but didn’t say anything.
“Tell me.”
“You know how you went to take that test with Mr.
Josh?”
Hailey’s head moved up and down as she took another
bite of her sandwich.
“Well, sweetie, Mr. Josh is someone very special to
you.” The tears started again. Josh handed her a napkin, but before she could
take it, he wiped away her tears.
“Who are you?” Hailey asked him.
Abigail nodded this time, letting him know he could
go ahead and tell her.
“I’m your dad.”
“Really?”
Abigail squeezed her daughter’s shoulders. “Yes, he
is.”
Hailey set her food down and then left Abigail’s
lap. She took a few steps and plopped herself in Josh’s lap. “I’ve always
wanted a daddy. I’m glad it’s you.”
Abigail smiled and her heart melted. Josh reached
out and tugged her to him, wrapping his arm around her as well. She laid her
head against him.
“Do you have any questions?” Abigail asked.
“Do we get to live here?”
Before she could speak, Josh reached with his other
hand toward the picnic basket. He pulled out a small black box and Abigail’s mouth
dropped open. He couldn’t be…was he?
“Hop up a minute,” he said to Hailey.
Her daughter obeyed, taking a seat next to her. Josh
turned to Abigail. “I love you. I never want you to leave here. I want to make
every dream of yours come true. I can’t imagine having you and Hailey over a
thousand miles away. Please tell me you will do me the honor of being my wife.”
He opened the box and a gorgeous diamond glistened in the sunlight.
“What are you going to say?” Hailey asked, staring
at her.
Abigail stared at the gorgeous ring. More than
anything she wanted to say yes. But things were moving so fast. Just last night
she’d told him she wanted to take things slow. As she took in the site of the
diamond nestled inside a black box, her heart rate beat at a rhythm so fast she
worried a panic attack was about to start. “Oh, Josh, it’s beautiful, but I
can’t say yes.”
She couldn’t look at him as he asked, “Why not?”
“It’s too soon. This is all happening so fast. I’m
not ready.”
Josh closed the velvet box. Glancing up at him, she
saw he appeared sad and she hated knowing she had hurt him. But this wasn’t
some fairytale and he couldn’t just swoop in and make everything the way it
should be.
“I think Hailey and I need to fly home. Would your
jet be able to take us today?”
“So soon?”
Abigail nodded. “I think its best we go.”
She started to put everything back in the basket
when he reached out, catching her wrist. “Tell me one thing…that it’s not over.
And you’re going to give this a real chance. I don’t want to lose you or
Hailey.”
“You’re not losing either of us. It’s just too much
too soon,” she repeated, not sure if it was for him or her. Abigail glanced
away and saw Hailey had lost interest and wandered back over to the flower
garden. “Hailey, come on. We need to go pack.”
Taking her daughter’s hand, she looked back at Josh
and smiled. He didn’t return the gesture. Instead, he pulled his cell phone
from his pocket. As she and Hailey walked toward the house, she heard him ask
for his jet to be readied.
Chapter Eight
Josh slammed his laptop shut. As he stood, he shoved
his chair back, hearing the thud as it hit the wall. This past week had been one
of the worst in his life. It wasn’t easy putting on a happy face when his
family was a thousand miles away and the woman he loved had turned down his
proposal.
Josh stood in front of his wet bar and poured a
glass of scotch. He understood where she was coming from. Abigail wanted to
take things slow and see where things went. And he supposed he couldn’t blame
her. It wasn’t like they had a history and really knew one another. They shared
a child. One they’d conceived from a one-night stand. That didn’t make them
soul mates or anything fuzzy like that.
Abigail called him nightly though so
“Tell me.”
“You know how you went to take that test with Mr.
Josh?”
Hailey’s head moved up and down as she took another
bite of her sandwich.
“Well, sweetie, Mr. Josh is someone very special to
you.” The tears started again. Josh handed her a napkin, but before she could
take it, he wiped away her tears.
“Who are you?” Hailey asked him.
Abigail nodded this time, letting him know he could
go ahead and tell her.
“I’m your dad.”
“Really?”
Abigail squeezed her daughter’s shoulders. “Yes, he
is.”
Hailey set her food down and then left Abigail’s
lap. She took a few steps and plopped herself in Josh’s lap. “I’ve always
wanted a daddy. I’m glad it’s you.”
Abigail smiled and her heart melted. Josh reached
out and tugged her to him, wrapping his arm around her as well. She laid her
head against him.
“Do you have any questions?” Abigail asked.
“Do we get to live here?”
Before she could speak, Josh reached with his other
hand toward the picnic basket. He pulled out a small black box and Abigail’s mouth
dropped open. He couldn’t be…was he?
“Hop up a minute,” he said to Hailey.
Her daughter obeyed, taking a seat next to her. Josh
turned to Abigail. “I love you. I never want you to leave here. I want to make
every dream of yours come true. I can’t imagine having you and Hailey over a
thousand miles away. Please tell me you will do me the honor of being my wife.”
He opened the box and a gorgeous diamond glistened in the sunlight.
“What are you going to say?” Hailey asked, staring
at her.
Abigail stared at the gorgeous ring. More than
anything she wanted to say yes. But things were moving so fast. Just last night
she’d told him she wanted to take things slow. As she took in the site of the
diamond nestled inside a black box, her heart rate beat at a rhythm so fast she
worried a panic attack was about to start. “Oh, Josh, it’s beautiful, but I
can’t say yes.”
She couldn’t look at him as he asked, “Why not?”
“It’s too soon. This is all happening so fast. I’m
not ready.”
Josh closed the velvet box. Glancing up at him, she
saw he appeared sad and she hated knowing she had hurt him. But this wasn’t
some fairytale and he couldn’t just swoop in and make everything the way it
should be.
“I think Hailey and I need to fly home. Would your
jet be able to take us today?”
“So soon?”
Abigail nodded. “I think its best we go.”
She started to put everything back in the basket
when he reached out, catching her wrist. “Tell me one thing…that it’s not over.
And you’re going to give this a real chance. I don’t want to lose you or
Hailey.”
“You’re not losing either of us. It’s just too much
too soon,” she repeated, not sure if it was for him or her. Abigail glanced
away and saw Hailey had lost interest and wandered back over to the flower
garden. “Hailey, come on. We need to go pack.”
Taking her daughter’s hand, she looked back at Josh
and smiled. He didn’t return the gesture. Instead, he pulled his cell phone
from his pocket. As she and Hailey walked toward the house, she heard him ask
for his jet to be readied.
Chapter Eight
Josh slammed his laptop shut. As he stood, he shoved
his chair back, hearing the thud as it hit the wall. This past week had been one
of the worst in his life. It wasn’t easy putting on a happy face when his
family was a thousand miles away and the woman he loved had turned down his
proposal.
Josh stood in front of his wet bar and poured a
glass of scotch. He understood where she was coming from. Abigail wanted to
take things slow and see where things went. And he supposed he couldn’t blame
her. It wasn’t like they had a history and really knew one another. They shared
a child. One they’d conceived from a one-night stand. That didn’t make them
soul mates or anything fuzzy like that.
Abigail called him nightly though so
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