Lucas laughed. “Believe me, I know.”
“But if it means anything to you,” Dave added, holding out his right hand, “you’ve got my blessing.”
Stunned to realize that it did indeed mean a lot, Lucas shook his old friend’s hand, then turned to his brothers. “I’ve gotta go. Lock up when you leave.”
As he ran out to his car, he heard Sean ask, “So, now that we’re almost related, you want a beer?”
Lucas drove straight to Rose’s house. He probably should have stopped at a jewelry store so he could hold a big, shiny diamond out to her when he announced that they’d be getting married…but he couldn’t wait that long.
He felt better than he had in two weeks. The ache in his chest was gone. His eyes were clear and his heart, mind and body were finally in agreement on something.
Rose was the woman for him.
No one else would ever do.
Spotting the ridiculous skillet car in her driveway, Lucas grinned, parked out front and ran to the front door. The streetlights shone down on the narrow street filled with tiny houses and even tinier yards. People were so close together here, he thought they could probably shout “Bless you” when their neighbor sneezed.
He pounded on the door a few times, then hit the doorbell just for good measure.
Rocking on his heels, he looked around while he waited. Next door, an older woman was holding one end of a leash while an ancient-looking beagle wandered aimlessly around the yard looking for a place to go.
The woman frowned at him when he rang the bell again, and Lucas grinned. Her expression didn’t change, and he shrugged, turning back to face the door, still closed and locked to him. What was taking her so long? The house was so small she wouldn’t need more than a minute to get to the front door from anywhere in the place.
“Rose!”
Silence, but for the hiss from the older woman next door. Lucas ignored her.
“Rose, I know you’re there, talk to me!”
“No!” The answering shout came from the other side of the door, and he smiled at the sound of her irritable, contrary voice.
His world suddenly straightened itself out. And he had to wonder how he had managed to be so clueless for so long. All he really needed was Rose. It was all so simple. So perfect.
Or, it would be, if he could get her to open the damn door.
Leaning his hands on either side of the door, he said, “Let me in, Rose. We have to talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” she told him.
“Not according to Dave,” he called back. “That traitor.”
“Rose, let me in.”
“Go away.”
“Not gonna happen. Not again,” he swore vehemently, his gaze raking over the door as if trying to see past it to the woman on the other side. “Not ever.”
“Lucas, this changes nothing,” she said after a long, tense moment of silence.
“Everything’s changed and damn it,” he said, “if you won’t let me in, then I’ll just shout it to you through this bloody door!”
“You watch your language, young man!”
This from the neighbor. Lucas turned a glance her way, then focused on Rose again. He didn’t have time to worry about who else was listening. All that mattered was making sure that Rose heard every word.
Remembering Rafe’s advice, Lucas figured she was owed some groveling. Strangely enough, it wasn’t as hard as he might have imagined it would be. It was too important. Too necessary to be difficult.
“I know I hurt you, and I’m sorry.” His voice dropped from a shout, but was still loud enough for her to hear him, he hoped. “I was stupid. Shortsighted. I thought I needed revenge when all I really needed was you.”
“Lucas…”
She sounded tired. Defeated. A word he never would have associated with Rose Clancy before this. And it cut him deep that he had brought such a strong, wonderful woman such grief.
“Rose, give me the chance to show you what you mean to me. I won’t blow it again,” he shouted. “Damn it, Rose, I love you. Did you hear that, Rose? I love you.”
He glared at the door that stood between him and the woman he needed to see. To hold.
“The least you could do is open the blasted door so I can tell you to your face what you mean to me!”
“That’s it for you,” the woman next door called out. “I’m calling the police!”
“Go ahead!” Lucas shouted. “Maybe they can make her open the door!”
Instantly, he heard locks turn and then the door was thrown open and Rose stepped out onto the porch. She was wearing the faded jeans he loved to see on her and a V-necked shirt that dipped low enough to display the tops of her br**sts. Her hair was back in a ponytail again, and her beautiful blue eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
A stab of something sharp jabbed him in the chest and he swore silently that he would do whatever he could to see that she never cried again.
“It’s okay, Mrs. Klein,” Rose called to the neighbor, who was dragging her old dog to the house. “We don’t need the police, but thank you!”
The older woman glared at Lucas again and sniffed loudly, but allowed her dog to go back about his business.
Rose gave Lucas a long look before stepping into the house and saying, “Come in.”
She was still reeling from his confession. She had never hoped to hear him say “I love you.” Oh, all right, she had hoped. But hadn’t thought it would ever really happen. Not Lucas King. Not the man who claimed not to believe in love or marriage or any of the things that were so inherently important to Rose.
Closing the door behind them, Rose looked up at him and saw something new in his eyes. Something that gave her chills. Something that told her maybe hope wasn’t an impossible word after all.
“God, I’ve missed you,” Lucas said, his voice deep and raw with emotion.
Rose wanted more than anything to go to him. To feel his arms come around her. To nestle her head on his chest and listen to the steady beat of his heart. But she couldn’t. Not until she was sure he had meant what he said. She simply didn’t think she could take another heartbreak.
“Dave shouldn’t have told you about the baby,” she finally said.
“You’re right,” Lucas agreed, reaching out to gently skim his fingertips along her jawline. “You should have.”
“I was going to,” she said. “I just wanted a few days to let the news settle in for me first.”