Page 26 of Sexting the Tattooed Outlaw
“I didn’t feel like I was…worthy,” he finishes, shaking his head. “I wasn’t worthy. I was working on it. I wanted to be worthy of you, Kay. But I knew I wasn’t good enough for you then. Truth be told, I’m still not. But I’ve decided I’m done waiting. I want to be your man now. And I’ll keep working to be the one you deserve.”
“You’ve always been worthy,” I tell him. “Worthy was never even a question in my mind or anyone else’s, Sam. We loved you like family. I loved you like…like I wanted a lifetime with you.”
Sam holds me tight, kissing me passionately on the lips.
“I want a lifetime with you, Kay,” he says. “Starting right now.”
“How do I know it’s forever?” I ask him, blurting the words out that have been bothering me since he returned.
“See this?” he gestures to the tattoo on the back of his neck. “This is forever. I’m here now, and I won’t leave until you want me gone. Maybe not even then. You’re stuck with me, Kay Beaumont. I love you, you’re my woman, and I’m going to spend the rest of my damn life giving you anything and everything you want.”
And then, before I can protest any further, he wraps me up in his arms and kisses me again. This time, he doesn’t pull away. Neither do I.
EPILOGUE
“Come on.I need you to see.”
“Sam…can’t we look at it tomorrow morning? I know you’ve worked hard on the renovations,” my wife says. “But my feet hurt.”
I turn, lifting her into my arms.
“Better?” I ask.
She catches her breath, resting a hand on her round bump.
“Better,” she says.
I march us across the parking lot of Fiction & Foam. People are staring, but I don’t care. Every small town gossip in Wild Bronco loves to talk about the fact that the Beaumont heiress married the same tattooed outlaw who stole and wrecked her daddy’s truck.
I don’t hang my head in shame anymore. I’ve more than made up for my mistakes, and Kay’s family forgave me a long time ago. Now that I’ve put a ring on Kay’s finger, I’ve got everything I need. Nobody else’s opinion matters.
We walk towards the coffee shop. Instead of going inside, I take her around the back, where I’ve been working my butt off for weeks to create the patio seating area of her dreams.
I put her down, careful to be gentle with her and our growing baby girl.
“Okay. Notice anything?” I ask her.
She frowns.
“Um…you put more shingles on the overhang,” she says.
“Nope.”
She looks around.
“Oh! You hung the fans!” she points to the large fans hanging from the porch ceiling.
“Well, yes, I did that today too,” I say with a laugh. “What else?”
Kay takes a look around and then looks at me.
“Sam, I give up. What is it?”
I grab her hand, bringing her to the other side of the porch where the stone fireplace is. Kay insisted on an outdoor fireplace, something she and her customers find essential to the “cozy vibe” of Fiction & Foam. I happily obliged, laying brick by brick for the past few days – all by hand. The scaffolding is still here, and it’s not finished yet.
But one thing is.
“Look,” I say, taking her closer to the fireplace.
