Epilogue

7 Months Later

I’m carryingbags up the front porch and trying to get my keys out when the door swings open. “You’re home!”

I lift the bags in my arms. “I am, and I brought food. Your favorites.”

As I set everything on the kitchen counter, I grab one Styrofoam container. “Here you go, Violet sent this for you. She said she craved it when she was pregnant, so she thought you’d enjoy it.”

“Oh my God. It’s the Blaze cinnamon cake, isn’t it?” She opens the container, and her eyes go round as we both inhale the sweet addictive smell. “Oh, God bless her.”

As she grabs a fork and digs into the cake, I grunt and continue unpacking everything.

“What’s that grunt about?”

“Nothing,” I tell her, shaking my head.

She laughs. “Nope, spill it. What happened this time? Violet rope you into teaching the church ladies some self-defense moves?”

I turn on my heel and stare at her with her mouth wide open. “How—”

She’s laughing. “Yeah, Violet called and told me about how I have some competition because five little ol’ ladies are singing your praises right now.”

I shake my head as I stuff the empty bag in the trash. “She got me good. I was just trying to pick up dinner, minding my own business when she asked me if I’d talk to the ladies. I couldn’t say no, and before I knew it, I was teaching self-defense moves right there in the middle of Red’s Diner.”

Chloe is quiet now, her cake forgotten on the counter as she’s smiling up at me.

“What?” I ask her, unable to keep the smile off my face.

She points her fork at me. “You liked it. You like that everywhere we go, people love you.”

I roll my eyes. “They don’t love me.”

She drops the fork next to the cake and walks over to me. “They do love you. I teach class, and the ladies there are wondering if you’re going to come or not. When I walk the trail at the park, the men at the basketball court ask where you’re at. The people at Red’s, the old man that sits outside the barber shop will talk to you for hours.”

“Teddy. Yeah, me and Teddy have become friends.”

“Everyone loves you, Elias. I’ve seen the switch in you. Eight months ago, you wouldn’t have walked around town without a hood over your head. Look at you now.”

I reach over and pull her against me. “This is where we’re going to live and raise our kids. I figure if I’m going to look like this, I need to try and fit in and build a community for you and our kids.”

“First of all, you’re sexy and you know it. And secondly, kids? As in plural?”

I cup her cheek. “As many babies as you want to give me.”

“You are crazy, you know that right?” Chloe asks for what seems like the hundredth time.

I wrap my arms around her, cupping her ass. Her pregnant belly presses against me, and I smile as she leans into me with her full weight. “Crazy about you.”

She leans her forehead against my chest. “You’re marrying a beached whale.”

I brush her hair off her shoulders and kiss her neck. “You’re beautiful.”

She tilts her head and looks up at me. “This is not how I pictured my wedding day, Elias.”

I start to panic but I force myself to remain calm. “How did you picture it?”

She shrugs. “Well, all the times I dreamed about it growing up, I never once imagined I’d be pregnant.” She leans back and puts a hand on her belly. “And definitely not this pregnant.”

I’m torn because I want her to have the wedding of her dreams. Hell, I want to make all her dreams come true, but there’s this insane urge inside me to have my ring permanently on her finger and for her to have my last name. I can’t explain it, but since she agreed to marry me, that’s all I’ve thought about. I blow out a breath and keep my tone even. “Do you want to postpone the wedding?”

Her mouth drops. “The wedding is Saturday.”

I would laugh at the way she’s looking at me, but I’m too scared of her answer to do it. “I know the wedding is Saturday. I know, because the woman of MY dreams said she’d marry me, so I know exactly when it is. But I don’t want you to be unhappy. You want to wait… we can wait.”

She trembles in my arms and slides her hands up my chest. “I’m being stupid. I don’t want to wait. I want to be yours.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief and hold her against me. “You keep talking like that and you’ll be lucky to be out of our bed by the time the wedding starts on Saturday.”

She runs her finger along the neckline of my shirt. “Promises, promises.”

I rest my cheek on the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I want you to be my wife more than anything, and I’ve been so focused on that that I’m going about this all wrong. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams, and if you want to wait, I can wait.”

She shakes her head. “No, I want to be your wife.”

Relief settles over me. These past seven months have been perfect. Walker has kept his promise and allowed me to work in Whiskey Run. I moved into Chloe’s house, but we quickly found out that I didn’t get a lot of work done. Let’s face it, if Chloe’s around, I’m focused on her, so Walker put me in an office at the rehab center so I can work at either place. Chloe’s still teaching classes and plans to work up until our baby is born. I knew she was an amazing woman, but she still amazes me every day.

“Okay, you want to sit down, put your feet up, and I’ll bring you your dinner?”

She shakes her head. “No. I want you to take me to our bed.”

I don’t hesitate. I lift her in my arms and carry her to our room. She giggles and laughs as she claims she’s too big, but I don’t slow down. Chloe is irresistible. Pregnant Chloe is like a fuckin’ addiction that occupies my mind twenty-four hours a day.

As I lay her down on the bed, I waste no time in taking her clothes off first and then mine. I start to kiss her soft skin, and she murmurs, “Tonight we’re finishing up wedding planning. I’m supposed to be staying the night at Abby’s, but I don’t want to, Elias. I don’t want to be away from you.” She raises up on her elbows as I kiss across her belly and down to her core. As soon as I slide my tongue over her sensitive clit, her hands go to my head, and she tangles her fingers in my hair.

I lift my lips from her just long enough to tell her, “You’re staying here with me tonight.”

“Okay.” She groans. “I already told Abby.”

I increase the pressure, and her legs tighten around my head. The truth is, I didn’t want to spend one night away from her either. I had already planned to sleep outside of Davis and Abby’s house if she was determined to go. I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from her… not overnight.

She lifts her hips as the orgasm hits her. I don’t slow down; if anything, I increase the intensity until her whole body is writhing from pleasure. As I kiss back up her body, I lie next to her and pull her over me because I love to feel her weight on me.

She yawns as she slides one leg over my hip. “What about you?” she mutters.

I push her hair off her face. “Rest, Chloe.”

“But…” she starts, and I cut her off.

“I am happy just having you in my arms, baby. We have the rest of our lives together.”

She snuggles into me, and I know she’ll be asleep within five minutes. I lie here and try to figure out how I got so lucky to have the woman of my dreams in my arms and a son on the way. Two years ago, I would never have thought this possible, but here I am, living life and proving that love, true love, can do amazing things.