Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Or, you could just stay home and do something you love.”
“But you’re the only thing I love. I don’t know what else I’d do until we have babies.”
“Well, we could get started on that.”
Heat blossoms in my belly at the thought. We discussed having children the night he had his accident, but we haven’t talked about it since. With his injuries—a broken collarbone, broken humerus, three cracked ribs, and a broken bone in his foot—our focus has been on his health. But the better he feels and the more active he becomes, the more I think about it.
“Can I talk to you about something?” he asks, setting his plate down beside him.
“Sure.”
“When we got married, we did it for a bet. But now, there’s nothing funny about it. You’re the love of my life.”
I swoon at my handsome man’s sweet words.
“I was thinking in all my free time that we should get married again,” he says. “Let our family be there. Let Mimi see you get married. I want to see you in a dress and let my mother have the experience of a son getting married since she’s oh-for-two.”
My laughter is soft.
“I want to do it the right way,” he says. “Take you on a proper honeymoon. Surprise you with a trip somewhere. The whole thing.”
“Who knew you were this sweet?”
He shrugs. “I think it’s less sweet and more obsessed with you.”
“I like you being obsessed with me.”
“Did I really have a choice?”
He grins. “Come here.”
I set my plate beside his and climb on his lap, careful not to disturb the entire left side of his body.
For the longest time, I let my fears dictate my life. They were warranted. They usually are. But instead of acknowledging them and working to overcome them, I only deprived myself of something good. And you can’t find love if you hide away from it. You still wind up hurt, which is what I was trying to avoid from the start.
And I delayed the best thing that ever happened to me.
“I love you, Chloe Brewer,” Jason says, kissing the bend of my neck.
“Not nearly as much as I love you, Jason Brewer.”
He sighs contently. “I’m so lucky I have you.”
I brace myself. “You’re lucky you landed me better than you land planes.”
My laughter fills the room as he tickles me, the sound hushed by his mouth over mine. It’s how everything ends with us now. We remind each other that no matter what happens, what jokes are made, what squabbles we have—we love each other.
Not for six months.
Forever.
Epilogue
Chloe
One month later …
“He’s starting to get on my nerves.” I take a bite off the top of the blueberry muffin. “He’s so into this wedding thing that he must dream about it.”
Nickie sits across from me in the break room, smiling blissfully. “It’s so romantic.”
“In theory. I was happy with our little Vegas getaway elopement thing. Now he wants this … production. That’s the only word I can think of to come close to what Jason has in mind.”
Talk of our new nuptials has taken over my life. It was romantic at first. Now? I have to barter with him to get through the night. For every half hour we talk about the wedding, that’s half an hour we do something that I want to do.
That’s usually sex, so he wins, too. But at least I can look forward to it as I decide whether I want a cathedral or an outdoor barn vibe. I usually try to determine which way he’s leaning and choose that because I don’t really care. I want him, and I already have that.
Besides, he’s just trying to make me happy. How can I not love that?
“What’s been going on in your world?” I ask. “I love that lipstick on you, by the way. Super pretty.”
“Thanks. It’s called Viper or Vixen or something. It was in the clearance bin at the pharmacy.” She puckers for me. “But, yeah, that’s about all that’s been happening. I miss seeing you.”
I laugh. “I have seen you every Thursday night for the past four weeks.”
“Yeah, but that’s just because I don’t get to hang out with you at lunch every day. You had to go snag yourself a super-sexy rich husband that you’d rather screw with than gossip with me.” She grins. “But I’m not judging because I’d do the same damn thing.”
We sit quietly, eating our muffins and sipping our coffee.
It doesn’t feel any different being the CEO’s wife. The only difference is I have a better wardrobe, thanks to the shopping extravaganza in Vegas, and fresh flowers are delivered twice a week to my office. I’ve asked Jason to stop doing that, but he smirks.
You must pick your fights in marriage, I’ve learned. Flowers aren’t going to be it for me.
My phone buzzes next to my coffee, and I swipe it up before Nickie can see the screen—just in case.