Read Online Pursued by Kristin Vayden - Free Book Online

you think of that aspect of a relationship being a deal-breaker rather than a blessing?” His blue eyes searched mine as he waited for an answer.
    The question settled, and I fought the urge to argue. No, my boys were a blessing! But didn’t I just imply the opposite? I hadn’t meant to, but as I thought over my words I had unknowingly equated fatherhood with burden, not blessing. Just another departing gift from Jack in the messed up world that was my life.
    The intense gaze he directed toward me held my attention as he continued.
    “I’m sure being a father isn’t easy. Lord knows, my own father’s grey hair was hard earned.” He chuckled. “But never once while praying about you, for you and your little boys, did I ever think of you as a burden. Families are a blessing Abby. They are a gift. If God honors me with one, I’ll be grateful, not resentful.”
    Will you marry me?
    Be still my beating heart. I wanted to pinch myself. Who was this guy, and could I have him wrapped up with a pretty bow for my birthday? Yet, my heart was sad because I had lost that vision he had clearly expressed concerning fatherhood. Over the years I had taken more and more responsibility for the boys because Jack had rejected it and resented it.
    “Thank you. For praying for us. And thank you for all those other things you said. I…” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I needed to hear them.”
    And I can’t wait to see them in action, should we ever get there.
    “You’re welcome, Abby, but they’re not just words. That’s who I am. I know this is pretty deep stuff for only meeting me once before, but I’m not one to beat around a bush. Sometimes that’s to my benefit, others my intense detriment.”
    I laughed as he grimaced in response to his own words.
    “So, you’re sure about this?” I asked, hesitant. Yes, I really was that insecure.
    “Absolutely.”
    We walked on for about an hour longer. The conversation took off into a million different tangents as we learned about each other. Levi was allergic to eggs and dairy. At first, I thought he was joking. He worked on a dairy farm! Wasn’t that a little ironic? But he assured me it was accurate, and I laughed hard. The sensation was amazing; it had been a long time. He asked about my likes, dislikes, and fears. He laughed about my paranoia of spiders and aversion to anything with rye flour. By the time we headed back I was remarkably comfortable with his presence. Not only did we have a lot in common, but also the areas we didn’t share common ground were complimentary. He was a perfect fit, so far. What scared me most was that time would tell, nothing else.
    When he left, my mom pounced on me, her eyes begging for details.
    “Spill, missy. You’re glowing, and I want to know everything!”
    Chase tried to crawl off my lap, and I placed him gently on the floor. With lightning speed, he attacked his bucket of toys. Javan handed him a truck, and I watched with silent amazement at the blessing of my children.
    “Hey!” My mom snapped her fingers in front of my face, startling me.
    “Sorry, yes?” I shook my head and focused on my mom once again.
    “So, it’s clear you had a great time. What I want to know is why?”
    “Why? Well, Mom, he leveled with me. Although I didn’t want to freak him out, I was dangerously honest with him, and in turn, he was with me. It wasn’t a ‘look at the daisies’ type walk. It was a ‘let me bare my soul and see if you’re still interested’ type walk.”
    “Oooo, sounds interesting. So what’s his ‘soul’ like?”
    “Honestly Mom, he deserves someone much better than me.”
    “Oh, nonsense! He’s the one who should be counting his blessings!”
    Gotta love moms for their unfailing loyalty.
    “Anyway, he said something that rocked my world.”
    My mom’s eyes widened, and she sat forward a little more on the sofa, waiting.
    “He said that rather than me having children being a deal-breaker, it was a blessing