Epilogue

Two Months Later

“I’m so glad we got to take a little vacation,” Crystal said two months later.

“I wanted to get it in while we could. Work is crazy but in a good way. My mother wanted to see you again too. She’s excited about the baby. She’s going to want to plan a baby shower for you here.”

They flew to Orlando yesterday and were going to stay for the weekend and fly home on Monday.

It was Crystal’s birthday and he wanted to give her something special. That was the weekend alone and Elsie was staying with his parents for two days.

He had a hotel on the water and they were sitting on the balcony looking up at the night sky, the stars all around.

“I’ll let her do whatever she wants,” she said. “My mother won’t do one. My sister Anne most likely will though. We’ll see. I’m not worrying or planning on anything. I don’t want to think of anything but these two days by ourselves.”

“The same,” he said. “Elsie is having a good time. My mother is spoiling her rotten. I’m sure there will be an extra piece of luggage to check. They were going shopping today.”

“Do you want a boy or a girl?” she asked.

“I don’t care,” he said. “I’ll be happy as long as it’s healthy.”

“The same,” she said. “You’re so good with Elsie. I think you’re meant to be a girl Dad.”

He laughed. “If I don’t get a girl this time, we can try for another.”

She turned to look at him. “I hope you aren’t trying to compete with your mom. No way I’m having that many kids. I don’t want more than two. With Elsie, it’s three. More than enough.”

“Dang it,” he said. “There is always a chance for multiplies next time.”

He was grinning when he said it, but he honestly wouldn’t mind more though he’d never push something like that.

He came from a big crazy family and though he never thought he was as close with his siblings as he would have liked, he wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

Crystal playfully slapped his arm. “Let’s get through this one first. I’m just starting to show.”

He looked at her tiny waist. “Where?”

“My belly is thickening. Like I ate a big meal that won’t go away.”

“Okay,” he said. “If you think so.”

“I do,” she said.

They sat there for a few minutes. “Did you wish on a star tonight?”

“I didn’t,” she said. “I’ve got everything I want. No reason to wish for more.”

He threaded their fingers together. “Maryn and I used to wish on stars when we were in college. We’d sit outside at night and throw things out there.”

“That’s sweet. I’ve never heard you say that before.”

He shrugged. He felt like a wuss doing it but realized that he could tell Crystal anything and have no worries she’d judge him. Just like Maryn never did either.

“Most of the time it was funny things,” he said.

“When it wasn’t, what did you wish for?”

Phoenix lifted her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “This. Us. Something to call my own.”

“Then I’d say you’ve got it too,” she said, smiling.

“Not yet,” he said. “But I’m going to get it.”

He pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee.

Her eyes went wide in shock, but she held her smile in place.

“Oh boy, I didn’t see this coming.”

“Good. I’m glad I was able to surprise you. Crystal, you’re already carrying my child, will you be my wife?”

She started to laugh. “Not very romantic, but you know what? It’s the facts and the facts are normally the truth. So here is my truth. Yes, I’ll be your wife because I love this child inside of me as much as I love you and want to make us that happy family you want.”

He tugged her up from her chair to come sit on his lap after he returned to his seat. “Elsie is waiting for me to say I did it, but she’s sleeping right now. We’ll call her in the morning.”

“She knew you were asking me to marry you?” she asked.

They’d told Elsie about the baby months ago and she was excited to be getting a little brother or sister. Elsie even started to call him Dad. Said that she had to warm him up to hearing that and it’d sound funny if he was called Uncle Nix.

He thought he was going to bawl like a baby when that was said.

“She did. She helped me pick out the ring. I’m surprised she kept it a secret.”

“She’s good at keeping secrets,” she said. “But she did let it slip. I didn’t catch it though.”

His smile dropped. “What did she say?”

“Nothing more than birthdays were the best and jewelry is great. I thought it was a hint to buy her jewelry for her birthday.”

“It could have been that,” he said. “Guess I might have my hands full with a little girl after all. You can help me get her some jewelry for her birthday next month, right?”

“I’d love nothing more,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well, I would love one thing more.”

“What’s that?”

“That you will take me to bed. You need to make love to your fiancée.”

“Yes, I do!”

The End!

Check out the next in the series.. Guarding My Love

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