“But—”
He pulled her lips to his, silencing her with a kiss. “Let me finish.” He breathed heavier. “Baby, if we get a hundred years together, it won’t be enough, and I don’t want to waste a second of it.” He cradled her face between his hands, gazing into her eyes. “Marry me, Lee. Let me be Papa Tank for real. We’ll have more babies with wild hair who ask too many questions and ruin dates, only to make them twice as good as they would have been.”
Emotions whirled between them, bringing more tears as his love wrapped around her as powerfully and all-consuming as the man himself.
He whispered against her lips, “Please say yes before I fall back to sleep and miss it.”
She was vaguely aware of his mother sniffling and his father whispering as all of the emotions she’d been trying to hold back rushed out. “Nothing would make me happier than marrying you.” She pressed her lips to his, her salty tears slipping between them. “I love you, Benson Wicked. I love you so much I can no longer picture my life with the girls without seeing you right there by our sides.”
He whispered, “And now you’ll never have to,” and sealed his promise with a kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Two
CHRISTMAS MORNING ARRIVED with two excited little girls bounding into Tank and Leah’s bed at six o’clock in the morning. The last month had brought a whirlwind of changes beyond the end to Tank volunteering at the firehouse, which he didn’t regret one bit. He wanted to be around for every noisy Christmas, every school graduation, the girls’ first dates, their weddings, Leah’s first gray hair, and every other moment of their hopefully very long lives. When they’d told the girls they were getting married, they had been over the moon. Tank had offered to buy the cottage that Leah had rented so she’d never lose the memories she had there and he’d never forget how she’d responded. It’s not the four walls that keep memories alive. It’s us. We celebrated River’s life at your house. It makes sense that we celebrate our love there, too.
His brothers and cousins had moved the girls and Leah in while Tank was still in the hospital, and there was no greater feeling than coming back to their home. They hung up River’s guitar and Leah’s family photos in the living room, and the refrigerator was constantly covered with the girls’ drawings. The house had never felt so much like a home. They’d had a revolving front door for weeks as family and friends visited. Gia had threatened to kick Tank’s ass if he even thought about coming back to work before the doctor cleared him, but she’d have to get in line behind Leah and the rest of his family.
His recovery had forced him to slow down and let Leah take care of him. That had taken some getting used to, but he was finally starting to feel like himself again. Only better. He was happier, more complete, and utterly in love with his three girls.
For the last hour, Junie and Rosie had ripped through their presents, hollering “Look!” every three seconds, while he and Leah cut open plastic packages that he swore were sealed to survive nuclear wars. He’d never seen so many twist ties on dolls and toys. The floor was littered with toys, crayons, wrapping paper, and coloring books.
Rosie was setting up plastic food in the toy kitchen that Santa had brought her, while Junie put tattoos on her dolls in the toy tattoo shop Santa had left under the tree. Leah sat beside Tank on the couch, adorable in flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt, taking pictures. Her gorgeous curls were still tangled from his hands in her hair last night when they’d made love.
He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “What’s going through your mind, beautiful?”
“How happy we are. How special yesterday was.”
He’d had the foundation for River’s headstone put in a few weeks before the ground had frozen, and yesterday he’d taken Leah to the cemetery and surprised her with the headstone he’d had Maverick make. Maverick had etched into the headstone an image of River sitting by the girls’ bed playing the guitar, with Rosie beside him, and Junie lying behind him, holding his necklace, with SON – BROTHER – FATHER – FRIEND – HERO beneath it.
Leah took a selfie of the two of them and set down the phone, snuggling closer. “The only thing that would make this morning more perfect is if it snowed and we had a white Christmas.”
“It’s gonna snow,” Junie said as she played.
“You think so, Twitch?” Tank asked.
Junie nodded, her springy curls bouncing around her face. “Wiver told me.”
“He did?” Leah asked, running her fingers along Tank’s arm.
“Uh-huh,” Junie said absently.
“Well, I hope he’s right,” Leah said.
Junie had been making up stories about talking with River lately. He and Leah had talked about having her meet with a therapist, and they’d decided to give it some time and see where it went.
Rosie snatched Leah’s gift from under the tree and toddled over in her red-and-green footed pajamas. “This mine?”
“No, Cheeky. That one’s Mama’s.”
Leah’s brow wrinkled. “I thought yesterday was my gift.”
“I guess you thought wrong.”
“Open!” Rosie climbed onto Tank’s lap.
“What have you done, Mr. Spoiler?” Leah looked at him with that sweet, bashful, and excited expression he adored as she unwrapped the gift, revealing the black ring box.
Rosie bounced on Tank’s leg. “Openopenopen!”
Leah opened the box, and tears sprang to her beautiful eyes, her mouth falling open. Tank took the box from her and withdrew the white-gold ring with diamonds snaking up one side of the thin band and curling around a white South Sea pearl.
“A wing!” Rosie exclaimed, and Junie came to check it out.
“Pwetty! Is that your mawwied wing?” Junie asked.
“This is called an engagement ring. I’ll buy Mama another ring that she’ll wear with this one when we get married.” Tank took Leah’s left hand in his and slid the ring onto her finger. “I’m sorry it took so long, but I wanted to get you a ring that was as unique and beautiful as you are. You and the girls changed my life, darlin’. I look forward to teaching the girls to ride bikes and climb trees, teaching Junie to tattoo and Rosie to do whatever she’s into. But most of all, I look forward to a lifetime of loving you.”
“Oh, Tank. I look forward to all of that, too.” She threw her arms around him. “I love you, and I love the ring.”
“We mawwied!” Rosie cheered.
Tank pulled them all into a group hug, laughing. “Maybe now we can start thinking about a wedding date.”
“I think that’s a good idea.” Leah reached under the couch and pulled out a gift-wrapped box.
“More pwesents!” Rosie climbed off Tank’s lap, and she and Junie dropped to their bellies, looking under the couch.
“There’s no more presents. Just this one for Papa Tank.” Leah handed the gift to him. “You changed our lives, too, in so many incredible ways.”
Rosie jumped up and down. “Openopenopen!”
Junie patted Tank’s leg as he unwrapped the gift.