“And when did you come to that conclusion?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Once I had time to think, about you, about us.”
Us. Her short nails curled into her palm, shutting down the pain of her lost dreams. She’d learned the hard way the kind of pain loving a man like Derrick could cause.
“I realized you’re not the kind of person who would try to pass off another man’s baby as mine.”
“Lucky me, more than two weeks after you insulted me, you came to the realization that I told the truth. What took you so long?”
A sorrowful look entered his eyes. Within seconds, it disappeared. “I had to bury my father.”
Eva’s fingers flew to her mouth. “Phineas?” His father was the only member of his family she’d ever met. She’d met him once when she visited Derrick in Atlanta. He’d told her how Phineas had adopted him and raised him as his own after he married his mother, a woman thirty years younger than him. “I’m sorry.” The mumbled words seemed inadequate, especially when she wanted to reach out and put her arms around him in a comforting gesture.
He would never accept it anyway. In fact, the day after he’d told her the whole sordid story about Phineas, his mother, and his biological father, she tried to broach the subject again. He’d shut her down swiftly, letting her know the topic was off-limits, erecting the invisible walls again.
“That’s why I’m here,” Derrick continued.
Confused, Eva stared at him. “I don’t understand.”
“The past couple of weeks have been crazy since his death, but I finally feel like I’m getting my head above water. One lesson his passing has taught me is that life’s too short. I don’t want my child out there in the world, not knowing how much I want them.”
“Derrick, I would never keep the two of you apart,” Eva said in an earnest voice. “I told you as soon as I knew I was pregnant.”
Eva had thought she couldn’t have children, and coupled with irregular periods since puberty, she didn’t even suspect she was pregnant for the first three months. Only after she went to the doctor, complaining about tiredness and nausea, did she learn she was having a baby.
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. So you shouldn’t have any problem with my suggestion.” He stepped closer, eyes filled with purpose. Eva inhaled sharply, overwhelmed by his commanding presence. “I want my child to be with me at all times. I want us to get married right away.”
She gaped at him, thinking her hearing must be going bad. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he just asked her to marry him, but that would be ludicrous. A chuckle of disbelief broke past her lips, and she clamped her hand over her mouth when his face hardened.
“Did I say something funny?”
“I’m sorry, I could have sworn you asked me to marry you—sort of.”
“I did.” His solemn expression swiped the smile from her face.
“You—you can’t be serious. People don’t get married nowadays because they’re having a baby.”
“In case you didn’t notice, I’m not ‘people.’ No kid of mine is going to grow up without knowing me.”
“I agree, but I don’t see why we have to get married to ensure it.”
“Because I’m not satisfied with occasional visits. I want my son or daughter in my house, and I want to see them every day—not when it’s convenient for you.”
Eva stepped back, putting her hands up in a defensive motion against him. “Wait a minute. You’re serious about this?”
“I’ve had plenty of time to think, and it could work.”