Colleen woke slowly. She'd been dreaming of kittens and daisies, a strange combination but one that somehow made sense. As she gained more awareness, she stifled a groan. Her entire body hurt. She felt weaker than she'd ever felt before. As her eyes opened, she tried not to wince at the sunlight filtering in through the windows.

"You're awake."

The comment came from somewhere to her right. Colleen let her head turn on the pillow. She recognized Faith. The blonde nurse was wearing a bright smile. "We weren't sure if you were going to make it," she said. "But it looks like you're going to be just fine."

Memories came back slowly. Her long and painful labor. Giving birth to a daughter. Losing too much blood.

Then nothing.

She glanced around the room, a slight panic filling her. "My baby?" she whispered. "Where is my baby?"

Faith nodded to the other side of the bed. Colleen turned to see Gabe sitting in a chair, fast asleep, holding a tiny child protectively against his chest. Her heart squeezed in her own chest at the sight.

"He's been here the entire time," Faith said softly.

Colleen tore her gaze from Gabe and the baby to look at Faith. "What do you mean?"

Faith smiled. "I mean for the last week, Gabe has been in this room almost constantly. He's cared for your daughter too. He insisted on being by your side until you woke up."

Colleen blinked. "What about his job?"

"He deputized Bill," Faith said.

Colleen tried to absorb what Faith was telling her. "You're saying he took a week off work?" Her eyes widened as the implications of that dawned. "I've been out for that long?"

Faith nodded. "You have indeed. Gabe and Nathan have been worrying themselves sick over you, not that I blame them. Nathan was bad enough, but Gabe was particularly heartsick." She rested a hand on Colleen's shoulder. "That man is head over heels for you. I don't know what would have happened to him if you had died."

Colleen looked at Gabe again. She could see the weariness on his face even as he slept. Something surged inside of her, something undefinable and soft. She let the feeling take hold, wondering at it.

Her eyes found her daughter. The baby was sleeping as well, nestled comfortably against Gabe's chest, looking for all the world like she was his own flesh and blood. Her mind recalled a dream she'd had while asleep, a dream about a precious little girl with blonde curls and green eyes, running through a field of daisies with a matching crown of flowers on her head. She remembered hearing a name attached to the sweet girl, the same name as the beautiful yellow and white flowers that Colleen loved so much.

"Daisy," she murmured. She hadn't given much thought to names before her daughter was born, but she knew without a doubt that she'd found the right name for her little girl. It felt fitting to name her baby after something that made her happy.

Her eyes drifted to the flowers sitting on her nightstand. It also happened to be something that reminded her of Gabe's love.

She looked at Gabe once more. Though she couldn't claim to love him, she did know that he was an excellent man. He was good to her. He was good with her girls. She would be a brainless fool to continue rejecting a man who would provide her and her daughters with love and stability. Maybe she didn't love him the way he loved her, but perhaps she could learn to do so. After all, the men she'd loved in the past had used her and abused her. Gabe would do neither. She would be guaranteed a loving home and a wonderful father for her children.

Colleen was tired of running. She was tired of making mistakes. It was time to make a choice that would best for her daughters. If Gabe was still open to it, she would accept his proposal of marriage.

Peace flooded her as her decision was made. She heard Faith saying something, but it was lost as Collen drifted once more into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, Colleen saw that Gabe was no longer in his chair. Glancing around the room, she saw him standing by the window. Her heart caught in her throat as she watched him holding little Daisy, cooing and smiling at the baby as if she hung the moon. As she watched, Gabe lifted her daughter and tenderly kissed her cheek.

"You are a miracle, sweet girl," he whispered. His words were soft, but Colleen heard them clearly.

He had nothing to gain by doing that. He thought she was still asleep, so his words were completely and totally for the benefit of her child. Once more, something warm came to life inside of her as she watched her childhood friend interact with her little Daisy.

Gabe began singing softly as he rocked Daisy back and forth in his arms. The melodic sound soothed Colleen as much as it did the baby. She closed her eyes, letting his rich tenor take hold of her heart and lull her into a peaceful sense of security. When he finished his song, she opened her eyes again.

"I've always loved your voice," she said softly.

Gabe turned toward her, surprise in his eyes. "Colleen! You're awake!"

She smiled. "Indeed I am."

Gabe walked toward the bed, sitting in the chair beside it. "How are you feeling?"

"My body is sore, but I'm glad to be conscious," Colleen said. "Faith told me I was out for a week."

Gabe nodded, reaching out a hand to grasp hers. "This has been one of the worst weeks of my life," he said. "I thought…" He trailed off, closing his eyes while his throat convulsed. "I thought I was going to lose you." He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a fervent kiss to her palm.

Colleen reached out with her free hand, cupping his cheek. "You didn't," she said softly. "I'm still here."

"I'm so thankful," Gabe said, leaning into her touch. He kissed her palm again, then gently set it back on the blankets. He looked down at the baby. "Would you like to hold your daughter?"

A smile automatically crossed her face. "Oh, yes," she breathed. Gabe stood, placing the tiny babe in her arms. A rush of love filled Colleen as she looked down into her daughter's eyes. Little Daisy looked back at her, and Colleen could see that her baby girl had green eyes like the child from her dreams. Her downy blonde hair was curling softly on her head, also like the child from her dreams.

"My little Daisy," she said quietly, falling completely and totally in love with her daughter in a matter of seconds.

Gabe stilled. "What did you call her?"

Colleen looked up. "Daisy," she said. "Her name is Daisy." She ran a finger down the baby's cheek. "Doesn't that fit her perfectly?" She smiled at him. "Besides, you know how much I love daisies. The name feels appropriate."

Gabe's mouth was hanging open. Colleen's brow furrowed. "Do you not like it?"

He shook his head quickly. "It's not that," he said. A smile began working its way across his face. "That's what I've been calling her, Colleen."

She blinked. "You've been calling her Daisy?"

Gabe nodded. "It was just meant to be a nickname until you were able to name her yourself." Wonder filled his eyes. "I never dreamed you'd come up with the same name on your own."

Colleen stared at him. They had both come up with the same name for her little girl? Awe washed over her. She and Gabe were strangely in tune with each other. In a way, she felt like her decision to marry him was confirmed in that moment.

His attention had turned back to the baby. "What last name are you going to give her?" he asked. "Parks or Grant?"

Colleen caught her breath. Now was the moment of truth. "I was thinking…Kinslow," she said softly. "Daisy Mays Kinslow."

She saw the exact moment the meaning of her words hit Gabe. His jaw gaped and he stared at her in shock. "What?" he rasped.

Colleen felt a moment of doubt at his reaction, but she plunged ahead. "How would you like to be her father?" she asked. "And Allie's?"

Hope began to fill Gabe's eyes. He reached out, touching her softly on the arm as if afraid she might disappear. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked, blinking back tears.

Colleen nodded. "If your offer of marriage still stands, then I accept," she said. "I know you would love me and my girls better than anyone else could, Gabe." She paused, knowing she had to be honest. "I can't promise you the love you want," she said quietly. "I wish I could. Maybe someday I'll be able to. But for now, this arrangement would be mainly for the sake of my girls. Though…" She cleared her throat. "I'll be a wife to you in every sense of the word, if that's what you want. This would be a real marriage. Maybe someday we could even have children of our own." She bit her lip, blushing furiously. "I want my girls and any other children who come along to have a good example of marriage, even if I'm not quite there yet in loving you."

Gabe leaned over, kissing her gently on the lips. Colleen returned the kiss, closing her eyes and recognizing the magnitude of what she'd just done. When Gabe pulled back, he framed her face in his hands.

"The offer still stands," he said, smiling. "And yes, I do want a real marriage with you, Colleen. I'll give you the time you need to be comfortable with the idea, but I would love to have more children with you. And I would love to adopt Allie and Daisy as my own." The smile grew. "I'm going to be a father," he said, the wonder in his voice growing. He kissed her again, just as gently as before. "You've given me a wonderful gift, my love. Thank you."

She blinked back tears. "I think you're the one giving me a gift," she said honestly. "Not many men would be happy about going into a marriage with a woman who can't promise them love."

Gabe shook his head. "The fact that you're willing to commit your life to me is a good start," he said. "I do hope you return my love someday. But until then, I'll just keep loving you." His hand moved to cover Daisy's tiny back. "And I'll love your girls as if they were my own. I promise."

"I know you will," Colleen said. "That's a major reason I feel comfortable marrying you." She smiled, lightening her tone. "That and the fact that I've known you forever. I don't have to worry about the kind of man you are."

His gaze became serious. "No, you don't," he said somberly. "I won't change after we're married, Colleen. I've always just been me, with all my faults and flaws. You know exactly what you're getting by marrying me." One side of his mouth turned up in a half-grin. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad," he joked.

It was Colleen's turn to be serious. "You're right. I know exactly what I'm getting by marrying you." A lump in her throat made speaking momentarily difficult. "And I'm the luckiest woman alive to marry someone as good and noble and loving as you."

A single tear slid down Gabe's cheek. He didn't respond with words. He simply kissed her again, letting his lips communicate the depth of his feelings.

Colleen held Daisy securely in one arm as she slid her other arm around Gabe's neck, drawing him closer. Sparks danced softly in her belly as their lips tenderly moved against each other. He was still holding back, though she could feel his passion simmering under the tenderness. Once again, she felt safe and loved.

For now, that was enough.

Nathan backed quietly away from the door, giving Gabe and Colleen some privacy. He'd walked into the room and nearly shouted in relief to see his sister awake and holding her daughter. But before he could make his presence known, he heard Colleen's beautiful words to his dearest friend.

I'm the luckiest woman alive to marry someone as good and noble and loving as you.

Elations swept through him. Colleen finally accepted Gabe's love.

It was about time.

When the pair began kissing, Nathan hastily made his retreat, not wanting to interrupt such a private, intimate moment. He also couldn't deny that it felt incredibly strange watching his best friend kiss his big sister, no matter how happy he was for them.

They're getting married.

The knowledge made Nathan happier than he'd been in a long time. Colleen would finally have a worthy husband. Gabe would finally have the woman he loved. Nathan smiled to himself. Colleen may claim she wasn't in love with Gabe, but he stuck by his prediction that she would be in love with her soon-to-be husband before Christmas.

"What do you mean, you're getting married?"

Bill stared at Gabe aghast. Gabe had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the look on the face of Hope Valley's judge. Since there was no pastor in town, Gabe had asked Bill to marry him and Colleen as soon as possible. They'd decided waiting was pointless. If they were going to become a family, it was time to make it official.

After two weeks of being awake, Colleen was sufficiently healed and able to be up and about. She was thankful to be alive with a beautiful new daughter, though she had bemoaned the fact that she had to bottle feed Daisy. With the trauma she'd suffered and her coma, her milk never came in. Daisy had to be fed with formula from the mercantile. Though it was a hard adjustment for Colleen, she eventually grew used to the idea.

After their marriage, Nathan was going to be moving into the apartments above his shop while Gabe moved into the rowhouse with Colleen and the girls. His friend had already moved most of his things. All that remained to be done was the simple ceremony.

Gabe smiled at Bill. "I mean just what I said. I'm marrying Colleen, and we'd like to make it legal as soon as you can draw up the paperwork. I'll also need papers to officially adopt both Allie and Daisy."

Bill regarded him with a raised brow. "Colleen listed Kinslow as Daisy's last name on the birth certificate, so technically that makes you her father already. Allie is the one you'll have to legally adopt. That's easy enough, though, since her biological father is dead and her mother wishes for you to adopt her."

"Good," Gabe said, thankful that the process should be an easy one. He adored Allie and Daisy and couldn't wait to be their father, just like he couldn't wait to be Colleen's husband. "So…when do you think you can perform the ceremony?"

Bill grunted with a shake of his head. "Someone's an eager beaver," he muttered, flipping through his calendar. "You realize this is a lifetime commitment, right?"

Gabe laughed. "Yes, Bill, I do. I've wanted to marry Colleen for two decades. I think I know what I'm doing."

"How's two weeks from Saturday?" Bill asked, ignoring Gabe's comment and glancing up at him. "That'll give me time to get the license and draw up Allie's adoption papers."

A little over two weeks. He could manage that. "That sounds good. Thanks, Bill."

"What time would you like the ceremony?" Bill asked, making a note on his calendar. "And where?"

"At the church," Gabe said. "Preferably in the afternoon. Maybe four?"

Bill nodded. He marked it down, then leaned back in his chair. "I'll have you know I don't do this for just anyone," he said, warmth unmistakable in his voice despite his attempt at sounding gruff. "It speaks to your character that I'm willing to bind you to another person for the rest of your lives on such short notice." He let a small smile break free. "In spite of my earlier words, I do trust that you know what you're doing, Gabe." He stood, holding out his hand. "I wish you and Colleen every happiness."

Slightly stunned, Gabe shook Bill's hand. "Thanks," he said. "That means a lot." He couldn't help an impish smile. "Dad."

Bill rolled his eyes. "Don't you start that again, young man," he said sternly. The look was belied by a twinkle in his eyes. "Now scram. I have work to do."

Gabe chuckled, saluting sharply. "Yes, sir!" He could hear Bill laughing as he left the office.

Placing his hands loosely on his belt, Gabe walked through the streets of Hope Valley, whistling as he walked. The circumstances surrounding his impending marriage might not be ideal, but he didn't mind. He was gaining the woman of his dreams and her two precious girls.

As far as he was concerned, he was getting the better end of their bargain.