On the Island (On the Island, #1)

by Tracey Garvis Graves

I didn’t know if I could make it without her. The sound of her voice, her smile, her—those were the things that made living on the island bearable.

The selfish part of me, however, couldn’t fathom not falling asleep in his arms or being with him every day. I needed T.J., and the thought of being away from him bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

“I’ve been in love with you for months. I’m telling you now because I think you love me, too, Anna. You just don’t think you’re supposed to. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. I can wait.”

I love you, T.J. I should have told you before.” The tears ran down my cheeks. He pulled me close and said, “I love you, too, Anna. But you already knew that.”

“But there’s no way I could ever hold a baby in my arms that had his eyes, or his smile, if I couldn’t have him, too.”

“I’ve thought about you all day,” he said. “On the island, I promised that if you just held on we would spend this Christmas together, in Chicago. I will always keep my promises to you, Anna.”

“You were right. I did need to be on my own. But some of the things you wanted me to experience already passed me by, and I can’t go back. I know what I want and it’s you, Anna. I love you, and I miss you. So much.” “I don’t fit in your world.” “Neither do I,” he said, his expression tender yet resolute. “So let’s make our own. We’ve done it before.”

“I never wanted anyone else, T.J. I just wanted what was best for you.” “You are what’s best for me,”

“I want you to be my wife. There’s no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with. We can live out here, you, me, our kids, and Bo. But I get it now, Anna. My decisions affect you, too. So now you have one of your own to make. Will you marry me?”