Not another wedding.
Leah Miller had to get out of the wedding business and into another part-time job so she didn't have the constant reminder of what she didn't have in her life.
Leah pulled the stretch limo to the curb, her eyes automatically checking out the two men in full tuxedos, top hats with tails and all, waiting for her.
They were perfect. Both tall, dark and in excellently tailored suits to show off their wide shoulders, slim waists and cute butts. And they were cute.
Leah may not have had a man in her life for…too long…but she still knew how to admire them. And these were among the best. Not only did they look smashing but one of them, the best man, had the foresight and care to order her a full hour before the bride's limo to ensure they'd be there at the church on time without fail.
Leah tipped her head to one side. One of the guys, his back to her, was a fraction taller than his friend, and there was something about him…a power or a presence that spoke directly to her.
Was he the groom?
What she would have given to be at the bachelor's party…or to have met the guy before the bride did! She imagined their bodies pressed together, her hands roaming over the impressive expanse of him, and those large hands wandering over her…. Her belly lurched, her blood traitorously heating.
The two men bundled into the limousine.
"Hello," the first one murmured as he slid across the backseat.
Leah tightened her grip on the steering wheel. That voice. It couldn't be.
She jerked her head up, focusing on the rearview mirror, her heart lurching in her chest and thumping wildly.
Rogan?
Her vision blurred. She blinked several times, forcing herself to breathe. It could be anyone. It didn't have to be him, not after four years…and not like this.
He couldn't be the groom, could he?
Rogan sat in the back of the limo, clean-shaven, his hair still as dark as she remembered and in the same short cut that he'd had back then, the same as when she'd run her hands through it when they'd kissed.
Kissed…
His lips still beckoned her, warm and welcoming, flooding her mind with memories of not coming up for air until she was drowning in desire.
The nights they'd spent worshiping each other… Her belly fluttered.
"Drive on," the man beside him ordered.
She shook herself, touched her hot cheeks, put the limo into gear and pulled away from the curb. Oh, gawd. She was taking Rogan to the church….
He couldn't be getting married. He'd been fanatic about making his mark in the world of high finance. He'd shared his dreams and goals of his future with her…and from where she sat, it hadn't included this.
Surely, his own parents' multimarriage and divorce chronicles had affected him as much as it had her when he told her about his childhood?
His friend beside him straightened the sapphire blue hankie in his own pocket, then Rogan's. "You look nervous."
"Yeah," Rogan said, his voice deep and as velvet soft as she recalled. "First time at a wedding."
"Surprising."
Rogan tapped the top hat on his lap like a drum. "I've made it my business to avoid them."
Leah bit her bottom lip, her eyes burning. She knew it. She was right to get herself out of his life before he had a chance to move out of hers.
"Until now." His friend slapped Rogan on the shoulder. "A good strong start, eh?"
"Yes," Rogan said flatly.
"How are you and Joyce doing?"
Rogan shrugged. "We're doing this together, aren't we?"
Leah's body chilled, the icy realization clawing at what was left of her heart. He was the groom. There was no doubt now….
She guessed it had to happen eventually — people changed and it had been four years. Four long years.
His friend took a soda from the bar and popped the top. "True. But I think it involved a bit of coercion on her part."
She glanced back at Rogan. He was marrying this woman out of expectation? Logic? Pressure?
Rogan waved his hat in front of him. "Hell, yes. It wasn't what I was thinking…but she had leverage."
Leah gritted her teeth, trying to focus on the road, Sydney's weekend traffic, and not the love of her life in the backseat declaring that all it took was a bit of leverage to get him to the altar.
If only she'd known…. She'd had the highest leverage of all, but there was no way she could ruin his dreams, no way she could cope with the look in his eyes when she told him and take the risk on him.
She clamped her mouth tightly closed, turning onto the last road. Cripes, she'd been young and stupid.
His friend laughed. "But you have to love 'em, right?"
"Yeah," he murmured, rubbing his chin.
He didn't sound so sure…. Was he ready for commitment but not sure he had the right woman waiting for him at the altar? Did he love the girl?
Leah's chest tightened.
Rogan's friend opened the limo door, slid out of the vehicle and stepped onto the lawn in front of the quiet church. Still too early for the guests.
Rogan paused on the backseat, straightening his sapphire blue tie, which matched his eyes…the ones she'd never see again, if she didn't say something, do something.
She touched her stomach, the familiar hollow ache rippling through her. It was now or never if she wanted closure.
If she was ever going to face the man again, possibly tell him the secret that burned inside her, it had to be now.
Leah slammed the limo into gear and put her foot down.
The back door whipped closed.
"Hey," Rogan barked from behind her. "I'm still here."
"I know," she said, glancing back at him, her chest tight. She had an hour to reconnect with the one man that had touched her heart. One hour to find the courage to tell him the truth about why she left him. And only one hour to get the closure she needed to move on.
She only hoped she wasn't making the biggest mistake of her life.
"What do you mean, 'I know'? What on earth do you think you're doing?" Rogan wondered if he'd fallen into the clutches of a lunatic, and this notion was reinforced when he heard no answer other than the sound of the engine accelerating yet again.
He looked into the rearview mirror but could see only a pair of eyes, their color the rich green of a springtime meadow. Something about them made him think not of madmen but of angels, and for one crazy minute he thought this must be his guardian angel, sent to save him from attending this afternoon's wedding.
He shook his head to banish the ridiculous thought, but those eyes pulled him back, mesmerized him…. Dear God, he knew those eyes! He had seen them sparkle with laughter, glint in anger, widen with concern. How many nights had he watched them grow dark and hazy with passion, then liquid with fulfillment. How often had he kissed the corners of those eyes, brushed his lips across their lids, lost himself in their depths…
"Leah," he croaked. Her eyes met his and their gaze continued to hold, locked by the bonds of memory, while the world rushed by.
World rushed by?
"Leah, for heaven's sake, watch the road!"
Her eyes darted away from the rearview, and he saw them widen just before she slammed on the brakes. Hard. Rogan slid from the seat, his arm catching on his friend's unfinished drink on his way down to the floor.
But he didn't hear an impact. Relieved, he actually found himself chuckling. Trust Leah to surprise him! Practically every night for four years he had fantasized about seeing her again, imagined how it would be when they met. And this, he had to admit, didn't come anywhere near any of his fantasies!
She pulled the limo off the road, got out and flung open the back door and jumped into the seat next to him. And then Rogan smelled her perfume. Light and subtle and the same fresh floral scent he remembered so well.
"Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded, his mouth suddenly too dry to speak. "I'm so sorry. Are you sure you're okay? Oh, look at your sleeve! Here, let me."
She found a cloth, sat on the floor in front of him and began to blot the soda. Even through the layers of heavy fabric he could feel her warmth, feel the electric charge of her touch where she held his arm. He had worked so hard to evict her from his mind — and from his heart, where she still took up an awful lot of room. Well, that effort sure was getting a setback! He tried to glance at her left hand, but it was hidden under his arm.
"I really am sorry," she was continuing. "I didn't mean to mess up your suit, and I'll get you back to the church soon. It's just that… I mean I thought… That is, I wanted to…" Her nervous babbling trailed off into an awkward silence, the hand with the towel patted absently and stilled, and then she, too, just sat quietly and drank in his presence.
Rogan reached over to pull off her cap. Even with her new short haircut, she was even more beautiful than before, softer somehow, more womanly. Heck, she'd only been nineteen.
"You cut your hair," he whispered unsteadily, as he swept a lock off her face. He left his hand alongside her cheek, and she made a quick, soft sound as she shut her eyes and instinctively leaned into it. He knew they had to talk, but he couldn't help but recall how her once long hair had felt on his bare chest. Maybe there was time first for him to take in the new Leah. Just enough time to run his hands over her full breasts and cup them. Just once. Maybe to kiss those lips…
"Get a grip, Cavanaugh!" he scolded himself, trying to quell the hot surge of desire. In four years, no other woman had come close to affecting him the way she did. His voice was soft and husky as he turned back to her. "What was it you wanted to say, Leah?"
"I… Well…" She opened her eyes slowly, then straightened and scooted up to the seat. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin the way she always had when looking for courage, and, though that posture was achingly familiar to Rogan, he sensed strength in her that hadn't been there before.
"We never really talked it out, before," she began, her voice steady now. "There was so much we didn't say. I thought, maybe…with you about to get married…it would be a good time to, you know, get everything cleared up. Out in the open."
"Leah, honey…" He was about to tell her she had it all wrong — he wasn't getting married, he was the best man. But maybe it was better to keep some distance between them. Then they could concentrate on talking without falling into the old pattern of letting their bodies communicate instead.
"You're right, Leah. We didn't talk nearly enough. Or, at least, honestly enough," he answered instead.
She nodded her agreement.
"There was one thing I've always wondered particularly about," Rogan broached hesitantly, after some silence. "I know I was wrapped up in myself, too scared to give you all you needed. I can see now why you were unhappy, and I'm so sorry. But you left so suddenly. What happened? I've racked my brain trying to think of what I did to drive you away like that, but I truly have no clue."
She was opening her mouth to speak when the chimes of the church rang half-past. He saw her shut her mouth again, hesitate and think. She seemed to reach some sort of a decision.
Looking him straight in the eyes, she answered him.
"I was pregnant."
Stricken blue eyes stared at her. "Pregnant?" Rogan whispered. Leah nodded a slow affirmation.
His eyes slid from her and focused on something outside the limo window. The warm fluttering ache that had bolstered her mere moments before became confused, cold and hollow. Suddenly, the need to unburden herself seemed to have been a mistake. A terrible, ugly mistake.
"Rogan, I didn't want — I mean — I don't expect anything of you. Gawd, my timing! I mean, you're getting married in less than an hour." She took a deep breath. "I realize this isn't the sort of thing you want to hear right before you're about to marry the love of your life…." she choked then trailed off. "I'm so sorry." She moved to open the door, unshed tears glazing her eyes.
"Did you have the baby?" His question stopped her.
She closed her eyes and a lone tear slid down her cheek. "Does it matter?"
She could feel his eyes fix on her again. "Yes, it does," he said.
Pictures of the life they'd had and could've had together whizzed through her mind but were abruptly interrupted by the life he was about to have with another woman. Was it fair to burden him with the knowledge that he had a three-and-half-year-old dark-haired little boy minutes before he was to watch his bride walk down the aisle? What a wedding gift that would be for his new wife! "Guess what, honey. I just found out a few minutes ago that I'm a daddy! And by the limo chauffeur, no less! I guess that makes you a new stepmom. Isn't that just peachy?"
Leah opened her eyes, squared her shoulders and, without looking back, stated flatly, "No." She could hear the breath he was holding expel in a slow stream as she alighted and slammed the door shut. All the fears she had harbored, fears that he would choose his career over a child and her, were confirmed with that one long, relieved breath.
The five-minute ride back to the chapel was silent. The kind of silence she hated as a child; the kind of silence she would do anything to dispel. Such things like erupting into a rousing rendition of the spoof "God Bless My Underwear" during the solemn prayers of the people in church. Or burst out with an obnoxious burp during a love scene at a movie theater. But she wasn't a child anymore and this silence seemed to be the exception to her childish rule, anyway. She raised the dividing window and riveted her eyes on the road. Gawd! What a mess she'd made!
Leah pulled up before the church and Rogan was sure she couldn't help but see the hard look his friend was leveling at her from the sidewalk.
"What's going on?" he demanded as Rogan stepped from the vehicle.
Rogan looked over at Leah. "Nothing, Slater. Give me a minute; I need to tell her something." Slater looked at Leah and shrugged irritably. He watched as Rogan rapped on the window with his knuckle. Instantly, the limo shot from the curb and out into traffic. Slater grabbed Rogan by the collar, saving him from the muddy gutter.
"What the —? She was supposed to stay here until after the wedding and take us to the reception hall! I'm going to call that limo agency!" he declared, brushing off his best man. "I'll bet they didn't even do a background check on her when they hired her! She's probably a felon or something! Rogan?" When Rogan didn't answer, he patted him on the cheek, hard. "Hey, man! Are you all right?"
Rogan came to himself with a start. He glanced at his attire and absently brushed the pant legs. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He stared after the retreating vehicle.
The more miles between them the better off her heart would be. Leah wasn't sure she believed it, but she'd managed to do it four years ago. She could do it again. What did it matter that she'd probably lose her job because of today's little fiasco? She wasn't going back there to face him again. Losing her job was worth it compared to the pain of knowing she couldn't ever hold him again. She groaned. His eyes, though…smoldering, electric. They seemed to be making love to her right then and there. She sobbed brokenly. She hoped the woman he was marrying appreciated his eyes the way she did.
Rogan slipped out the side door and dashed to the front of the church as soon as the bride and groom made their way down the aisle as husband and wife. He had a few minutes before the reception line would form up and his best man duties would call him away. His heart sank, though, when he studied the drivers standing beside the limos. Neither of them were Leah.
He moved to the nearest driver and asked, "Are you the replacement from the agency?"
The man nodded and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket to extract a card.
Rogan thanked him and turned to go, then stopped. "Hey, do you know the driver that took off? She's a lady with short blond hair. About so high." He raised his hand indicating a distance from the ground of about five-and-a-half feet. "Her name is Leah."
The driver grinned. "Oh, sure. Leah. Yeah, she's a cutie, huh? Her kid's real cute, too."
Her kid's real cute, too?
Rogan's stomach flipped and he thought for a moment he might be physically sick. Stifling his immediate reaction, he pushed the palm of his hand against his forehead and, nodding to no one in particular, made his way back into the church. He remembered to smile on his way in, but it was perfunctory.
A child.
Everything seemed to him to be in slow motion.
A son? A daughter?
Then quite suddenly he was extremely angry, his heart racing, blood pounding in his ears. What right did Leah have to lie to him? What right did she have to keep a secret all these years? To keep it from him? Then he remembered the telling sigh of complete and utter relief he'd let out when she'd lied to him in the limo.
"I'm such an idiot," he said to himself.
"What was that?" Slater asked from beside him.
Rogan shook his head and then shook someone's hand. He had to find her. He had to find her quick.
Leah could barely see through her deluge of tears. They wavered in front of her and she felt as though she were driving through a kaleidoscope of houses and sidewalks. She had only to drop off the limo and then she could go home. Go home. Home to her little son. A sharp, unbridled pain coursed through her entire body, a pain she'd only felt once before — when she'd left Rogan after discovering she was pregnant.
Unbidden images of being young, nineteen and in love assaulted her senses. Laughter, the bright sunlight of spring. The soft, emerald grass of the field behind her parents' house, the reflections in the lazy little slough. They'd made love next to the slough once. The grass had been cool from the morning dew, and somewhere a red-winged blackbird had trilled. She could remember the touch of his skin on hers, the ache she'd felt for him, the hot, unchecked passion, the way he'd look down at her with those beautiful blue eyes.
Leah winced at the memory. She'd been right, though, she reminded herself. He wanted nothing to do with her or their son, her son. He'd shown that clearly in his facial expression. He was still the same career-driven Rogan Cavanaugh. And he was getting married. She'd been right. Yet as she pictured her darling son sitting in front of the television, knees raised to chest, head thrown back in the throng of childish laughter, she felt a pang of doubt.
Rogan rushed from the church, the shouts of startled guests ringing in his ears, but if he heard them, he failed to care. He had to find Leah and he had to find her now. He had to confront her. He had to tell her he wasn't getting married. Not now, and quite possibly not ever.
He grabbed the driver he'd talked to moments before, nearly toppling him over in his haste to get the man's attention.
"You have to get me to Leah. I don't care how much it costs…." Rogan cut himself off abruptly and started riffling through his pants for his wallet, his hands shaky.
"Whoa," the driver said. "I'm not a taxi, sir. I'm staying right —"
"Here," Rogan pressed money into his chest. "I don't care what you are, I need you to take me to Leah. I'm the best man — the groom won't mind. It's important." When the driver failed to comply, Rogan lost his cool. "NOW!" he yelled. The driver jumped and, scrambling with the money, hopped into the limo, Rogan hopping in next to him.
There was a moment's silence.
"Sir," the driver said cautiously, "I don't know where Leah is."
Rogan's head started to pound.
"She probably went to drop off the limo. I can't imagine her taking the thing home."
When they pulled out of the parking lot, Rogan leaned back into the seat, surprised to find that he was still capable of rational thought. Leah. What had Leah done to him? Completely unraveled him. He was acting like a love-struck teenager.
"Get a grip, Cavanaugh," he thought.
Leah pulled into the parking lot. Her chauffeur's uniform suddenly felt stiff and awkward. She took a moment to clean up the mess of makeup that her tears had created and then stepped out of the car. She crossed the pavement carefully, head down, eyes focused on her feet. It seemed to take forever to make it to the other side, the sound of passing traffic loud in the silence, the echo of her footsteps eerily strident.
Just as she was about to step up on a curb there was a screech of tires, and the sun winked off the side mirrors of a limo as it hummed into the parking lot. Her heart caught in her throat. Before the limo had a chance to stop completely, the side door flung open and out stepped the last man she expected to follow her. Rogan. She couldn't help the way her heart contracted at the sight of him — the disheveled, alluring sight of him.
Was he married?
She glanced at his hand, but there was no ring.
Of all the stupid things she could have done, she'd just ruined Rogan Cavanaugh's wedding! She felt like screaming.
Rogan rushed across the parking lot, grabbing hold of her hands before she could find it in herself to make a dash in the other direction. Her heart was pounding. Her skin was hot in his grasp. This was all her fault. What had she done?
"Leah," Rogan said, the sound of her name from his mouth making her stomach lurch traitorously, "I know about our child."
I know about our child….
Leah felt joy and resentment wash over her at the same time. With a pleading look in his eyes, Rogan gripped her hands in his.
"I know about our child and I want to meet it, Leah." Rogan swallowed hard. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
If ever the expression caught between a rock and a hard place applied, it was here. Leah would never keep Rogan from seeing his child. Well, she thought with a squirm, not intentionally. Okay, she mentally corrected herself, not without a good reason. Looking into Rogan's eyes now made her worries of the past seem selfish and, even in her own estimation, her actions made her appear deceitful. She had no right then or now to make a judgment where his son was concerned.
"Of course you can see him Rogan," Leah said, the pressure of her heart squeezing in her chest almost choking her.
Leah believed, however, that she at least had the right to make decisions concerning her own relationship with Rogan and she was not about to let a mere sense of duty pull them together. Here she stood, with the man she had loved so much, and she was about to draw a line. She couldn't imagine yet how she would deal with seeing Rogan come and go in her life, but she couldn't keep him from his son any longer.
The silence hung heavily between them as they stood facing each other. Rogan raised a gentle hand to tip her chin upward. Offering a tear-swollen smile of compliance, Leah cringed inwardly at the tenderness that was already evident in Rogan's steady gaze. Worse than her fear of being rejected by him years ago was the humiliation that filled Leah at the thought of now being an obligation to him.
Rogan slid his gaze over her face. Leah had haunted his dreams. The women he'd dated always came up short when he compared them to Leah. If only he had given in to his love for her years ago. Would it be too late now? Rogan thought. As Rogan fed his hunger with the beauty of her, he couldn't resist the allure of her trembling lips. He tasted her softly and hesitated only briefly for that split second that told him she wanted more. The kiss they shared sent new life through his body. It was as though their souls had found each other at last, and in that briefest of dances, he knew he could never let her go again.
"Leah —" Rogan's voice was hoarse with passion "— we need to talk."
"I'll tell you about him. Yes," she confirmed when Rogan raised his eyebrows. "We had a boy. His name is Ryan. He's got your dark hair and my green eyes and looks just like you. He's very smart and very loving."
Rogan watched Leah step away from him. He remembered too late that her pride would mistake his presence for indebtedness.
"Please, don't pull away from me now," Rogan told Leah. He raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't tell you how often I've dreamed of finding you again, of having you with me every day, of having a family with you."
"Did you look for me, Rogan?" Leah pinned him in place with her anger. "Did that dream of yours drive you to search for me before you knew about our child?"
Rogan knew he had to open himself up this time. He was on the verge of losing the only woman he'd ever truly loved. "I acted like a jerk before, Leah," Rogan admitted. He reached for her, but she held her hands up to stop him.
"You don't need to go through the charade, Rogan. I know how you feel about commitment."
"Felt," he corrected. "The way I felt four years ago is much different than the way I feel now."
"And that coincides nicely with you having found out that you have a child now, doesn't it?" Leah spat the words at him as though he had wounded her with his declaration.
"It's not like that," Rogan said. He quickly tried to think of a way to convince her that he'd remained in love with her all these years, but it was difficult considering he had just realized it himself only minutes before. The emptiness that plagued him when she left had stifled his zest for life, and it wasn't until Leah stepped back into his life that he felt the life breathe into his body again. Rogan knew in the core of his being that she was the one that he'd been destined to love. Letting out an exasperated groan he tried again. "Leah, I know I've been an idiot. Can we find somewhere to talk about this?" Rogan sensed that he was losing her.
Leah took a few steps backward. She could still taste him on her lips. Her stomach flipped as she brought her fingertips to her mouth. She couldn't. She mustn't allow herself to be fooled again. She'd worked too hard to put the past behind her and raise her son. Knowing that Rogan was now married confirmed that though he would take his duty to his child seriously, there could never be anything more between them. She needed more. She needed all of him.
"Here's my number, Rogan," Leah said as she handed him a business card. "Call me tomorrow and we can work out a time for you to meet Ryan. Other than our son, we have nothing to talk about."
This was the end as far as Leah was concerned. All these years she'd secretly hoped against hope that Rogan would want them — her and their son. His sigh of relief in the limo was not forgotten. He hadn't changed. And now it was too late — Rogan was married to another woman. Leah stepped over the threshold and let the door close behind her.
Rogan stood on Leah's porch, unable to move.
He rapped on the door. Visitation arrangements couldn't be all Leah wanted from him. From the moment he first saw her again, heard her sweet voice, he knew it couldn't be all. He couldn't let her go.
The relationships he'd had throughout his life were paled in comparison to the magic he and Leah had shared. Rogan wasn't going to fool himself any longer. They belonged together.
Leah swung the door wide, her body tense. Rogan! What could he want now? Leah thought. Hadn't she made it clear that he didn't have to do anything? It was all too late. "Look, don't torture yourself. We're okay. We don't need anything," she told him. She glanced at her watch, wondering what in heavens his bride was doing while he was here, deluding himself into thinking he cared…. "And I'm sure your new wife is waiting for you."
"Wife?" Rogan shook his head. "What wife?"
So she had ruined his wedding. Leah pushed down the butterflies deep in her belly. That poor girl…
"Leah. I don't have a wife," Rogan continued.
She knew that! Leah was the one who had burst back into his life with a vengeance, assuming that some closure for her wasn't going to affect him. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for…" she trailed off. What she wouldn't give to go back in time and tell him about being pregnant and give him that chance she'd denied them both.
"Sorry? For what?" Rogan asked.
For what? For taking him from the church, for the shock her words must have been for him, and for stealing him away from his bride and making a mess of his life as well as her own. "For ruining your wedding," Leah told him.
"My wedding?" Rogan asked, a smile creeping onto his face. "Is that what's stopping you from giving us another chance?" He gripped Leah's shoulders, his eyes glittering with promises she yearned to believe.
"Yes. No." She shook her head. This couldn't be happening. How could it?
"I was the best man, Leah," Rogan murmured softly. "Just the best man."
She stared at him, the words seeping into her like a log fire into a winter chill. "There's no wife?"
"If there was, you'd know about it," he said, cupping Leah's cheek in his hand. "Because I've never imagined marrying anyone but you."
"Rogan," she whispered, not trusting her voice.
He bent close and kissed her forehead. "All I'm asking for is a chance. I was young. An idiot. A coward. We can't waste this —"
Leah looked up into his eyes. Could she trust him one last time? Was he worth the risk? "Rogan…"
He looked stricken. "Please, Leah. Let me show you the man I've become."
She stared up at him, wavering. Rogan was here, he wanted his son, her…. His sigh of relief earlier echoed through her. She pulled out of his arms. "Why did you wait until I found you?"
"I wanted to find you but I was terrified to find you'd married someone else." He sighed heavily. "And, hell, I didn't think you wanted me to. I figured you were probably better off without me."
All those years wasted. No, not wasted, Leah thought. She'd grown up and matured into a strong woman and a mother. She had a lot to offer. She lifted her chin. "Rogan, I don't want you in my life just because I had your son. I want you to be here for me…for love."
He raked a hand through his hair. "Hell, Leah, I've always loved you. You've haunted my dreams with what could have been if I hadn't been so afraid to let down my guard and tell you how much I loved you, wanted you, needed you. I was a damned fool. I failed you once…. I was scared to find you and fail you again. Until now."
Leah's vision blurred. "And why does now make a difference?"
"Because you're here in front of me. I can't walk away now. I can't deny this any longer. Baby or not, I can't just walk away and live my life now, knowing you're in the world and I can't be with you. Protect you. Love you."
Leah nodded, swiping the tears from her cheeks. She strode into the lounge room, to her little boy, who was sitting on the floor with playing blocks in front of the baby-sitter. "Ryan," Leah whispered. "I'd like you to meet someone special…. This is your daddy."
Green eyes so like Leah's shot to the man in the doorway, whose eyes were looking misty.
"Hello, Ryan. I am so very happy to meet you." Rogan barely spoke the words.
Ryan swung around to face his mother. "Can he stay and play?" he asked.
Leah smiled toward the tall, dark handsome man who had haunted her dreams for years. Yes. She wanted him to stay, and this time she was willing to take the plunge and trust her heart…this time she'd give all she had and have no regrets. "How about we try him out and see how we go?" she said.
Ryan nodded vigorously. "Okay."
"Sounds good to me." Rogan moved into the room, sitting down next to the blocks, his heart full. He had a chance. He shot Leah a smile filled with the love he ached to show her, and would give her, at every moment, always. He didn't need anything else. She was the one. He was home.
The End