Just getting started, p.27
Just Getting Started,
p.27
“Then take me to bed,” I instruct as we hobble up the stairs. Chase then proceeds to show me exactly how excited he is to be my husband. Through the good and the bad, we’re in this life together.
Forever.
Epilogue
Chase
* * *
Harrison and I are sitting at a picnic table that somehow my mother and mother-in-law were able to fancy up for the day’s festivities. Neither one of us are talking as we watch our wives dance with Sophia, passing her back and forth.
My wife.
“Has it set in yet?” Harrison laughs.
“Yes and no. I mean obviously, we said our vows and I kissed my bride, but damn, it’s hard to believe she’s mine. That they’re both mine.” My eyes to go Gabby’s still flat stomach. It does something to me, that underneath that white dress is the smallest of baby bumps where our son or daughter grows.
“Welcome to the club.” He laughs.
“It’s been a rough few months, but it’s all worked out in the end.”
“Yeah, thanks for hiring Colt.”
“He’s good, with his military background he’s a machine when it comes to training. He’s good for All Fit.”
“The ladies seem to love him.” It’s true. My older brother has taken a lot of the ladies’ attention away from me and Harrison, and we couldn’t be happier about it. There is only one woman in my life. Well, unless we have a baby girl.
We settle into a comfortable silence as we watch them laughing and dancing as if no one is watching. They can pretend we’re not, but they know the truth. Both of them know better than to think they could be anywhere within our line of sight and not gather our full attention. Harrison welcomed me to the club, and as I look down at the wedding band on my left hand, I can’t help but take a deep breath. She’s mine. All these years I wanted her, craved her, and now, here today, she carries my last name, and my baby.
Does life get any better than this?
“It does,” Harrison replies, and I realize I spoke the words aloud. “I want a house full.”
“Yeah?” I act surprised, but we all knew this was coming. Harrison and Gwen have made no secret since finding out about Sophia that building their family is priority. I’m happy for them.
“I want as many as she’ll give me. I’m not going to lie, parenting is hard, but, man, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, aside from fighting for my wife.”
“I can imagine it gets harder as they get older.” I think about little Sophia and when she starts to date. Her daddy and I will be there to scare any boy brave enough to take her out.
“Yeah, I’m sure it does, but so worth it.”
“I’m counting down the days,” I admit. “I’d gotten used to the fact that I was a father.” I swallow hard. “You know, with Milo. I’d accepted it and was ready for it, but it was all taken away. I’m glad things worked out like they did, that he’s still in our family and he brought my brother home. I’m not sure anything else ever would have accomplished that.”
Harrison holds his bottle out to me and I clink mine against his. “He’s doing good.” His statement is in between the lines of a question and observation from the tone of his voice.
“Yeah. He jumped right in, and has never looked back.”
“You did a good thing, Callahan.”
“Right, selfishly. I thought he was mine.”
“And you don’t think jumping in to love and care for an infant that was left on your doorstep isn’t a good thing? Hell, you could have blown him off, called the authorities, but you didn’t. You stepped up without knowing. That takes balls, my friend.”
“I had Gabby.”
“That helped, but I know you. You would have done it regardless of Gabby being there.”
“I thought I was going to lose her.”
“Yet, you still did the right thing and look where you are now.”
“What are you two gossiping about over here?” Gwen asks, handing Sophia to Harrison. Not that she has a choice, the little angel was leaning out of her momma’s arms reaching for her daddy.
Fuck, I can’t wait until our baby is here.
“Hey, handsome, is this seat taken?” Gabby asks, perching herself on my lap. My cock starts to stir, more than ready to get to the consummation part of this day.
“Hey now.” She smiles down at me. “We have guests.”
“Send them home.” Heat flares in her gaze. Her head drops until her lips are pressed to mine.
“We can’t do that.”
“It’s our wedding day,” I murmur against her lips.
Her smile is blinding. “Yeah, it’s our wedding day.” She leans into my chest, and I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her close. Nothing could have prepared me for what it would feel like to have her love, to have her in my arms, and for today, the day she took my last name. I can’t wait to live this life with her.
Gabby
* * *
“Dance with me,” I tell my husband.
“Anything for you, my love.” Chase helps me stand, takes me by the hand, and leads me to the makeshift dance area in the middle of the backyard. He’s moving well, thankfully having his cast removed just in time for our wedding. He’s still wearing his moonboot, but it’s much less restricting than the cast.
Today was everything I never even knew I wanted for my wedding. I always saw myself in the big white dress with the long train, walking down the rose-covered aisle in a big church. What I actually have is way better than any of that. I’m wearing a simple ivory gown that hugs my curves. There’s a little lace and a plunging neckline, and the moment Chase saw me walk out of the cabin with my father, I swear his jaw hit the ground.
And let’s talk about how incredibly sexy my new husband is, shall we? He’s wearing dark blue dress pants that fit him like a glove and an ivory dress shirt—untucked and with the sleeves rolled up a bit on his forearms, of course, and my lady parts noticed right away. He looks positively edible, and if I have my way about it, there will definitely be a little mouth-worship happening later tonight.
Chase pulls me into his arms and we sway to the music. I melt against his body as he holds me close, his warm hand positioned at my lower back, while the other slides around and rests on my hip, his thumb gently stroking over the very slight baby bump concealed by my dress.
“Having a good time, Mrs. Callahan?” he asks, the deep timbre of his voice vibrating against my cheek.
“I most certainly am, Mr. Callahan.”
“Good,” he says, spinning me out and then gently pulling me back into his arms.
I can’t help but laugh under the lights of the DJ and stars over our heads shining brightly in the early fall night. “Today has been perfect in every way.”
“Mmm,” he mumbles, inhaling the sweet scent of my shampoo like he does so often.
“Are you smelling your wife?”
“Fuck, I love it when you say that,” he mumbles, sliding his lips along my forehead. “Let’s get out of here so I can worship my wife’s naked body.”
“It’s still early,” I remind him, the same way I’ve been reminding him all night. Chase has pretty much been ready to go since the moment he kissed his bride. Now, he’s even more desperate to get to the rest of our evening. Not that I’m not ready, but I just feel bad for leaving our guests so soon.
I glance over and find my sister and brother-in-law joining us in the middle of the yard. Harrison spins his wife, a wide smile on her face, before he tucks her into his arms. Gwen is wearing a mocha strapless gown that hits just below her knees, while her husband sports navy pants and matching mocha dress shirt, also untucked and with the sleeves rolled up. My sister was salivating when she first saw him.
My parents have Sophia, who fell asleep just a bit ago. They’re taking her home with them for the night, so Harrison and Gwen can enjoy an evening alone. If she weren’t already pregnant, I’m sure she would be by the end of their alone time. The way he looks at her, it’s part worship, part wild animal ready to devour.
Glancing over, I find Colton standing off by himself, rocking a sleeping Milo. Colton’s wearing the same outfit as Harrison, while our nephew wears a little bowtie and suspenders. We got them situated into their new house last weekend, and I’ll be the first to admit, the house hasn’t been the same without them. It’s too quiet, and I know Chase felt the emptiness too. The positive to come out of it has been Chase and I have been able to focus on us, preparing for the wedding, as well as the arrival of our baby.
“How is the roommate search coming along?” I ask.
“Good. I think he has it narrowed down to two.”
“I’m glad. And both are okay with living with a baby?”
Chase shrugs. “It was part of his ad. He didn’t want any surprises, so he mentioned Milo in his advertisement.”
He glides his hand up my back and then down, this time resting it a little lower on my backside. “Did you bring a bag?” I ask. My sister and I got ready in the cabin this afternoon, so all my stuff is already there.
“It’s in my truck. I’ll grab it after our dance,” he says. His hands glide easily over the satin of my dress, and desire pools between my legs. As we sway together under the stars, I feel his cock hardening, and I suddenly find it more difficult to breathe.
“You know,” I start, throwing in a fake yawn for emphasis, “I’m getting sleepy.” I wiggle against his erection, making him hiss in the process.
“Very sleepy,” he groans, tightening his hands around my hips.
“Very, very sleepy.”
“I think the responsible thing to do is to take my beautiful wife to bed.” Chase runs his lips up my neck and sucks on my earlobe.
“Yeah, I think it’s about time,” I gasp.
Just as he did at the beginning of our dance, Chase takes my hand and leads me off the dance floor, careful to shield his hard-on behind my body. As soon as we get past a small group of wedding guests, he spins me around and lifts me into his arms. “Fuck my bag. I don’t need it tonight,” he says before devouring my mouth with his own. “All I need is you.”
“You have me. For the rest of my life.”
He smiles one of those breathtaking grins that I’ve fallen helplessly in love with. “That’s perfect, because I’m yours for the rest of mine”
Our lips meet again, a prelude to more, as he carries me off to the cabin.
Man and wife.
My happily ever after.
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to read, Just Getting Started.
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Acknowledgments
To our Beta readers: Sandra Shipman, Joanne Thompson, Stacy Hahn, Franci Neil, Lauren Fields, and Jamie Bourgeois. You ladies are the glue that helps hold us together. Thank you for taking the time from your lives, your families to read our words. Your time and input are invaluable to us. We will be forever grateful.
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To our team: There are so many people to thank. We apologize if we’ve missed anyone. Here goes: Hot Tree Editing (Becky Johnson), Perfect Pear Creative Covers (Sommer Stein), Sara Eirew, Kimberly Anne, Kara Hildebrand, Tempting Illustrations (Gel Yatz), Deaton Author Services (Julie Deaton), and the entire crew at Give Me Books. It truly takes a team and we’re glad that you’re a part of ours.
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Bloggers: Thank you for doing what you do. We know that you take time from your lives and your families to promote our work and we appreciate that more than you will ever know. Thank you for taking a part in the release of Just Getting Started.
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Readers: Thank you for taking a chance on us. We are truly thankful to each of you.
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To our reader groups: Lacey’s Ladies and Kaylee’s Kick Ass Crew. You are our tribe! Thank you for your never-ending support.
Kaylee Ryan, Just Getting Started
