Page 70 of Baja
“What are ya daydreaming about?” Nash asks, his voice warm and inviting.
I look back at the sunrise, and a soft smile spreads across my lips. “I was lost in how genuinely happy I am right now and how much you contribute to that happiness.”
A playful glint sparkles in his eyes. “I’ll do anything to keep that beautiful smile on your face, baby,” he promises, his breath warm against my skin.
“Anything?” I tease back, my heart racing with hope and nervousness. For the past two days, I’ve been wrestling with the idea of asking Nash to move in with me, but each time the words form in my mind, they dissolve into uncertainty.
“Anything,” he affirms, his deep voice rumbling low against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
Gathering my courage, I finally blurt out the words, “Would you consider moving in with me?”
A smile spreads across his lips, brushing against the curve of my neck, and I take that as a hopeful sign—the warmth of his presence wrapping around me like a cozy blanket.
“Took you long enough to ask.” He chuckles, and I can’t help but feel a surge of relief mixed with elation at his response.
I thrust my elbow back into his rock-hard abdomen, and Nash chuckles. “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to ask you for two days.”
Nash takes the mug from my hand, sets it down on the railing, and then forces me to turn and face him. “In case you missed it, I’m crazy in love with you.”
I wrap my arms around his neck. “I love you too.”
“Good. Now kiss me so I can get goin’. I’m meetin’ my client in thirty minutes.”
Smiling, I bring my lips to his.
Fifteen minutes later, Nash is dressed and standing in the kitchen. He snags his cut off the back of the chair and slides it over his shoulders. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go to the doctor with you?”
I shake my head. “No. Don’t cancel on your clients. It’s not a big deal. Besides, Sukie said she’d tag along, and then we’ll meet the girls for lunch afterward.”
“All right, babe.” Nash grips my chin, laying another hard, wet kiss on me. “Call if you need me.”
After Nash leaves, I head to my bedroom to get ready. A few days ago, I bit the bullet and made an appointment with my doctor. I’ve not been feeling like myself lately. My mood swings have been all over the place, the hot flashes and night sweats have gotten out of hand, I’m having frequent headaches, and I haven’t had my period in months. I have noticed a change in my cycle over the past year, but I’m one of those people who avoid going to the doctor like the plague. Unfortunately, my symptoms recently have gotten to the point where I can no longer ignore them. I don’t feel like myself. Admittedly, I have been avoiding the doctor because I don’t want to hear them tell me what I think they will say, and that is,I’m going through ‘the change.’
“Mom!” Sukie yells from somewhere in the house.
“I’m back here!” I shout, and a minute later, Sukie walks into my bedroom as I’m slipping my sandals on.
“Give me a minute, babydoll. I’m almost ready.”
“No problem. We still have almost an hour before your appointment.”
I rush into the bathroom, pull my hair into a messy bun, and spritz perfume. “Yeah, but the sooner we get there, the sooner it will be over.”
“You act like you’re going in for a root canal. It’s a routine checkup.”
I poke my head out of the bathroom. “I already know what Dr. Collins is going to say. There is no point in going.”
Sukie lets out an exasperated sigh. “We’re not doing this again. You’re going. And menopause is perfectly natural.”
“I don’t like thinking of myself as old,” I grumble.
“It’s menopause, not the death penalty, for Christ’s sake,” Sukie mumbles under her breath, but I still hear it.
I walk out of the bathroom and eye my daughter. “I heard that.”
Sukie lifts a brow. “I meant for you to.”
“Aren’t you just full of sass this morning?” I tease while Sukie follows me down the hall and into the kitchen. I grab my purse from the table and look at her with mock irritation.
