by Katie Ashley
“For years, I hoped there would come a day when I would see you again. A day when I could tell you how sorry I was and how wrong I’d been. I’ll never forget what it felt like to come out of the woods and see you standing there.”
“With my arm up a cow’s ass?” I teasingly asked.
Declan scowled at me. “Would you let me finish?”
I held my hands up. “Fine, fine.”
“Everything in my life had gone to shit, and I was looking for a sign that things were going to somehow get better not just for me, but for Cam. And then I saw you. Even though I didn’t know how I was going to make it happen, I just knew things were going to be better. You were the key.”
I fought to breathe. “You really thought that?”
“I did. Of course, I never expected life to throw more obstacles in my way.”
“Like me still hating your guts?”
He laughed. “While that was a problem, I was thinking more about how Harris’s will gave you yet another reason for you to despise me. I realized redemption was going to be an uphill battle.” He stared intently at me. “But you were worth the fight.”
Tears stung my eyes at his words. Before I could swipe them away, Declan took my hands in his. “Peyton Beasley, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
A decade after first uttering, “Yes! Oh yes!”, I said it once again before diving into Declan’s arms.
We then proceeded to cement our second engagement by taking a roll in the hay, or I guess I should say a roll in the grass. I sincerely hoped Roy Wallace wasn’t looking. I’m pretty sure our actions would have scarred him for life.
“So, what happens now?” I asked.
“Besides us picking pieces of grass out of dark places where it should never be?”
I laughed. “Well, that. But I meant more along the lines of a wedding.”
“You don’t want to waste any time, do you?”
“Newsflash, ace. We’re not getting any younger.”
“You’re right about that one.”
Propping my head on my elbow, I grinned at him. “There’s also the fact with your track record, I need to lock you down asap.”
“Ha, ha,” Declan grumbled as he sat up on the blanket.
“Seriously, though. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, after what happened the last time, I figure you might not want another big church wedding.”
The truth was I’d never really given it much thought. Maybe it was because I’d always had such a hard time picturing myself marrying anyone else. Because I could barely envision the groom, I’d never actually considered the place. “You’re right. I really don’t.” I smiled up at him. “All I care about is marrying you and being your wife.”
“In that case, I have your father on standby. He can be at the church in ten minutes to marry us.”
My eyes bulged at Declan. “You’re joking.”
He shook his head. “I’m totally serious.”
“Dad agreed to marry us?” Yes, that was the part I was focusing on instead of the fact I could be Mrs. Declan St. James by the end of the night. Sure, my dad had come to embrace my renewed relationship with Declan, but at the same time, he still harbored some doubts.
“I went to speak with him yesterday.”
My chest constricted slightly. “You did?”
“Even though I had asked for your hand ten years ago, I felt like I needed to officially apologize to him. We had a long talk, and thankfully at the end of it, he gave me his blessing.” My dad was, in some senses, a softie. But when his baby girl was hurt, I actually doubted he’d ever forgive Declan, even though his life revolved around speaking forgiveness into people’s lives. In the end, Declan St. James was an incredible man to have spoken to Dad. It made me love him even more.
But to propose in a cow pasture . . . “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.” Gazing around the pasture, I added, “I mean, some of it is kind of odd, but at the same time, you really thought all this through.”
“Of course, I did.” He brushed his hand against my cheek. “You’re worth it, Peyton. This and ten times more.”
“Although it’s incredibly tempting to take you up on your offer, I can’t help but feel someone very important would be missing.”
Tears shimmered in Declan’s eyes. “Cam.”
I nodded. “I can’t imagine a wedding without him being there.”
Nodding, Declan replied, “I can’t either.”
The look on his face . . . pride. That little boy, that precious, darling boy had entered my life in a rush, and I had to say, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. He was cheeky, funny, gave the best snuggles, and every time he reached up to take my hand when we are out and about, my heart nearly exploded with joy. He’d simply accepted me into his home and into his heart as if it was always my place to be there. And he was so freakin’ cute. And that’s why, as much as I loved the idea of having my dad involved in the ceremony, I actually wanted to do something for our new family. Do things our way.
“What do you say when Spring Break rolls around, we fly to Orlando, and let Cam stand beside us as we get married at Disney World?” I suggested.
“You want to get married at Disney?”
“Cam’s been wanting to see Buzz Lightyear for as long as I’ve known him.”
“I like your way of thinking.”
“Besides, it’s infinitely better than a cow pasture.”
“I wasn’t insinuating we get married here,” Declan scowled.
With a grin, I replied, “I know you weren’t.” I bent my head to kiss him. “If push came to shove, I’d marry you right here.”
After Declan kissed me back, he stared into my eyes. “We’re really doing this?”
My heartbeat broke into a wild gallop in my chest. “Yes, we’re really getting married tonight.
“God, I love you,” Declan murmured.
“And I love you.”
“I think on every anniversary we should come back to this pasture and make love,” Declan said with a twinkle in his eye.
“Think again.”
He chuckled. “But what a story that would be. We met again here in Roy Wallace’s cow pasture, we got engaged here, and then maybe we conceived our first child together here.”
I rolled my eyes. “What a shitty complex to give a child. Pun intended.”
“There are worse places to conceive a baby.”
Jabbing a finger into his bare chest, I replied, “Let’s get a few married months under our belt before you knock me up. I don’t need any of the town gossips flapping their jaws that the only reason why you married me this time was because I was pregnant.”
“Oh, but I would love to give them something to talk about.”
“If we don’t hurry up and get dressed, Roy Wallace will be giving them ample talking points about seeing us half-naked.”
“Considering how much I’ve been working out lately, I know he would have to be complimentary.”
“I think you’re suffering from delusions of grandeur,” I muttered as I threw on my shirt.
Jerking me against his perfect pecs, Declan rolled his thick thighs against mine. “Oh really?”
With my mouth running dry, I found it hard to speak. “Okay, it’s impressive.”
“That’s what I thought.” He dipped his head to kiss me. “We’re getting married.”
“Finally,” I corrected.
He laughed. “Yes. Finally.”
And with those words, we walked hand and hand back through the pasture to our happily-ever-after.
Epilogue
A Year Later
“Okay, Scooby, let’s try to stay out of the trash next time,” I instructed to the hulking Great Dane on the exam table. He’d had to stay overnight for fluids and anti-diarrhea medication after eating something that hadn’t agreed with him. Since he’d torn through most of the trash bag, his owner had had a hard time deciphering what the offending food was. Co
nsidering the shit-show he’d experienced both at home and here, it must’ve been something positively corroded.
With a wave to Scooby’s owner, Mrs. Demarco, I then headed out of the exam room, leaving Jaycee to go over the aftercare instructions. Glancing at my watch, I grimaced. I was going to have to haul ass to make it to the school on time.
When I got out into the hallway, Sylvia had anticipated me like usual and was waiting with an enormous tray full of Halloween-themed cupcakes. I grinned as I gazed down at the green, orange, and black iced cupcakes with their little witch and ghost toppers. “These are amazing. Cameron is going to love them.”
Sylvia beamed. “I hope he does.”
I’d spent the last year trying to adjust to being a mom. The one area I still struggled in was cooking and baking. I started turning to Sylvia to provide the convections Cam’s class needed for parties and festivals. Since she loved to bake, it was a win-win for both of us.
“I’ll be back in time for my next appointment.”
Nodding, Sylvia replied, “Have a good time.”
“Thanks. I will.”
When I arrived at Hayesville Elementary, I found the parking lot packed. It made sense considering they were hosting the Halloween carnival that evening, not to mention all the class parties taking place this afternoon. While Declan was forgoing attending the class party, he was going to be coming back with us that evening to the carnival.
Blowing through Cam’s classroom door, I found the other mothers in a flurry of last minute party prep. “Sorry I’m late,” I said to Sally, the head room mom.
“You’re fine. We still have about five minutes before they come back from recess.”
“Here are the cupcakes.”
Sally’s blue eyes lit up. “These are gorgeous. You did an amazing job.”
I merely nodded rather than giving myself away. I already felt like Cam was at a deficit for his real mom to not be involved in school. I didn’t want to make things worse by him having a step-mom who was baking challenged. Smiling, I said, “What can I help you guys do?”
“You could set up the pin-the-tail on the werewolf,” Sally said handing me the package.
“I’m on it.”
After I finished putting up the game, I heard the shrieks and laughter of the kids coming back. When Cam came through the door with his friends, he made a beeline over to me. “Hey Mommy,” he exclaimed as he threw his arms around me. Before Declan and I married, Cam had asked to call me mom, and I had happily accepted.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
Craning his neck at the table, he asked, “Did you bring the cupcakes?”
“I sure did.”
He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I won’t tell anyone you didn’t make them.”
I laughed. “Thanks, baby.”
“Are we still going trick-or-treating tonight?”
“Of course. As soon as the clinic closes, I’m going to pick you up at Grandma’s and then we’ll go home and meet Daddy.”
There wasn’t much Cam asked of me and Declan, so when he requested we have family costumes this year, it was hard to say no. That’s how I’d ended up with a Bo Peep costume while Declan was going to be Woody. Obsessed with Toy Story, Cam had wanted to be Buzz Lightyear. Even poor Moose hadn’t escaped from a costume—he was going to be Slinky Dog.
“I’m going to go sit with my friends now, okay?”
“That’s fine.”
He gave me a squeeze. “Love you, Mommy.”
My heart swelled in my chest each and every time he called me that. “I love you, too.”
After the party, I had a few minutes to spare before my next four-legged client arrived. I had something special I wanted to give Declan before we were consumed with Trick or Treating, so I texted him to see if he had a moment. He did, so I headed down the sidewalk to his office. When I walked through the front door, Anna smiled at me. “Good morning, Mrs. St. James.”
I waved a hand at her. “When are you going to learn to call me Peyton?”
“I’m working on it.”
“He’s expecting me.”
“Go right on in.”
As I walked down the hall, I couldn’t help laughing when I thought about the day I’d stormed in here on the warpath to give Declan a piece of my mind. So much had changed in my life since that day. I’d found peace of mind through my forgiveness of Declan. That peace had led to contentment in other areas of my life.
Just like the other time, I didn’t knock on the door. I just went right on in. Sitting at his desk, Declan looked positively edible in a pink long-sleeved shirt. I’d encouraged him to branch out with some pastels because they brought out his eyes. He hadn’t been too convinced at first.
Declan had the phone cradled to his ear while he held a manila folder in front of me. Instead of sitting down in one of the chairs across from him, I walked around the side of his desk. When I made the motion for him to turn his chair around, he cocked his eyebrows at me. Once he was facing me, I eased down onto his lap. Suddenly, he couldn’t get off the phone fast enough.
After hanging up the call, he brought his arms around me while he nuzzled his head against my chest. “It’s been forever since you came in for an afternoon delight.”
With a laugh, I replied, “I’m not here for sex.”
One of his hands snaked up to cup my breast through my scrubs. “Can I change your mind?”
I wriggled out of his grasp. “Sorry. I don’t have time.”
“I can be quick.”
Running my fingers through his hair, I pulled his head up to meet my gaze. “Not today.”
“Fine. How was the party?”
“Wonderful. Cam loved the cupcakes. He was going for his third, but then he offered it to Ansley.”
Declan’s lips quirked up. “Does he have a crush?”
“I think so. He certainly followed her around the whole time.”
With a grunt, Declan replied, “We’ll have to work on his player skills. He should have the girls running around after him.”
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “Yeah, let’s not do that.”
“It seemed to work well for me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m talking about when you used to chase me around the playground.”
“I did no such thing.”
“Oh yes, you did.”
Wagging a finger at him, I countered, “I seem to recall you chasing me. You even got in trouble for not letting me pass on the slide when you kissed me.”
Declan tilted his head in thought. “Hmm, maybe I do remember that.”
“So excuse me for being grateful my son isn’t an elementary school player.”
I thought Declan might protest about his player status, but he surprised me when tears sparkled in his eyes. “Did you realize what you just said?”
“That my son isn’t a player?”
He shook his head. “You said Cam was your son.”
“Oh,” I murmured.
“It’s the first time you ever said that,” Declan said
“It is?” Wow, I’d just had a parental moment and hadn’t even realized it. Over the past year, I’d never claimed Cam as mine even though he had often felt that way. After our marriage, Bailey had moved to Savannah with a man she’d met online. We hadn’t even heard from her in the last few months.
Declan’s lips grazed mine in a tender kiss. “Thank you.”
“But I didn’t do anything?”
“You love our son. You’re the best mother he could’ve ever have hoped for.”
Now it was my turn for the waterworks when tears pricked my eyelids. “I can’t imagine not loving him or being his mom.”
“Maybe one day we’ll be able to convince Bailey to terminate her rights, and you’ll be able to adopt him for real.”
“I don’t have to have a piece of paper to tell me Cam’s mine. I know it now.”
Declan kissed me again. “He’s ours, and you’re mine.”
“Always.” The mention of Cam and adoption made me think of my purpose in coming. “Listen, I have to be getting back to the clinic, but before I go, I have a treat for you.”
“After denying me an afternoon delight, I hope you plan on giving me a treat later when we’re alone.” He waggled his brows.
“We’ll see.” Bending over, I fished the candy bar out of my purse. I handed it over to him. “Open it.”
“Is there some sort of prize inside?”
“There might be.” Once he had it open, I said, “Now read it aloud.”
“Man, you’re bossy this afternoon.”
His eyes focused on the message in the wrapper. “Congratulations. You’re going to be a father again.” His eyes snapped up to mine. “You’re pregnant?”
I smiled at him. “Almost eight weeks. I’m due in April.”
“How long have you known?”
“I took a home test this week, but I saw the doctor this morning.”
A beaming smile lit up his face. “I’m going to be a dad again.”
“Yep. You are.”
He brought his hands to cup my face. “I love you so much.”
“I love you so much, too. And I love Cam.” I brought my hand to my abdomen. “And I love this little nugget, too. You’ve given me a happily ever after I’d never thought possible.”
“It took me long enough,” Declan mused.
“Trust me. It was worth it.”
And it was. All the hurt and pain made me truly appreciate what a wonderful gift I’d been given in my second chance with Declan. If we’d married when we were kids, I’m not sure I could have appreciated the love we had. I now knew what we had was something special. Something forever.
All it took to achieve such happiness was Declan finally reining me in.
