On the Island (On the Island, #1)

by Tracey Garvis Graves

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.

ears. “I love you, Anna.” The surprised look on her face told me she hadn’t seen that coming. “You weren’t supposed to fall in love,” she whispered. “Well, I did,” I said, looking into her eyes. “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.”

“No. It’s because I would never marry a man who only asked me because he felt he had to.”

“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.”

“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.”

Is your life better with him, Anna, or without him? I decided, right then, standing on that sidewalk, to stop worrying about things that might never go wrong.

“I never wanted anyone else, T.J. I just wanted what was best for you.” “You are what’s best for me,” he said, cradling my head in his arms, his legs intertwined with mine. “I’m not going anywhere, Anna. This is right where I want to be.”

“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?”