“Oh, Blackie,” she said in between sniffles. “How could you think I might toss you over for a younger man? You’re the man I love. You’re the only man I want. And I can’t really blame you for how you reacted. When the doctor first suggested I might be pregnant, I was appalled. And then the test came back positive, and I was so terrified of your reaction and of losing you. The thought of an abortion flitted through my mind, and then, in a flash, I felt this rush of love for my baby, and I knew I would have it no matter how upset you were. I was frightened about raising it alone. I won’t lie about that. But I also knew, way deep down, that I could raise it alone and that I would.”

He started to sway with her pressed against him. “You won’t have to do it alone. Nothing, except death itself, is going to stop me from being a part of our child’s life. I swear to you, Julie, I don’t see this as an obligation. It’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me.”

She gave a wet laugh. “I know. Right? I didn’t want this baby, either. For all of ten minutes. And then, wham, the reality of it all sank in. A baby, Blackie. It was the last thing I expected, and yet it’s the most wonderful thing, too.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I feel exactly the same way. It’s like, wow! I’m going to be a daddy.”

“Parents, we’re going to be parents.”

“Big question. Are we going to be parents together?”

She twisted in his arms to look up at him. “Are you absolutely sure you want that?”

He released a breath and smiled. “I’ve never wanted anything more. I know this is old-fashioned, Julie, and you’re always giving me a hard time about that, but I want to do this right. I think we should get married right away. I don’t want my kid to grow up believing he was an accident. And kids do that, you know. When they’re old enough, they do the math and realize their parents had to get married.”

Julie gazed up at him. Her feelings of love for him ran so deeply that they were an ache within her. “Is that a proposal?”

He smiled. “Yes, and I know it’s a poor excuse for one, but the circumstances don’t allow for me to do it the romantic way. I’m also at a disadvantage when it comes to an engagement ring, because I know you always wanted to wear your grandmother’s. Only it doesn’t seem right. I should provide the ring. That’s the traditional way.”

All of Julie’s resentment and anger had washed away during their talk, and she smiled shakily up at him. “I guess you can buy it back from me. We shouldn’t depart from tradition. It’ll always bother you.”

“Can I take that to mean you’re saying yes?”