Page 12 of Starting Something

"You love me so you want me to come with you?"

"Yes."

Where does he want to take me? Am I meeting someone? Someone special? "Should I change what I am wearing? Maybe wear a corset?"

"No, no corset."

"Because of the baby." My heart sinks a little.

"Because you don't like them and don't like to wear them."

He kisses me but pulls back before both of us can get lost in it and bustles me out of the house and into a carriage.

"Why the carriage?" We walked before.

"You've just had me between your legs for the better part of two days, love." My cheeks burn at his words as he takes my hand and kisses it, keeping hold of it as the wheels start to move. "You must be sore and I'm not having you hurt because you’re not resting the way you need to rest."

That makes me smile as I settle back to find out where my husband is taking me. We arrive just as a small boat comes in to be docked. The wheels of the carriage stop turning as I take in the figure of a woman standing with her back to me waiting to be helped out of the boat.

It takes only seconds to realize the woman twirling her parasol is none other than...my sister. "Mary!? Mary?!"

The woman turns and sure enough, it is Mary. A wide smile crosses her face as she yells for me too. "Tilly!"

Shephard helps me down from the carriage but pulls me back to drop a kiss on my lips. "Be safe, my love."

I wait for Mary to disembark from the boat before finally running over to her and hugging her. Both of us are crying and shouting at one another. "Mary!" "Tilly!"

We hug some more as I watch Shephard holds his hand out to shake with John.

"Shephard sent for us. He said he couldn't bare to see you so sad anymore and begged us to come. He says he'll make sure Father can't ruin our marriage."

I turn to Shephard and throw myself at him, kissing his face and lips as I do. He catches me easily and kisses me back. His words remind me of the conversation we had the other day about him being the law on this island. "Thank you. Thank you! Thank you for bringing my sister to me! And thank you...for loving me. And thank you for being someone it's so, so easy to fall in love with."

"Wait...did you...?"

"Yes! I love you! I love you too." I hold his face in my hands and stare into his eyes. "My love."

And it's true, every bit of it. Shephard is someone easy to love, easy to care about. He is someone who stands up for the little guy who doesn't always have a voice of their own. He understands me and the love I have for my sister. He is someone I can see myself starting something with in the future that lasts throughout the rest of time. Someone I can love and be loved by. For all eternity.

Epilogue I

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Seven Months Later

Shephard

I bend over the blueprints that both me and my little wife have helped design. This will be the house that we raise our children in, the place we will take our last breaths in, the place our children will raise their children and find love and live happy lives. It has to be just the way my Tilly wants it.

"Love," She comes bustling in heavily pregnant. She's close to having our first little baby soon. "Are you in here looking at the plans again?"

I straighten up and take her in my arms as she comes closer to me. "This is very important stuff."

"And we've already looked over all the plans and blueprints a hundred times. They are perfect!" She leans up on her tiptoes to kiss me. I meet her halfway knowing there is no way she is going to be able to reach me if I don't. And I would never miss the chance for a kiss.

"I know, I know. I just want to make sure everything is going to be the exact way you want it, my Love!"

She giggles and grins for me. "Everything is more than okay. It’s perfect. Even if we don't have a nice new home to move into once our little one gets here."

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