34. Haven

34

HAVEN

I stretch and moan as the muscles that I didn't even know I had ache. It's a good kind of hurt and instantly I think of last night in King's arms.

I turn to King's side of the bed and open my eyes, expecting to see my husband. When I find the bed empty, I sit up in surprise, looking around the room.

He's gone. I listen to the quiet house, wondering if he's here or not, but I don't hear anything. I sit up to reach for my phone on the nightstand and see the letter sitting on top of it.

I grab it and start to read. Hey wife, I'm sorry I left early this morning but I didn't want to wake you. Take your time but when you're ready, come to the community center, I have a surprise for you. Callan is waiting for you in the car. Love you. King .

I read the note again and then look at the time on my phone. It's almost ten a.m. I get up and run to the window, and sure enough, Callan is sitting in the driveway. I send him a text. I'll be down in twenty.

Callan likes the text, and I rush through showering and getting ready for the day. I'm a little nervous about the surprise, but I'm excited too. I'm hoping after last night, this all works out. I'm not a fool. I know it's not always going to be easy, but I do hope whatever happens, we work through it all together.

"Morning," I say to Callan as he holds the back door open for me.

"Morning, Mrs. Beckett."

I almost ask him to call me Haven, but I like hearing my married name.

It only takes a few minutes to get to the community center, and when we get there, there's a crowd outside.

I find my husband in the middle of all of them, and he pulls me into his arms. "Morning, peaches."

He kisses me until I'm breathless, but I don't object, even though people are surrounding us .

I pat his chest. "Morning, King."

He points up at the building, and there's a draped curtain over it. "This is your surprise. I hope you love it."

"You didn't have to get me anything, King, but I'm sure whatever it is, I'm going to love it."

The small crowd is looking between King and the sign on the building, and he draws me into his arms. "Everyone, since you're here, we want you to be the first to see the name of the new community center. The community center has been in the works for years, but it's only since Haven got involved that it's coming to fruition. I'm lucky that my wife is as passionate as she is when it comes to serving the community and saving children. My wife is…" He chokes up and shakes his head to get composure. "My wife is everything to me, and she's going to do amazing things here." He turns to me and puts his hands on my cheeks. "I love you, Haven Beckett. And I'm so proud that you're my wife. May I present to you… Haven's Place."

Callan does the honors and pulls the cords to reveal the sign. It's huge and beautiful. A cozy feeling comes over me as I stare at it with my mouth hanging open. Overwhelmed, all I can get out is "King… "

Everyone around us congratulates us, and King whisks me away inside.

He kisses my ear and whispers to me, "Do you love it?"

I'm at a loss for words. "I love it… but King, it's too much."

He grabs me by the shoulders. "It's yours, Haven. I've already signed the paperwork. The community center is yours. You can hire someone to work it for you or whatever you want to do."

"But—" I start, and he stops me.

"Listen, the light and happiness you've brought to my life… I'll never take that for granted. This place… I've seen the way you love it, and I want you to have it. You'll do amazing things with it."

I grab on to the front of his shirt. "But I want us to do it together. This is something we could do together."

"I will be by your side every step of the way. I will be as much—or as little—involved as you want me to be. I know how important this is to you, and I want you to have something that is yours."

I go on my tiptoes and loop my arms around King's neck. My body is flush against his, but his hands go to my ass, and he holds me to him. My fingers thread through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I told you last night that the only thing I need is you."

He leans his forehead against mine. "You have me. You will always have me."

"I love you, husband."

He leans down and whispers, "I love you, my wife." And then he kisses me until I have no doubts exactly how he feels about me.