Four Justin felt his heart stop, then start galloping at breakneck pace. Winona wasn’t really asking to marry him. He realized that. Completely. Marriage had become a ritual tease subject between them, because he’d asked her to marry him so many times. She’d always assumed he was joking, so it was perfectly natural that she would joke back with him the same way. There were just a few tiny differences in these circumstances, though. He’d always meant those offers. And the sudden advent of the baby in Winona’s life was obviously deeply affecting her. She’d never admitted that she needed help with anything—and for damn sure, she’d never given him the opportunity to come through for her in any way. Justin didn’t quite comprehend all the emotional ramifications for her with this baby, but he was dead positive of one thing. He’d been waiting for a chance—any chance—with her for years now. And he wasn’t about to let it go. “Okay, let’s do it,” he said lightly. For the first time all evening, the haunted tension left her eyes and she laughed.
