Page 66 of Her Gentle Daddy

“Better watch those eyes, little girl. Sassing Daddy will get you a red bottom.”

She grinned back at him, “I wasn’t doing anything, Daddy. I thought I heard a noise upstairs, so I was looking up.”

Uh-huh.

He loved how free she was becoming with him. Most of the time, he was the only one who got to see that side of her, though he was pretty sure that as time went on she would become more outgoing with others as well. It really all had to do with her feeling safe and secure. And if she didn’t, and she was only that way around him, he felt blessed. He gave her a safe space to be herself and finally let go.

However, the nursery was still always spotless, and everything was in place all the time. He hoped he could break that worry of hers. She had told him that when she was younger, if she broke things or messed anything up that she would get into trouble, so she had learned to memorize where everything went so she could put it back when she was done.

He reassured her that she would never get into trouble for playing and making a mess of her room or other areas of the house because everything was fixable and cleanable. Savannah had told him that breaking habits like that would take time since they were fear-based habits, which had been a way for her to survive back when she had been in foster care.

“Okay, Daddy, I’m ready.”

He smiled down at her and pulled her in for a kiss, which she automatically returned and kissed him back. When he released her, she was staring up at him with an expression on her face that he couldn’t read.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Gabby shook her head, “Absolutely nothing. Everything is perfect. I never thought my life could be so amazing, and it’s because of you that it is. I’m just so grateful for you, and I love you so much. Thank you for choosing me.”

She struggled to get the words out without her voice cracking, and it only took a second before he swooped her up into his arms and sat down on the couch with her on his lap.

“You never have to thank me, baby. Choosing you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I am the one who is grateful that you trusted me enough to care for you. Being your Daddy is by far my greatest accomplishment. I want to marry you, Gabby.”

Her eyes widened as she stared up at him in surprise.

“Are you asking me to marry you?”

Way to ruin it, idiot.

“No. I mean, yes. But not officially. You deserve the whole magical romantic proposal and all of that. So I guess I will just say that my plan is to marry you, and now you have time to think about what your answer will be when I ask.”

Reaching up and running her hands through his beard, she smiled up at him.

“My answer is yes, Daddy. I don’t need a magical proposal. Everything about being with you is magical to me, and being yours forever is the icing on the cake. So my answer is yes.”

Completely dumbfounded and speechless, Sean blinked several times, staring down at her in shock.

“Yes, you want to marry me?”

Gabby nodded, grinning so wide that he couldn’t help but grin back.

“I want to be your wife. Gosh, I never thought I would want to be a wife or would even be asked to be someone’s wife, but I want to be yours.”

Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, Sean leaned down and kissed her as though his very last breath depended on it, exploring her mouth with his tongue, nipping at her lips and holding the back of her neck, she was pressed to him until they had to release for air.

Lifting her from his lap, Sean sat her on the couch and stood.

“I’ll be right back, you stay here.”

He went back into his office and opened the floor safe under his desk, pulling out the little black box that he’d had in there for weeks. Carrying it back to the living room, he sat next to Gabby and pulled her into his lap again.

Holding the box in front of her, he opened it to show her the ring he’d had designed for her. Letting out a gasp, her hands flew up to her mouth as she looked from the ring to him and back again.

“I had this designed for you. It has our initials inscribed inside the band.”

Tears sprang from her eyes as she let out a sob.

“You really do want to marry me?”