‘DO YOU WANT me to clean that off your fingers, Gracie?’ Summer tried to get her to communicate her needs verbally as she held up her hands, crying about the pieces of modelling dough sticking to her skin, but recently she seemed to be having trouble to adequately express her feelings.
She picked off the bigger pieces herself and took a cloth to wipe off the rest. Tears pricked her eyes as she tended to the little girl who was now only her ward on a professional basis. It had been a tough couple of weeks for them both but at least Summer had an idea of what was going on. She had no clue what Gracie had been told about why she’d stopped coming around or about Christina’s arrival in her life, but the disruption had set back her progress. Something she knew neither she nor Rafael would have wanted for her.
‘All clean for your father coming.’ The words almost stuck in her throat as she saw Rafael and Christina walking towards the nursery unit, coming to get their daughter to complete the happy family picture.
She had known Christina was still on the island as the rumour mill was working overtime about the mysterious woman spending time with Dr Valdez. It didn’t give her any satisfaction that she was the only one aware of her real identity when it was the reason for ending her relationship with Rafael.
She hadn’t seen her face to face since that last night at Rafael’s place when her whole world had come crashing down around her. If she’d had any doubts she’d done the right thing it had been confirmed by the fact he’d chosen to stay with Christina rather than come after her. She’d lain awake the whole night crying, tormented by the image she had of the two of them sharing the candlelit dinner meant for her.
Since then the only contact she’d had with Rafael had been here at the nursery during Gracie’s handover, which had been limited to stilted conversation over his child’s progress and nothing more. That was entirely her doing. Rafael had tried calling, texting and had attempted to explain his actions, but she’d blocked him at every turn. She didn’t need to hear excuses when Christina was still here and very much part of their lives.
Although she would admit to missing him, spending time with him and Gracie and generally being part of the family. There should be some relief to be found that they had never got around to signing contracts regarding Gracie’s full-time care when it would be excruciatingly painful watching them bond as a family from the outside and see them sail off into the sunset.
She’d felt so alone all of a sudden she’d even made attempts at rebuilding her relationship with her mother. They spoke on the phone most days now and she was thankful she had someone who would still be there for her no matter what. If things here finally got too much she might think about taking an extended vacation to spend some time with her mom and her stepdad, getting to know them again. It seemed to have worked for Christina.
By all accounts Christina was renting a property on the island so she wasn’t in Rafael’s house full time, probably to ease Gracie into the idea of her being there before they made anything permanent. Summer believed it was just a matter of time and the thought they might even consider moving back to Boston was enough to keep her awake at night. It was torture watching them all grow closer as she faded from memory.
‘Hey, how’s my girl?’ He forced a hug on his daughter but she kept her eyes firmly on Christina, who was standing hesitantly beside him.
‘We’ve had quite a day, playing with the modelling clay.’ Summer pointed towards the table where she’d been rolling and cutting out multicoloured butterfly shapes before mashing them all together and starting again. That creation and destruction had held her attention for most of the day and she’d protested when Summer had attempted to introduce her to a new activity. In the end she’d capitulated and joined her at the table, the repetitive action surprisingly calming. She might take the mini rolling pin, clay and cutters home to keep her too occupied to wonder what the Valdez family were up to elsewhere.
‘Your papa and I thought we could take you for a nice treat. I hear there’s a lovely bakery down the street. Would you like to show me where it is?’ Christina was crouched down and holding out her hand in the hope Gracie would want to go with her. To her credit, she didn’t seem as though she was steamrollering her into a mother-daughter relationship. At Rafael’s insistence she was slowly but surely building up that trust and easing her way into her daughter’s life. The way Summer had been doing up until Christina’s arrival on the island.
Gracie glanced at her for reassurance. ‘Can Summer come too?’
The request twisted the dagger deeper into her heart when she wanted more than anything to remain part of this family, but her reasons for putting some distance between them hadn’t changed. Even if her idea of self-preservation was painful now, it would save her in the long run.
‘Yes, you’re very welcome. Gracie talks about you a lot and we’re very grateful for everything you’ve done for her.’ Christina’s thanks, though well meaning, did nothing to make Summer feel any more included. She didn’t say that Rafael talked a lot about her and she was thanking her on their behalf, as a couple. Even Rafael looked awkward about the invitation.
What could she do but smile through her heartbreak when this was Gracie’s mother and Summer knew what it was to go through life with that void left by absent family members. ‘Thanks, but I’m needed here for a while longer. Enjoy your treat.’
When Gracie slowly reached out to take Christina’s hand in hers and they walked off down the corridor, the moment was bitter-sweet for Summer.
‘Thanks for doing that. Gracie’s finding this a little difficult to come to terms with. As am I.’ Rafael held back to speak to her and despite the appearance of having his family back on track he looked as miserable as she felt. If it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows at Casa Valdez, it made her sacrifice all the more tragic.
‘It will take time. You know that. Wait and see. In another few months it will be as if you and Christina never split up and you’ll be one big happy family.’ Where that left her she didn’t know because if this was any indication, she couldn’t cope with seeing them all together on a daily basis. It was like rubbing salt in the open wound where her heart used to be. She was the ultimate loser in this game of happy families.
Rafael frowned at her. ‘I don’t want to get back together with Christina. I never did. I’m only tolerating her because she’s Graciela’s mother. It’s not her I want, it’s you. Nothing happened that night with her, or any other night, I swear. We’ve only ever talked about Gracie.’
‘We’ve been through this, Rafael. I’m no longer part of the equation and the sooner you realise that the easier it will be for you to move on as a family.’
He wasn’t making this any easier for her by telling her he wasn’t over her when she’d been consoling herself with the idea that she was somehow saving his little family and giving Gracie the stability she herself had never had growing up.
When she’d walked in on that intimate moment between Rafael and Christina she’d seen the reunion between parents she’d always wanted as a child herself. Although it had almost killed her so soon after she and Rafael had got together, she had hoped something good would’ve come out of this whole sorry mess for Gracie.
Of course she wanted to believe him that he wasn’t interested in Christina when there was still a candle burning for him in her very soul, but how long would that last when his family was growing closer by the day? She’d done the hard part in walking away and it would only reopen the wound if she let him close again.
‘Gracie misses you too. I’ve tried to explain to her that you’re giving her some space to get to know her mama but I can’t expect her to understand when I don’t know myself what the hell happened.’ He made a move towards her but Summer immediately backed away. Not because she was afraid someone would see but because she didn’t trust herself not to weaken if he touched her.
‘That’s not fair. You know I love Gracie but she’s not my daughter, is she?’ Outside this nursery Gracie was no longer her responsibility. That privilege was entirely her parents’, and she wouldn’t allow Rafael to use emotional blackmail to get around her defences. Not when she was on the verge of telling him she loved him too. That really would jeopardise Gracie’s chance of growing up in a stable home with someone who wasn’t paid to look after her interests.
Over his shoulder she could see the two figures coming back down the corridor, probably wondering what was keeping him.
‘I think someone is waiting for you.’ Summer pointed him in the direction he was most needed. Already she was making plans to run into the staffroom for the emotional breakdown that had been coming since she’d walked out of his house, her voice wavering with the sob she was trying to hold back. It was all too much today, seeing them together, the uncertainty in Gracie’s face as she’d taken her mother’s hand, and Rafael no less attentive towards her than he’d ever been.
If she’d done the right thing in letting him go to protect her heart then why did it feel so wrong?
Rafael waved at them then turned back towards her with one final comment before he left. ‘I’m not giving up on us, Summer. Even if you have.’
She’d completely detached herself from him and Gracie since Christina had arrived at his house that night and she felt a huge sense of loss. They were professional and courteous to one another at the clinic but it was awful pretending that was all they’d ever been to one another. Any time he’d tried to apologise for what had happened or explain what had happened, he was met with the same response. That he shouldn’t worry about her and to concentrate on his daughter. It was in his nature to do both when he wanted to find a way to have them both in his life.
Based on her relationship history he could understand why she was so convinced he and Christina were trying to get their relationship back on track, but he liked to think after everything they’d shared Summer would give him a chance to prove his feelings for her.
He wasn’t simply going to abandon what they’d had together over a misunderstanding, or because the damage their exes had done was getting in the way of them having a future together. They’d resisted their feelings for each other for far too long and things had only come to a head when they’d started working together outside the clinic. If she wasn’t going to speak to him at work, there was one last reason she would have to see him and that was for the triathlon.
There was still a lot of red tape to sort out for the event and Summer had been the main driving force, courting publicity and participation since their parting of ways. She’d insisted she could manage on her own, regardless that it was supposed to have been about integrating him into the community as well as supporting the clinic.
Well, if it would force her to face the feelings she had for him and realise how much she meant to him, he was going to step up as co-creator of this enterprise. Whether she liked it or not, he loved her and he was going to make sure she knew it.
‘Where did you put all the signed sponsorship forms and insurance papers?’ Summer was trying not to let her temper get the better of her but she was stressed to breaking point, not only with the task of putting on this event, which seemed to have captured the interest of the entire island, but because Rafael was insisting on doing it with her.
They were in her house on the eve of the triathlon, making sure they had all eventualities covered because she thought it would be easier meeting at hers than at his, where Gracie and all the lovely memories she had there would be tarnished with Christina’s presence. However, she hadn’t accounted for the claustrophobia of having him under her roof and not being able to walk away from all the emotions that brought bubbling to the surface.
‘They’re right here.’ He leaned over her shoulder and sifted through the mass of print-outs and schedules to uncover the items she’d accused him of misplacing.
‘Sorry, I must’ve set them down there earlier. I...er...have a lot on my mind.’ Particularly how good he smelled, like soap and cologne, as if he’d just got out of the shower. She tried to stop her brain venturing there, giving her a vivid memory of what a naked Rafael looked like, and failed. There he was, muscles, abs and everything else on display as he soaped himself up...
‘Too much on my mind,’ she muttered. Once this triathlon was over that was it. She was putting a ban on him getting within hot-breath-on-her-neck distance.
‘You need to relax.’ He placed his hands on her shoulders and started to massage the bunch of knots her nerves had become. She hoped he didn’t hear the little whimper that escaped as his strong hands kneaded her flesh for the first time since their break-up. It felt so good to have him touch her, firm, tender, and always with the goal of seeking her pleasure. She closed her eyes and let him work his magic until she knew she was in danger of getting carried away and forgetting they were supposed to be working. Rafael was no longer hers and her body was no longer his to manipulate. Even if she enjoyed it.
She shrugged him off. ‘Okay, I’m relaxed now.’
‘Everything’s in place. You should really take some time out before you work yourself into the ground. We could open a bottle of wine and have a chat like old times if you’d like. Christina’s keeping an eye on Gracie tonight.’ He was still hovering beside her, putting her body on high alert as though it was waiting for another touch to send her back into raptures. Not even the mention of Christina could apparently dissuade her treacherous libido that this man wasn’t any good for her, and she swore Rafael was doing this on purpose. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have any furniture for him to sit on.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. You should be in training and I think we’re done for the night anyway. If I think of anything else before tomorrow, I’m sure I can manage on my own.’ She turned around with the intention of dismissing him and pointing him in the direction of the door but he was there, in her space again, so close her mouth was dry with anticipation over his next move. The flick of her tongue to wet her lips only succeeded in drawing his attention further and turned his eyes black with desire for her.
If she didn’t still have that one little part of her refusing to let her forget every time someone had hurt her in the past she’d have melted right onto her dining-room table and let him take her there on top of all the hard work she’d undertaken to try and distract herself from thinking about him.
‘Please, Rafael.’ The teary plea was for him to stop because she knew she couldn’t. It was enough for him to take a step back and let her breathe again.
‘I know you still care for me, Summer, and I have never loved anyone the way I love you. Just remember that.’
He left then, leaving her gasping for air in between the sobs of frustration and pain. How could she ever forget when it was the first time he’d said the words and made her realise more than ever what it was she’d lost. Everything.
Rafael no more wanted to take part in this triathlon than he wanted to follow Christina back to Boston but it was his last shot to get close to Summer.
He watched her now at the far side of the pool, homing in on her in the midst of the whooping crowd as she corralled her day-care charges into the stands to watch the race. He waved to Gracie, who was holding her hand, but the only person waving back was Christina, sitting a few rows back. It was all he could do to nod an acknowledgement of her support when it wasn’t hers he sought.
The starting pistol sounded and he launched himself into the water along with his other competitors. He knew he was up against it with the super-fit Alex and a determined Maggie Greene, a physio at the clinic and a gold-medal-winning ex-Paralympian athlete. Not to mention Rick Fleming, the English doctor in the rehab team and all the other members of staff keen to compete today. Although he didn’t care about winning. It would be all he could do to simply get through this today. Swimming, or any of his other leisure pursuits, was no longer the alone time he’d once looked forward to. Now he had too much of it.
He’d tried to remind Summer what they’d had together but even that hadn’t been enough to change her mind when she was clearly still hurting over what had happened. That fear gripped his heart again that he might not ever win her back and he had to remind himself to breathe before he drowned himself in front of everyone on account of his troubled personal life.
With a rolling turn at the end of the swimming lane he launched himself into another lap, wanting to get this over as soon as possible. He didn’t realise he was first to finish until he hoisted himself out of the pool and turned to see the women in his life on their feet, cheering. Even Summer was giving him a sad sort of smile. One that said she was proud of him but was wary of letting him know.
It occurred to Rafael in that second how miserable they all were without each other. Summer was such a caring woman who wanted the best for Gracie as much as he did and would put the little girl’s happiness before her own. She was determined they should be happy together as a family. What she had yet to realise was that she was their family. He needed to show her in some way, make a commitment to her so she could see she was as important to him as his daughter.
‘Come on, Raf, give the rest of us a chance,’ Rick called to him with a laugh as they jumped on the exercise bikes to complete the cycling. There weren’t enough to go around all of the competitors so their times were being added to their other scores later. That didn’t stop the crowd following to cheer them on, gathering around the competitors so there was no escape from the scrutiny. The ‘Triathlon Dad’ nickname didn’t make him laugh any more when it summed up the man he’d been before Summer and the man he’d return to if she wouldn’t take him back. When all he had outside work was Gracie and his leisure pursuits, and though he loved his daughter, he loved Summer too. He wanted to be known as her partner, lover and companion, along with the other roles he had.
If the only way she was prepared to talk to him or acknowledge his existence was through this sporting spectacle, he was going to give it his all. He wanted her to see he was doing it for her, that he wanted this to be a success, but most of all that she was his motivation to win.
His legs were pumping, racking up the miles on the clock, sweat beading on his brow with the effort, but his focus was only on one thing. Summer. She’d managed to position herself near the front of the throng with Gracie in her arms and he knew she was there for him. He locked eyes with her and neither of them looked away until the bell sounded to signal the finish. It was obvious there was no one else for either of them, they’d simply been too scarred by the past to face up to it. Once this race was over he was going to confront her once and for all and make her acknowledge those feelings she had for him.
Now all he had to do was complete the running stage of the triathlon and reach the finish line, where he knew Summer and Gracie would be waiting for him.
Summer couldn’t help herself. She just had to be close to him. They’d both put so much effort into getting this event organised, in bringing the community together, he deserved her support. After checking that the rest of the children were being supervised, that’s how she justified shoving her way through the crowd at least.
He had accrued quite a fan club, who’d followed him from the pool to watch his progress in the other events, and she was sure it wasn’t entirely down to his athletic ability. She was as aware as every hot-blooded woman in the room how handsome he was in or out of the water, in or out of her bed. Even now, drenched in sweat after his exertions, people were swarming around him in an effort to be close to him. She, on the other hand, had remained at a distance until now, telling herself she had no right to celebrate his achievements when they were nothing to do with her any more.
When he fixed her with that intense stare and rendered everything going on around them invisible she knew it was pointless to continue denying her true feelings for him. She was sure even Christina had realised since she’d backed away, leaving her and Rafael staring lustfully at each other.
If his ex-wife hadn’t remained in the picture it would all have been so much easier. She would’ve forgiven Rafael by now if she wasn’t still afraid he’d leave her for his ex. As they all made their way to the running track she made sure she had another prime viewing spot, close enough to see Rafael but somewhere Gracie wouldn’t get jostled by the other spectators. Although she was so busy waving the little Spanish flag Summer had helped her make in nursery, the noise and the crowd didn’t seem to be bothering her.
The competitors lined up in the starting blocks and she could see Rafael searching the faces to find her. A smile brightened his face once he found her and a blush crept over her body at his renewed attention. He’d had a couple of weeks without her, plenty of opportunity for his feelings for Christina to resurface, but it was always her he was looking for, saving his smiles for. Rafael wasn’t a player who’d do that simply because he knew she’d turn to mush every time he looked at her.
She had to face the fact that he loved her, not Christina, and she was damn sure she loved him right back. The hardest thing to come to terms with was having Christina as a permanent fixture in their lives if she did get back together with Rafael. There was no way around that when she was Gracie’s mother. Summer had to accept that, and the only thing stopping her then would be her own hang-ups about being second best. Something Rafael had repeatedly told her wasn’t true. She had to trust him if she was ever going to be happy again.
When the starting pistol went off, a roar went up around her as everyone cheered on their favourite amateur athletes.
‘You can do it, Rick.’ Fleur Miller, Dr Fleming’s other half, was doing her cheerleader bit beside Summer, and she automatically wanted to prove her allegiance to the man she loved too.
‘Come on, Rafael,’ she shouted, hoping he could pick her voice out among the rest when Rick seemed to be closing in on his lead. It wasn’t clear if he’d heard her or not but he did begin to pull away and Summer’s heart was in her mouth as the two sprinted to the end.
‘Your daddy won, Gracie!’ Summer celebrated with Gracie as her father crossed the finish line, arms held aloft in triumph.
‘I want my papa.’ The little girl twisted in her arms, demanding to be set down so she could run to him. Summer did so but took her hand to lead her there safely. An excited Gracie was the only thing he’d want to see at the end of that gruelling challenge.
‘Well done.’ She gave him a verbal pat on the back as they went to meet him.
‘Thanks.’ He was doubled over, trying to catch his breath, but at the sound of her voice he looked up and gave her a smile bright enough to light up that black hole where her heart used to reside.
Gracie threw herself at him and regardless of his obvious discomfort he gathered enough energy to celebrate his win with his daughter.
‘I’m not sure it’s official yet, is it? The others couldn’t have been too far behind.’ As he said that, Rick crossed the line but Rafael had won every event so comfortably there was no doubt who was in first place overall.
‘Trust me, you’ve got this,’ Summer assured him, but even when they gave out the official announcement he was insisting Maggie should have been crowned the first triathlon winner. Due to a teenage bout of meningitis, the popular physio had lost both of her legs and had come a close second despite her prosthetics. However, the fiercely independent redhead had insisted that she shouldn’t be given any special treatment or advantage over the others.
She seemed quite happy with simply finishing, kissing and hugging Alex and pulling his little boy into their celebrations as though they’d won the Olympics. Summer envied their happiness in contrast to the awkwardness between her and Rafael as he was awarded his gold medal. She wanted to do all those things too but she’d forfeited that position in his life, even though he had no one else to fill it. Christina, who, it seemed, was learning the patience and understanding it took to secure a place in her daughter’s life, was also hovering uncertainly in the background.
‘I’m giving this to the person I love most in the whole world,’ he said, as he unhooked the medal and hung it around Gracie’s neck. Summer wanted to be so much more than a spectator in their special moment. Her throat was raw with the effort of holding back the emotions she wanted to unleash.
‘Congrats again. Sorry, I’ll have to go and set up the course for our own mini-triathlon this afternoon.’ She left Gracie with her father and the rest of the nursery staff, worried that she’d left it too late to patch things up with him.
‘Good girl, Gracie!’ Summer was supposed to be impartial for these things and this was supposed to be more about participation than competition, but she’d gravitated towards Rafael and Christina on the sidelines rather than taking an official role. It was impossible not to cheer Gracie along beside the other proud parents because that’s exactly how Summer felt, watching her blossom. She’d grown from that anxious child who couldn’t bear to be parted from her father to this absolute force of nature who was following the example she’d seen this morning and going hell for leather across the course. Even if paddling in a pool to collect a rubber duck and riding a tricycle across the grassy play area outside the nursery wasn’t quite on the same level as the clinic triathlon.
‘I can’t believe how well she’s doing. Her focus and co-ordination alone are amazing.’ Rafael came to stand next to her, clapping and cheering his daughter on as she moved confidently from one stage to the next as directed by the staff.
‘She has a great role model.’ Summer had no doubt this display was in direct correlation to the one Gracie had watched her father triumph in and was eager to replicate it. Rafael had double the reason to be proud of his achievements today.
‘I’d say she has two. You’ve done so much for her since we came to Maple Island. Summer, I—’ He turned his attention away from his little athlete to look at her, the sudden wrinkle in his brow indicating he wanted to speak about something serious, and Summer swallowed hard at the thought she was going to have to stop avoiding the subject of their relationship.
Rafael took Summer’s hand and made it obvious to anyone who was watching that he wanted to be with her. She had to stop pretending she believed otherwise and abandon her fears if she was ever going to find happiness.
She took a deep breath. ‘It’s been a joint enterprise in getting Gracie to reach this milestone and I want to be at your side, watching her grow and flourish. Today has reminded me that wherever you are is exactly where I need to be too. You’ve both taught me to grab life by the horns and go for what I want most in life, and that’s you, Rafael.’
‘You mean that? You have no idea what it did to me when I thought I’d lost you for ever. Please don’t ever do that to me again.’ He cradled her hand against his cheek and she knew she’d hurt him by trying to protect herself, thinking she knew what he wanted better than he did. Today he’d shown her beyond all doubt what it was he wanted and it was about time she stopped comparing him to Marc.
She was more than a convenience or a glorified babysitter to Rafael—if anything, she’d definitely been an inconvenience when she’d butted into his life. Even when they’d been on a break he hadn’t given up on her. Thank goodness he could be as stubborn as she could when it was called for. ‘I promise.’
‘I want that in writing.’
Summer couldn’t blame him for being wary when she’d denied those feelings for so long but she never wanted to be apart from him again.
The cheers went up as all the children completed the challenge but there was special recognition from Gracie’s supporters that she’d been so adept at everything set before her. Since the participants were too young for the concept of competition they were all awarded medals, but Gracie stared at hers forlornly.
‘What’s wrong, Gracie? You did so well. We’ll have to display your medal next to mine on the mantelpiece.’ Rafael did his best to lift her spirits but she was still staring at her prize, lost in thought. Summer supposed that she was smart enough to realise it was a plastic replica and not the real deal like her father’s.
‘I think someone might have to stop at Brady’s Bakery for a celebratory treat today.’ She tried to raise a smile too without success, then Gracie said what was really on her mind.
‘Can I have another medal?’
‘Sure.’ Summer retrieved the bag of leftover prizes and handed over an extra reward since she deserved it. ‘Is this for Dolly?’
Gracie frowned at her. ‘No. Papa said you give medals to people you love most.’
With that she gave Rafael the one hung around her neck and gifted the other right back to Summer. The sob was out of Summer’s mouth before she could stop it, the gesture so unexpected and lovely that all three adults had tears in their eyes. She crouched down so Gracie could hang it around her neck and Summer couldn’t have been happier with real gold. This was priceless, bestowed with such love she really felt like part of the family.
As she glanced across at Christina she realised her joy had come at the other woman’s expense. She was gulping and dabbing her eyes, fighting the opposite emotions Summer was experiencing with the gesture.
The rest of the parents and children had filtered back inside the nursery for the refreshments that had been laid on, leaving them to work out their complicated family issues with some degree of privacy.
‘Christina, no one wants to hurt you.’
‘Gracie just needs time to get to know you better.’ Summer followed up Rafael’s attempt to console his ex-wife but they’d used the phrase so often it sounded lame even to her. There was nothing that could be said to take away the pain of what Gracie’s mother would take as a rejection when it was how Summer had felt when she’d thought Rafael was leaving her. Only the strength of Christina’s feelings for her daughter would determine what she would do next.
It was a surprise, and unnerving, to see Christina smiling at her. ‘You’re lucky, you know. I was married to this guy and we both know how great he is and my daughter loves and trusts you. I was a fool to let them go but it’s you they love. I know they’re both miserable without you, Summer. I guess I’ll have to work on my relationship with Gracie some more. She’s thriving here and, believe it or not, I want what’s best for her.’
She shrugged her shoulders and led Gracie inside with the others for refreshments but Summer could sympathise with everything she’d lost when she’d come so close to losing it herself.
‘Are you okay?’ Rafael checked with her, though it was Christina whose heart was probably breaking.
‘I’m fine. I just feel bad for her. After all she’s Gracie’s mom, she’s always going to be part of your lives. She was right, though, that you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. Did you mean it when you said you loved me?’
‘Yes. I am totally, absolutely, crazily in love with you.’
‘Good, because I love you too. Now make my dreams come true and tell me that in Spanish.’
‘Te amo. Which is why I want you to marry me, Summer.’
‘Pardon me?’ She blinked at him, wondering if he’d taken a knock to the head during the triathlon.
‘I know we haven’t been together long but I’m happy to have a long engagement if that’s what you need. You’re the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and if you feel the same way I don’t see why we should fight it. I want you, me and Gracie to be a family. For ever.’
The proposal of marriage was unexpected and wonderful and risky to even consider after all their troubles. But it was also the best reason she could think of to show how much faith she had in the relationship and the strength of her love for him. From now on she was focusing on the future, and the past was no longer going to dictate the decisions she made.
‘Yes, I’ll marry you, and Gracie. You’re all I’ve ever wanted.’ Summer had never imagined that coming to Maple Island would’ve been the answer to her prayers, but finally she felt complete. Now she was part of the loving family she’d always dreamed about.