CelebrationAfterDarkKobo Read Online Free Page B

you,” he whispered gruffly when they finally came up for air many minutes later. “I love you and only you. I love you in good times, bad times, healthy times, sick times and every other minute in between. My love is not conditional on you being perfect. It’s not conditional on you being able to bear children. It’s not conditional on anything other than you loving me back, and until about five minutes ago, I thought you loved me as much as I love you.”
    “I do, but —”
    He kissed her again. “No buts, no conditions, no nothing but you and me staring this thing down together, no matter what might happen. And P.S., the doctors didn’t say having babies was hopeless. They said it would take some doing. So we’ll do what we’ve got to do, no matter what it is, and we will get through this and every other goddamned thing that comes our way, because I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. I’m sorry to say you’re stuck with me.”
    “What if I go bald and grow a beard?”
    “Then I’ll kiss your sweet bald head and teach you how to shave.”
    “Adam…I’m serious.”
    “So am I. Do you think I care if something you can’t help happens to you? Do you think I’ll love you only when you’re young and beautiful?”
    “I could get really heavy.” She’d put on a few pounds in the last year that he knew she was stressed about.
    “That’s just more of you to love.”
    “You say that now…”
    “I say that forever. In fact, we’re getting married New Year’s Eve.” He decided that as he said the words. “No more delays, no more waffling, no more of anything other than you and me married. You’ve got your dress, and everyone will be home for the holidays. It’s on.”
    “Adam, you’re just saying that—”
    “Because I want to be married to you more than I want anything in this world.”
    “You’re awfully rude this morning.”
    “Likewise, my love. It’s awfully rude of you to think I’m going to run for the hills at the first sign of trouble.”
    “This isn’t just trouble. It’s a life sentence.”
    “If that’s how you’d like to view our marriage…”
    “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
    “I do know, and a far worse life sentence for me would be life without you. So don’t condemn me to that by thinking I can’t handle what’s ahead, no matter what it may be. I can handle it as long as I have you and we have each other. Everything else is secondary to that.”
    She released a deep, shuddering breath marked by the hitches that came from hours of crying. “You’re sure about this?”
    He kissed her again. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. Ever. Remember that first week we spent together?”
    “As if I could ever forget it.” She traced the outline of the Gansett Island tattoo on his bicep.
    “And when we were apart, when I was back in New York for those interminable weeks…I thought I’d die from missing you. I couldn’t wait to get everything wrapped up there so I could come home to you. I still feel that way, every day when I go to work on someone’s malfunctioning computer. Every minute I’m away from you, I’m counting down until I can get home to you. There is nothing, and I do mean nothing , that could make me not want to go home to you, Abs. Not even something I can hardly pronounce.”
    “Polycystic ovary syndrome.”
    “Not even that.” He kissed her again, lingering when she responded enthusiastically, the way she usually did. That gave him hope that he could eventually disabuse her of the idea that he couldn’t handle this. “So New Year’s Eve… It’s on, yes? I’ll take care of everything. All you’ll have to do is show up looking gorgeous as usual.”
    “Okay.”
    If her one-word response lacked enthusiasm, well, he had eleven days to work on that before they exchanged vows. He was determined to be everything she needed and to stand by her no matter what might come their way.

    In Nashville,