Page 17 of Must Be Love

I just said, “Okay. We’re even,” and ran out of the bathroom, I didn’t make it far as he chased me straight to the bed where we made love until it was time for us to get ready or we would have both been late to work.

Cade recently put a swing on the deck and that’s where I’ve been spending most of my evenings until he comes home. It’s where I am today when I hear him pull into the drive. Axe is barking and running behind him the whole way home. I asked Cade if it was safe for him to do that, and he smiled and said, “He knows his limits, I promise he’ll be okay.”

I make my way to the kitchen, stirring the simmering pot of chili I put on the stove when I got home. That is the one downfall of Cade’s job. It’s not a typical nine to five job, he’s gone early in the morning. Sometimes I’ve been waking up early so I can see him off more and more. For instance, today it’s now going on seven o’clock and he’s just now pulling up. I take the toppings out of the fridge and set them on the counter, so we can grab what we want and eat together.

He comes in and his hands find my hips, as he pulls me into his body and kisses the crook of my neck where it meets my shoulder.

“Hey,” I whimper out, my body is already covered with goosebumps.

“Hey, baby. Have a good day?” he asks.

“Yeah, I think Dr. Smith is talking about retiring though. I hate to think who will take his place.” He may be old, but he really is a great veterinarian to work for.

“I’m sure whoever takes his place will be okay, and if he’s not, you can always take some time off until you find the right place,” he says as I turn around and look into his eyes.

“I love you, Cade. I don’t care if anyone thinks it’s too soon. I know with every depth of my being, I love you,” I state.

“I love you more than the stars, Aubrey,” he says, then he’s dropping to one knee, opening a box, and taking my breath away. “Marry me? Become mine for all of time.”

“Yes!” I scream out through happy tears. I drop down and kiss him with everything that I have.

Epilogue

Cade

Six Months Later

Aubrey’s parents stood true to their word and came out to Washington. They also stayed at our house. I could see she was happy about it, but then she was giving me the look. I didn’t put two and two together until I was making her come with my head between her legs at night and she had to shove a pillow over her face.

She’s a screamer, something we’ll have to tone down one day when we have little ones around.

They didn’t stay too long, but it was enough for us to have a small backyard wedding by the small lake. It was my father, her parents, her and I, with the exception of a preacher. We wanted it small and intimate. She wore a long-sleeved, white lace gown and I wore a nice pair of jeans, a button-down shirt that matched her gown, minus the lace, and boots.

She was the epitome of perfection. It was short and sweet. We said our “I do’s” and then had a small meal together. Then the parents left, and we had our home back to ourselves.

Dr. Smith ended up retiring. Aubrey talked about going back to school, while she felt out the new veterinarian that was taking over. She ended up liking the new one just as much as the old coot.

She did go down to part-time. It was something we talked about a lot. She was apprehensive as she said, “I want to make sure I’m pulling my weight too, Cade.”

“Babe, if you work full-time leading up to the wedding, you’ll barely see your parents. We have a home that’s barely full. I want you to take your time and do the things we want to do. I get more leeway and Dad is already talking about bringing in some extra help so we can both breathe a bit.”

She agreed, and now here we are. She’s six months pregnant with a glow and a smile that never goes away.

I get home at a much more manageable time. Usually before dinner is even ready, some days are late, but not nearly as bad as when Aubrey and I were first together.

“Hey, honey,” Aubrey says as I walk into the kitchen. The sight of her barefoot and pregnant brings a smile to my face. I want her like this as much as her body will allow us to. When I asked her how many she wanted, she said a houseful.

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