That explained why he looked like he’d been blown in on a hurricane. “I thought you wantedmeto move out. So I got started. But then Jaycee came by?—”
“She did?” Chance asked. “Good, I figured someone would come sit with you.”
Because that’s what people did in Star Crossed Springs and Cordy was part of the town now. “We talked, and I realized I needed to convince you to let me stay.”
His smile was gently amused. “So we’ve both been at cross purposes this entire time?”
She nodded. “I should have told you I loved you the moment it happened.”
His beautiful brown eyes shone with emotion. “When was that?”
“When Madeleine was born.”
“Me too.” He laughed softly. “So we fell in love at the same time and never said anything?”
“I think the lesson here is to talk more.”
“Speaking of talking, you never gave me an answer.”
Cordy’s heart thrummed against her sternum. Madeleine had to feel how hard it was beating. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.We’llmarry you.”
Nothing had ever felt so right, except when Madeleine was laid in her arms. Or the first moment Cordy had seen Chance hold Madeleine.
Chance kissed her as he held her face until Madeleine started squirming in protest. He set his forehead against Cordy’s, giving the baby space while still holding them.
“I don’t know what to say or how to describe how I feel,” he confessed. “I’m wild for you. I’ll get anything you want. Just name it.”
“What if I want a zebra?”
He swallowed hard. “I guess I’ll have to build a stout pen then.”
Cordy kissed his temple. “I don’t want a zebra.”
“What do you want?” His hands skated over her back. “I’ll get it for you.”
She already had everything she could need. “I want a father for my baby. I want a husband for myself. I want… you.”
“You’ve got me. Forever and always.”
“And I want your mess.” She took a deep breath. “We’re in this together. I want to be by your side through everything, even if it’s bad. That’s what love is—being up in each other’s messes.”
“What mess do you have?”
Cordy laughed and held up Madeleine. “This. This right here!”
Chance snorted. “She’s not a mess; she’s perfect. But if you want into the family drama, there will be a lot of it coming up.”
“I can handle it,” she assured him.
“I know you can. You’re the strongest woman I know. Anything else you want?”
Cordy carefully considered that. Asking a Kessal man for something was a tricky business, she was realizing. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up with a zebra.
“I’d like to travel again. Once she’s older,” Cordy said quickly, “and not as much as I used to, but there’re so many places I still want to see. And I want her to see them too.”
“Wherever you want to go, we’ll go. You ever traveled in an RV?”
“Nope.”
