did. I even talked to my father today.”

“You did?” she asked, the look on her face more surprised than he expected. “What happened?”

“I’ll get to that in a minute. Back to you. I was mad that you tried to say you needed space when I knew deep down what you needed was support. But if there is one thing I learned from my parents, it’s that you can’t force support if someone doesn’t want it.”

“And I’m not used to getting help from anyone,” she said. “Least of all men. But when Shane told me what you’d said, Irealized everything I’ve ever wanted in life was right here.” She held his hand up with hers. “I had it in front of my face and yet I was pushing it away because I was afraid that what was going on in my life would only hurt you in the end. What I tried to do backfired.”

“It hurt you the same, didn’t it?” he asked softly. He released her hand, his fingers tracing the side of her face.

“It did. I’m sorry for everything. For my careless words. For my actions. For not being honest. Life is about ups and downs. But they are easier to navigate when you’ve got someone in your corner. I know I’ve got you, Baker.”

“You do. You always will.” He pulled her close, kissed her forehead, and said, “I love you. None of that is going to change. I promise you that. I’m seeing a future with you. I feared you could see what I was feeling and you weren’t ready for it and rather than tell me, you just decided to find another reason, or an excuse for the space.”

Just like Alexa had done. But he knew Tasha wasn’t Alexa.

And maybe hearing that his ex had gotten engaged was an itty-bitty trigger.

“I was seeing what you’re seeing. I knew you were too. But I wasn’t afraid of it. Not with you. I was more fearful that the more I fell in love with you, the harder it’d hurt if everything with Shane turned into another battle you’d have to take on. That it’d turn you away.”

“After our fight, I went to see him. Fighting doesn’t stop my love for you. Never think that.”

“I know it now.” She laid her head against his chest, the sounds of Micah laughing with the TV not that far away. “Can you tell me what happened with your father?”

He filled her in. What he said, what he was feeling, and the way the call ended. “After all of that Jolene walks into my office.”

“That woman is everywhere,” she said, laughing, then leaning back, and stepping out of his arms.

She’d held on while he talked. Gave him the support he’d been giving to her.

It didn’t have to be one way. He knew that now.

Maybe he knew it all along.

“She is, but she had some words of wisdom. I think she thought she was doing it for my mother, but it really made me think of you.” He told her what Jolene had said. “I realized we are all like that. We all say stupid shit to mask what is really going on. But I don’t want to do that. Not with you.”

“You’ve never done it with me,” she said. “But I’m going to promise you now, I won’t do it with you again.”

“And you know what?” he said, landing a kiss on her lips. “I’m not going to let you!”

EPILOGUE

Two Months Later

“Mama, Mama,”Micah yelled on Christmas morning. “Santaaaaaaa!”

Tasha laughed and turned to Baker in the kitchen. They’d gotten up earlier than her son who was too young to have the excitement that woke him fast to get to his loot.

“I’m coming,” she said, walking to his room where he was standing in front of the gate. “Potty first.”

She picked him up and brought him to the bathroom, sat him down and waited while he went. The toilet training was coming much faster and better than she thought.

Maybe it was having a guy around to help.

She put her son on the stool, watched him wash his hands, then make a mad dash for the tree.