14. Peyton

Chapter Fourteen

PEYTON

One year later

The past year has been like no other year of my life. From the moment I walked into that bar and sat next to Stacey, my life has changed, and for the better. Her bubbly personality took over and I've been pretty smitten, as my dad likes to say, since that moment.

Moving in together after only a couple of months of dating was kinda quick, according to some people, but it was a game-changer for the two of us. It has done nothing but strengthen our relationship and shown me how having a woman in my life that is just as concerned about my well-being as her own can be a blessing.

I'm also the proudest boyfriend of all her accomplishments. She's continued to rack up the hit songs and awards. Not only with Reese, but with other artists who have specifically requested to work with her and Lee. They've worked with some pretty big names in the music industry this past year and today, she's due to fly back home after being out in L.A. for the past week, working with some hip-hop producers on a list of different songs.

I have the house tidied up, as always, with dinner waiting in the oven for when she arrives home any minute now. I'm nervous as can be to see her tonight. I've got one very important question to ask her, and the rock to go along with it is burning a hole in my pocket.

I never expected to be the guy getting down on one knee and proposing, but that will be me in just a few hours. I can only pray she'll say yes.

"Honey, I'm home!" I hear her sweet voice call out as she walks in from the garage.

"I'm in the kitchen."

"It smells amazing in here, what did you make me?"

"Something new I found online that I thought we could try." I pull her into my arms as soon as she steps into the kitchen. I bring my lips to hers in a passionate kiss. "God, I missed you this week. Sleeping in an empty bed sucked ass," I say against her lips.

"Well, I'm home now, so no more empty bed. Is dinner going to be done soon? I'm starving. I only had a few snacks with me on the flight."

"Yep, it's done, just keeping warm in the oven." I turn and pull it out, then take it to the table I already have set for us. "What would you like to drink?" I ask, walking back into the kitchen to grab the side dishes.

"I'll just take some water. I'm just going to go wash up quick," Stacey calls as she walks down the hall to our room.

A couple minutes later, she returns, hair pulled up in a messy knot on the top of her head. She's changed into some tight-ass leggings and one of my shirts she's basically confiscated as her own. Her face is washed of the little bit of makeup she had on from this morning, and she still looks just as beautiful as she does when she's fully made up for an event.

"This all looks so fancy." She drops into the seat I have pulled out for her next to my own. "What's the special occasion?" she asks before taking a sip of her water.

"Just wanted to spoil you. I missed you this week," I tell her again.

"And I missed you," she says, punctuating each word with a kiss to my lips.

"Let's eat! We don't want it to get cold."

We each dish up and dig into the chicken dish I prepared. One thing we've really enjoyed doing together this past year is cooking. We took a few classes at a local restaurant and have enjoyed challenging each other with new recipes. It's become our Saturday ritual. We go out and buy any special ingredients we might need for that night's dish, then give it a go and see if it's something we like. We've had some big hits, but also some pretty nasty dishes that went straight into the trash while we went out for takeout.

"Oh my god, this is so good ." Stacey moans around another bite of her chicken and my dick hardens in my jeans. I want her lips wrapped around my cock the same way they're wrapped around her fork.

I do my best to not focus on her moans and lips and eat my food. I need to get past dinner and onto dessert and popping the question before I can even think of getting her naked tonight.

We finish our dinners and drinks and, after clearing the table, Stacey helps me with the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen.

"Let's go sit out on the patio," I suggest, linking our fingers together.

"Sounds like a plan, let me just refill my water first."

I wait while she tops off her glass.

"I can't even express to you how glad I am to be home and done working such crazy hours for a while."

"You're a badass, you know that?" I ask her.

"Only because you like to tell me that often." She laughs, then gasps. "Peyton! It looks amazing out here!" she says, taking in the décor I worked on all week. We'd been talking about sprucing up the patio and to surprise her, I did most of it while she was gone.

"I'm glad you like it." My nerves are starting to get the best of me. My palms feel clammy. I don't know how she hasn't figured out what's up tonight, but thankfully, it doesn't appear she's on to me yet.

"How did you do all of this?"

"It wasn't all that bad, actually. I set up the furniture, strung the lights, and called it good. "

"Well, I love it," she says, giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

She drops onto the loveseat and looks around our patio and yard. This little house has been perfect for the two of us. We've been talking about getting a puppy, we just haven't found the right one for us yet.

I take a swig of my beer, then set it down on the coffee table that's in front of us.

"Come here, I want to show you something," I tell her, holding my hand out for her to take. I pull her up to standing and then walk her over next to the stairs that open up down into the yard.

I position us so we're facing each other, then suck in a calming breath before I launch into my rehearsed speech.

"Stacey, one year ago, you waltzed into my life and flipped it upside down. These past months have been the best of my life and I can't thank you enough for that. It took just one chance meeting, one kiss, one flash of your smile to have me weak in the knees for you." I drop to one knee as I pull the ring box from my pocket. "Stacey Evans, will you do me the honor and marry me?"

"Yes!" Her tear-filled reply fills my ears as she pulls me up, and I slam our lips together.

I break our kiss and slide the ring onto her finger. She takes a few moments to take a look at it. "Oh my god, it's beautiful, Peyton."

"I'm glad you love it. Does it fit okay? The jeweler said they have free sizing, if needed."

She moves it around her finger some. "I think it's perfect. Not too tight, not too loose. Thank you! Eek, I can't believe we're engaged!" She grows quiet then, looking up at me shyly through her lashes. "I guess now would be a good time to tell you that I'm pregnant."

"What! We're pregnant?" I ask, a little shocked.

"Yep, I finally took a test this morning. After waking up each morning this past week feeling nauseous, on top of my period being a week late, I decided to take a test and lo and behold, it was positive."

I pick her up off her feet and spin us around in a circle. "I love you so fucking much. I can't believe I get to marry you and become a dad."

My heart just about beats out of my chest at all the love I have for this woman. She's given me everything, and continues to do that. She's my boom, my forever.

"I'm glad you're excited. I was a little nervous you wouldn't be okay with it since it isn't really something we'd planned. Just kinda happened on accident."

"I'd never be mad at you about giving me a child. How far along do you think you are?"

"Not sure yet, the online calculator I found says around five weeks. I called my doctor this morning while I was at the airport and they got me in for an appointment in a couple of weeks. They said they usually see women around the ten-week mark for the first appointment, unless I start to have complications before then."

"Can I come with you to that appointment?"

"Sure. When we go back inside, I can look up the appointment date and time. I don't remember the details off the top of my head."

"You should FaceTime with your parents, they're waiting for you to call them tonight," I remember to tell her.

"They know about this?" she asks, motioning to where I just popped the question a few minutes ago.

"Absolutely. I asked your dad for permission when they were out here last month, but I called the both of them earlier to talk details."

"You're an amazing man, you know that, Peyton? I love you."

"Love you, too, gorgeous."

We head inside and Stacey grabs her phone, first sending me a calendar invite to her OB visit.

"I'm not going to tell them about the baby just yet. Think I'll keep that under wraps until after we see the doctor."

"Whatever you want, babe," I tell her as we settle on the couch together. She pulls up the FaceTime app and calls her mom.

"Hey! How was your evening?" Lynn asks, the excitement noticeable even through the camera.

"It was so amazing! We're engaged!" Stacey shouts, holding up her hand with the ring on it.

"Congratulations, guys! We love you both so much," her mom tells us. "Did the proposal go off like you'd hoped it would, Peyton?"

"Yes! It was perfect. She loved the patio and did everything I hoped she would. Best off, I think she was completely shocked."

"I was, I didn't even see this coming, but I'm so excited! Now, to start the wedding planning!" she excitedly tells her parents and then kisses my cheek.

"Congratulations, honey. We're happy for you both," her dad, Steve, says.

"Pick a time and I'll fly up so we can go dress shopping. What are you thinking, a spring wedding?" her mom asks.

"I haven't even thought that far ahead. He literally popped the question less than thirty minutes ago. We'll talk about dates this weekend and let you know."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," Steve says.

We continue chatting with them for a few more minutes before ending the call.

With the call to her parents out of the way, I have nothing more on my mind than to get her under me, so I can make love to my future wife.

"Come here, gorgeous," I tell her, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.

"How are you feeling?" I ask, concerned about the morning sickness she told me about earlier. I'm not sure if that will affect her want for sex right now.

"I'm good, promise. So far, the queasiness feeling has only hit me in the mornings, and I've only puked once."

"Can I make love to you?"

"I'd expect nothing less, my future husband," she tells me, kissing my chin.

Stacey

I'm lying in Peyton's arms, having just made love to him for the first time as my fiancé . We're getting married, having a baby, and starting our own little family. Life couldn't get much better than it is right now. As I lay here, I cradle my nonexistent baby bump. I know I'm only a few weeks pregnant, but I already love this baby with my entire heart. Peyton is going to be such an amazing father.

Peyton slides a hand around and covers my hand with his. "I love both of you," he whispers next to my ear.

"We love you, too."

"Do you have any feelings on if we're having a girl or boy?"

"None yet. Will you want to find out when we can?"

"Will you?" He turns the question back on me.

"I think so. That way, we can focus on names and buying cute things for him or her."

"Then we'll find out," he states. "I was thinking, what would you say about having a small wedding in a few weeks? Maybe before the end of the year? I know that's quick, but that way, you don't have to worry about fitting into a wedding dress with a baby belly, and as soon as we get married, you'll get all my military benefits, including medical."

"That's a thought. I don't really want a huge wedding anyways, just our closest family and friends. If we can find a place to have it that quickly, I'm sure I can make everything else come together."

"There's a chapel on base that I can check into, if you'd like."

"That would work. I'll also check a few other places and we can compare notes and decide together where we want it."

"Should we pick a date to inquire about?"

"That might help," I say, laughing. I reach over to the nightstand and grab my cell and pull up the calendar app. "If we pick the last Saturday of December, that would give us eight weeks from tomorrow."

"That sounds good to me. What do you say, babe? Want to get married in eight weeks?"

"Yes!" I agree, and add an entry to my calendar on that day that says WEDDING DAY in all caps. "I guess tomorrow we'll start wedding planning on speed."

"Just tell me what you need me to do and consider it done. Same goes for cravings or anything pregnancy-related. I can't even explain how excited I am to watch you grow with our child. I love you," Peyton tells me as he drops a sweet kiss to the top of my head.

"Love you," I tell him on a yawn. I've been extremely tired this past week, with the time difference between Tennessee and L.A., then the pregnancy making me exhausted. My eyes flutter closed, and I drift off to sleep, feeling more love than I ever have.