For Your Sake (43 page)

“Don’t tell ‘er yet.  Tomorrow.  After we get back.  Because tonight, Mrs. Lawson, you’ve got some wedding night responsibilities.”

He nuzzled her neck, the prickliness of his facial hair causing gooseflesh to rise all over her skin, even under the warmth of the fire.  She looked at her ring again.  “I hope this wasn’t too much.”

“Don’t worry about it.  Found it in one of those stuffy shops you dragged me into.  Estate sale, something or other.  .  It was in a case of other ‘estate sale’ jewelry along with a matching band.  And a much larger version as well

“But we’ve got a house to remodel.”

“Yeah, that reminds me.”  He propped up to hover higher above her.  “The house, Eva.  I want my name on it.  Before you say anything, it ain’t because I wanna take away what you worked hard for.  But because it’s mine too.  To work on.  To pay for.  To provide.  You and me, darlin’.  Together.”

She understood, and didn’t have a problem with that.  “Alright.  I’ll see what we need to do.”

“One more thing.”

“Go ahead – I’m feeling generous,” she mused.

He moved to lay on top of her, bracing his weight with his forearms.  “Good.  Cuz, I’m gonna make my first ‘household’ decision.

“Which is?”

“Your office.  Think you should use the spare bedroom instead.  The layout’s better and it’s closer to the top of the stairs, so if you’re up here alone you can listen out.”

She looked disappointed.  “But the turret has all those nice built-ins.”

He nibbled her ear.  “Got a better idea for the turret.”

She frowned up at him.  “A ‘man-cave’?”

Those luscious amber eyes of his got serious.  “A nursery.”

“The turret.”

“What about it?”

“Linda shrugged.   “The usual.  Just……listen to him.”

Eva’s heart almost stopped again as the psychic’s words came back to her.  “What?”

He went back on his side and cupped her face.  “Ain’t getting any younger, darlin’.”

Wow, he really took the wind out of her sails.  “Thanks a lot.”

“I meant both of us.  Why – you don’t want to?”

“It’s not that, it’s just……I never thought I…….would.  When I made the choice to go it alone with a house, I didn’t think……..”

“You’d have a chance to fill it up?”

No, she didn’t.  Since she was six years old it was all about losing people before she decided to push them away before they got to her first.  But it all changed without her even realizing it.  Michael Sinclair took care of her since then and never stopped.  Even in death, he somehow found a way to look out for her.  If she didn’t attempt to visit him in the cemetery that night she wouldn’t have wound up in this man’s arms.  In his life.  An outlaw one, to say the least.  But there’s no cookie-cutout to life or who you wind up with.  Some people meet in a bar.  Others through singles ads.  Some just happen to bump into each other on the street.

Or nearly collide on a dark, mountain road.

“How about it, darlin’?  Wanna go off the pill and put a baby in that room this time next year?”

Fuck romance.  The way he asked that was hot as hell.  “I need to be off it for at least a month.”

“That’s okay.”  He stood up, pulling her with him.  “C’mon, Mrs. Lawson.  Let’s use our wedding night for practice.”

~The End~