He sank down on her couch before dropping his head in his hands. “Baby, I think I’ve lost my mind lately. You started pulling away from me, and then Gage told me I wasn’t showing enough interest in the pregnancy possibility and was not being supportive. Then I made a fool of myself over that Jane Fonda movie, and Gage said I acted like a pus— um, girl. Then I was supposed to give you the space that you needed because I was coming on too strong and scaring you. You told me you weren’t pregnant and I typed out this whole text in reply about it not changing anything and how I felt about you, but Gage said I was being a pus— um, girl again and going too fast. I tried not to push you, but when you got home from your sister’s, I couldn’t stay away from you. Of course, I had to go to Charleston AGAIN. Next, I come home to find out about Gage and Shannon and you’re not pregnant, but now you are. Then I got drunk and passed out in some nasty bathroom before Gage carted me home and made me wear his more than likely dirty clothes. The pants are so tight they’ve crawled up my ass all day. Gage said I was complaining like a pus— girl again. Mac pointed out that I could shoot an M4 assault rifle but couldn’t tell the woman I’m crazy about that I love her and I needed to stop acting like a pus— girl.” He grimaced, shaking his head. “We say that word too much, don’t we?”
Gwen’s head was spinning as Dominic finished with his rapid-fire explanation. She was trying to process his words when it hit her. Her heart seemed to pause before taking off. “You—you love me?”
Dominic got to his feet, looking completely exhausted and pale, but his eyes were filled with emotion. He stopped just inches away from her and took both of her hands in his. “I used to think I was a cool person. Nothing ever shook me. I’m the original ‘Plan B man.’ Then you came along, and I just lost it. I prayed that Mac and Ava would finally get their head out of their asses and be together because I had wanted you from the beginning. You were dating my best friend, and I hated it. I waited too long to ask you out and fate handed you to Mac. Finally, though, you came to me and you were nothing like I’d imagined, baby—you were so much more. I thought I fell in love with you the first time I saw you with Megan and Maddy on the playground outside, but I knew I loved you the first time I held you. I’ve made a lot of mistakes trying to tell you—and show you—how I felt when all along it should have been one moment and those three words.” He released one of her hands and raised it to cup her face, stroking her cheek. “I love you, Gwen. God, I love you so much, baby.”
Gwen felt tears begin to flow from her eyes as she heard the words that she never thought she’d hear from a man other than her father. She knew at that moment that every heartache in her life had led her to this moment—to Dominic, who loved her unconditionally and who was surely meant to be the father of her child.
His eyes were now watery, as well, as she turned her head to kiss his palm. “So, you’re saying this is all Gage’s fault?”
He looked embarrassed as he said, “The only excuse I have for listening to him is that I was terrified of screwing up and losing you. I was constantly second-guessing myself and Gage always seemed to be around at those times. Hell, when a man’s desperate, everything starts to sound like a lifeline.”
“You might want to rethink that the next time.” She winced, causing them both to laugh before she sobered. “I love you, too, Dominic. I was so drawn to you after our first night together that I was running scared. I’d been hurt in the past, and I knew that those feelings would pale in comparison to loving and losing you.”
Dominic pulled back only to lower his hand and place it reverently over her stomach. “I was surprised at how disappointed I was when I got your text that you weren’t pregnant. I mean I’d never allowed myself really to believe that it would happen. But then when the possibility was gone—I had a hard time coming to terms with it. I didn’t say anything to you about it because I didn’t know how you were feeling and I was afraid of pushing you farther away.”
“I was sad as well,” Gwen admitted. “I knew I should probably be relieved because I hadn’t planned to be a mother at this point in my life, especially after only dating someone less than a month, but my heart still had a hard time accepting it. I’m a little scared and a lot nervous because I don’t know how this is going to work, but I want this baby—with you—more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. Oh, my God,” she suddenly gasped. “But what about you and Kandi?”
“Kandi?” Dominic asked, looking dumbfounded.
“I saw the text she sent you, about Charleston,” Gwen blurted out. “She said she had something for you and Gage and were you going to be back in Charleston.”
“Baby, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t spoken with Kandi since I ended it. Plus, why would I see her in Charleston? I never saw a text from her. Hell, she’s not even in my contact list anymore.”
Gwen dropped her head against his chest and confessed to seeing the message from K and deleting it. “Then who is K?” she asked hesitantly.
“K? Just the letter, right?” When she nodded, he began laughing. “Babe, that’s the owner of the department store in Charleston that we’ve been setting up security for. She has some long name, but everyone calls her K. She is a seventy-plus-year-old sweetheart who cooked for Gage and me when we were there. That’s probably what she was talking about. She wanted me to let her know when we would be back so she could cook us another meal.”
“Oh,” Gwen whispered, completely embarrassed. “Can we please forget everything I just said and pick up where we left off?”