“I assume not just because it hurt.”

He only smiled, but she understood it.

Ed couldn’t wait for his mother to see what Darcy had done, so he drove to their house. His father was mowing the lawn, which reminded Ed that he’d better do the same. If his grandfather ever saw the yard in its current state, he’d take back the house.

His mother was on her knees digging in the flower bed that the family had spent a weekend building for her a few years ago. It seemed when her children moved away, she still had the need to grow things and watch them blossom.

His father turned off the mower as they climbed out of the truck. “Well, look who came to finish the lawn.”

Ed laughed. “That didn’t work when I lived here.”

“Don’t I know it.” He shook his hand. “Hello, Darcy,” he said and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Ed smiled. She’d become accustom to it in time, the affection his entire family would shower on her. A powerful feeling rose in him. He couldn’t wait to see the expression on everyone’s faces when he proposed on Tuesday. Darcy thought the tattoo was overwhelming, emotionally. He was going to knock her socks off.

His mother stood from her kneeling pad and pulled off her gardening gloves. “What a nice surprise.” She kissed Ed on the cheek and then did the same to Darcy. “What brings you two by?”

Ed nudged Darcy. “Show her.”

Darcy lifted the tape from her skin and pulled back the gauze cover to reveal her new tattoo.

Just as Ed had expected, his mother’s eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, Darcy, it’s beautiful,” she said as she raised her hand to her chest. “Carlos, look.”

“That’s some mighty nice ink,” he complimented as he rested a hand on Ed’s shoulder.

“I hope you don’t mind that I used your design. Ed suggested it, and it’s just such a beautiful design.”

“Oh, why would I ever mind?” His mother wiped away her tear. “My son loves you, and you’re part of this family as well as your own. I’m honored.”

She pulled Darcy into a hug—not just any hug—but one that crushed your bones and filled your heart with love. Yep, this was the right woman. If he loved her as much as he did and his family loved her too, how could it be wrong?

Darcy lay in Ed’s bed, wrapped in his arms. After they’d visited his parents, he seemed to be very conscious of the fact he hadn’t been home much. So very domestically, they’d gone back to his place and she had vacuumed and dusted while he had mowed the lawn. Darcy had never been more comfortable.

She lifted her arm to look at the tattoo on her wrist in the moonlit shadows of Ed’s room. Family. Never in all her life did she think she’d mark her body so permanently, but it meant everything to her.

Ed caressed her shoulder and then placed a kiss against her skin. “Does it hurt?”

“It itches, but it’s just so beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful.”

She giggled. But then a serious thought filled her head, and the need for an answer squeezed at her heart. “You love me, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you said I’m part of this family.”

“Yes,” he said, but his voice waivered. “What are you getting at?”

Darcy turned to face him. “I love you. I’m just so glad that I bumped into you that day.”

Ed smiled. “I’m glad you say that. You were pretty pissed.”

“No. I was embarrassed. Besides, my mind was focused on something so unimportant at the time.” How could she ever have wanted to chase down who she was? She knew who she was. But she pushed that thought out of her head. “Is this forever? Tell me, do you really want me forever?”

Ed propped himself up on his elbow. “Yes. Are you doubting me?”

“No. I’m—oh, I don’t know. It all seems so fast.”

“And time means nothing when you fall in love, and neither does age.”

Darcy nodded. “You do want to marry me, right?”

The worry in his eyes softened. “Yes. When the time is right, I want to marry you.”

“And family?”

“The bigger, the better—unless you don’t want kids.” The line between his brows deepened.

“Oh, no. I want kids. And having been alone all my life and now seeing what you have, I want lots of kids.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But I don’t know anything about who they’ll be.”

Ed ran his fingers down her arm. “They’ll be you and me.”

“I understand that. But I don’t know if I have some strange genes that, well, maybe they won’t be perfect.”

Ed shook his head. “A child is perfect.” He sat up, and she followed. Ed turned so he was fully facing her as if he had a point to make. “Darcy, I have every intention of marrying you and having a family with you. I don’t care who you were before you were a McCary. And I’m not much different in not knowing what will come from me when we have kids. My dad knows almost nothing about his own genes, but we all turned out okay. Besides, even if there is something quirky that happens, I’m going to love any child you give me.”

The ache in her chest eased. “You’re going to marry me?”

He smiled again. “I’m going to marry you, and don’t you dare think this is your proposal. I’m going to make that special.”

“I can’t imagine you could top the feeling I have right now.”

He caressed her cheek. “I promise.”

Darcy took his hands in hers and then shifted her eyes to his. “Are you really going to make me wait until our wedding night to make love to you?”

Ed’s mouth curled into that sexy smile she loved. “I take it you’re over my being a gentleman.”

“I’m so over it.”

“And being totally modern, the whole premarital sex thing is okay with you.”

She bit down on her lip. “Ed…”

“I’m just clarifying…because I’m over it, too.”

And with that, his hands came to her hair, and he pulled her to him. His mouth was hot and more eager than she’d ever known. This wasn’t a mistake. This was true love, and as he lowered her back to the bed and moved on top of her, she tumbled into the abyss of absolute happiness.