The Husband Checklist

by Miller, Jasmin

  And gosh, it feels so good to have him inside of me again. He fills me perfectly, like he does every single time.

  “Fuck. Give a guy a warning before you give him a heart attack.” His face contorts in pleasure, showing me he’s been as desperate for this as I have.

  Our fingers rub and stroke, squeeze each curve, exploring everything we’ve missed so much. It’s quick and frantic.

  Every touch, every kiss, every little moan and groan, feels as incredible as before, but somehow also more special.

  Having everything out in the open—our relationship and our feelings for each other—turns this into so much for than just sex. When my release hits me, I close my eyes and hold on to Carter with a steel-like grip. It’s that intense.

  My eyes grow hot as I bite back tears when I realize that having sex with someone you truly love turns it into something magical, solidifying this connection between us on a completely different level.

  His gaze is on me as he pulses inside me, the words “I love you” leaving his lips on a sharp exhale as he pulls me down on his chest.

  I enjoy his nearness more than I could have ever imagined. He caresses my back until both of our heartbeats have returned to normal, and all I can think about is how he’s my person. The one I want to share all my dirty little secrets with, and the one I want to look at first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

  His breath tickles my ear, his cheek pressed against mine. “And here I was planning on taking my sweet time with you tonight to make up for all the lost time.”

  “Good. I’m looking forward to it.” I give him a cheeky grin, and he laughs. “I love you.”

  His answering kiss is soft, no tongue or teeth, but still leaves me with warm and happy feelings galore. “I love you.”

  He pats me on the butt and chuckles. “Now get off me. There’s still a surprise waiting for you.”

  That has me sitting up, my eyes wide. “The nursery wasn’t it? There’s more?”

  His eyes sparkle with mischief. “Well, I guess that was half of it. But I have another half surprise for you.”

  “Hold that thought.” I hold up a finger and clean up in the bathroom quickly before heading back to him. “Alrighty, let’s see it.”

  Carter grins and holds out his hand, which I take without hesitation. He leads me back downstairs and off to a little corridor with three more doors I missed earlier. The first one is Carter’s office, the second one a small bathroom.

  After shooting me an anticipatory glance, he once more steps aside, letting go of my hand. “This one’s for you. Open it.”

  To say I’m nervous is an understatement. My hands are shaking when I finally open the door a moment later.

  My heart does extra thumps when I get my first good look at the room, and I’m not sure how much more it can take today.

  Holy shit.

  “This is all for me?”

  Carter chuckles before giving me a small push. “Yes, it is. Go check it out already.”

  Chapter Forty

  Carter

  Watching Julia inspect her studio, as I like to call it, is absolutely priceless. She has the biggest smile on her face as she walks around the room, brushing her fingers along the walls of shelves and the huge craft table.

  After a ton of online research, I purchased pegboards, baskets, and about six hundred other forms of storage, which she’s inspecting in detail.

  Seeing her this happy makes every single minute I spent on Pinterest and in craft stores worth it.

  Once she’s had her fill, she walks back to me, wrapping her hands around my neck and going up on her toes. “This is the best surprise ever. I’ve never seen a craft room this awesome. I couldn’t ask for more and have no idea how I’m ever going to be able to thank you for everything.”

  Her eyes are so expressive, shining so brightly, and I could get lost in them forever. “I’m glad you like it. Just let me know if something’s missing, and we’ll get it for you. Anything.”

  After pressing my mouth to her soft lips, I reach for her hand. “Come with me.”

  We walk through the kitchen and out the back door onto the deck. With the beautiful blue sky, and the ocean sounds playing softly in the background, I search her face for the last glimmer of hope I need.

  The soft wind around us calms me as I take a deep breath. The simple act of fresh, salty air filling my lungs gives me the courage to do what I’ve planned on doing.

  Out of my back pocket, I take the folded piece of paper that’s been burning a hole in my pants for the past few hours. After unfolding it, I scan it once more before turning it around so Julia can see it too.

  She regards me carefully, clearly no clue what’s going on until realization dawns on her face and she points at the paper. “Wait. Is that— I knew something was missing from the fridge.”

  Her eyes snap back to mine as I nod, releasing a breath at the same moment I tear the paper in half.

  Her husband checklist.

  “I know I will never be everything you put on here.”

  Rip.

  “But let me assure you I will try my hardest to be everything you need.”

  Rip.

  Her gaze flickers back and forth between my face and the paper in my hand, or the little that’s left of it. “Carter. What’s going on?”

  I go down on one knee and pull a small box from my front pocket.

  The wood is hard under my knee, not that it would matter if sharp rocks dug into my skin right now. Nothing would deter me from making this moment happen.

  Her mouth falls open as she blinks rapidly at me before putting a shaky hand on my shoulder.

  The skin on my face feels tight as my stomach clenches and churns, the butterflies multiplying by the second.

  A tingle runs up my spine as I get my breathing under control. “Julia Bradford, you’ve been driving me crazy for most of my life. You’ve always been my favorite girl, no matter if you had mud all over you, threw ice cream in my face, or cried all over me when you realized you’d never get an invitation to Hogwarts. Those special memories make me love you even more, and you’re everything I could possibly want. I know it might seem quick, but if the accident has taught me one thing, it’s that things can change in a split second. I treasure you beyond words and want you by my side for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

  Tears silently slide down her face, but they can’t overshadow the beaming smile that’s spreading across her face. “Yes, silly. I love you so much. Yes, yes, yes. Of course, I will.”

  “Really?” Even though I was obviously hoping for that response, my brain’s still trying to process this moment.

  I get up quickly and caress her cheeks.

  Then there’s kisses. Lots and lots of kisses.

  Julia is the first to pull back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “So . . . Do you actually have a ring in that box?”

  I laugh when I realize I’ve never gotten that far, the ring box still unopened in my hand.

  Winking at her, I hold out my hand. “Why don’t you check?”

  Pulling back the lid of the box, a simple platinum band comes into view, paired with a beautiful princess-cut diamond.

  I wanted to go extravagant on the ring, but Cora—thank goodness for that woman and all her help—reminded me to think about if Julia is the flashy kind of girl.

  She clutches her chest with her left hand before I take it gently into mine to put the ring on. She turns her hand this way and that, throwing little rainbow rays all around us. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “You’re beautiful.” I let her admire her new jewelry for a moment before stealing another long kiss. “And we can make it a long engagement if you’d rather wait for the baby first. Totally up to you. Whatever you want goes.”

  With her eyes dancing, and her voice bubbly, she leans her head on my chest, allowing her to listen to my out-of-control heartbeat. “We’ll figure it out.”

  We stay like this for a long time, o
ur future surrounding us, slowly swaying to the breeze that wants to be recognized, just like our love did.

  Just like Mom said, love does change everything.

  And now, I’ll have that forever.

  Epilogue

  Julia

  Almost two years later

  There is a soft knock at the door before my brother pokes in his head. “They’re all ready for you guys.” He gives me a reassuring smile but his gaze doesn’t linger long on me, quickly flickering past me to his wife, Cora, and their baby squirming in her arms. The grin on his face is starting to look painful. “Look at all of you. My three favorite girls in one room. And all so beautiful.”

  Unable to resist, he slips in and shuts the door behind him, walking over to his leading ladies, smothering both with gentle kisses. Oliver and Cora surprised us all when they eloped on their tropical vacation just a couple months after Carter and I got engaged. Not even a few weeks later they announced they were expecting too.

  At that point, I was already in my last trimester, but it was fun to share the last bit of my pregnancy with Cora. What’s even better is to have the cousins so close in age. They already love each other like crazy.

  “Are you ready to throw some flowers for Aunt Jules?” Cora looks at Emmi, her sweet almost one-year-old cooing and throwing her little arms up in response.

  We knew it would probably be chaotic and maybe even messy to include the two little ones in our wedding, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Everyone’s been looking forward to our wedding, even though Carter might have been a teeny bit frustrated that it took us almost two years to get to this point, but I didn’t want this to be more stressful than it had to be.

  There was simply so much going on with healing after my accident and moving into the house. Then our baby boy was born and we wanted to wait until he was a little older and we had settled into our roles as parents.

  “Well, I’m ready for sure.” I get up from my chair and smooth down my dress. Growing up, I always thought I’d choose a puffy princess dress. Instead, I immediately fell in love with my simple lace dress. The second I saw it at the bridal store, I knew this was it.

  It’s ivory, fitted through the bodice and hips, and covered in vintage-inspired lace with an open back. It reminded me of my mom’s dress, is absolutely stunning, and most of all, it makes me feel beautiful on this special day, so I hope Carter will like it too.

  “You look utterly gorgeous.” My brother walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Mom and Dad would be so proud of you.” His voice is thick with emotion, and if the excessive swallowing is anything to go by, he’s trying to keep it together for me.

  “Thank you.” I take a deep breath and close my eyes before looking back at him, still trying hard not to cry.

  Cora comes up to us and gives us a hug, squishing Emmi between us. “Stop being all sentimental, or we’re all gonna cry. Since that’s not an option right now, I better head out. I’m sure people are starting to get antsy. See you guys on the other side.” She gives me one more reassuring squeeze and heads out, leaving us alone.

  “Let’s do this.” I grab my brother’s arm and pull, making him chuckle.

  “Now you want to hurry? You’ve made poor CJ wait all this time, and now you’re the one trying to pull me out of the room?”

  I laugh nervously, still feeling a little guilty for the long engagement, but that’s why we’re here. To fix that. “Exactly. It’s been long enough, and I’m more than ready to finally make it official.”

  “Fair enough.” He pats my hand for a second and nods. “Let’s get this show started then.”

  And off we go to meet my husband-to-be at the end of the aisle.

  Carter

  My nerves were shot long before they started playing Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. Just when I think I might pass out, my best friend opens the back door of our house, holding Julia on his arm.

  Finally.

  My Julia.

  She looks magnificent, as always. Her long dress gently flowing in the breeze, hugging her body in all the right places.

  I’ve learned to be patient over the last two years. Before waiting for this day to happen, I spent months waiting for our child to be born. It was easily the most agonizing experience I’ve ever had. Even though I’m so close to my goal, I feel more impatient than ever, mere seconds away from sprinting down the makeshift aisle on our deck, so I can throw my bride-to-be over my shoulder to get this over with.

  “Almost there, Carter. Don't lose it now.” Cora chuckles as she passes me, taking her place on Julia's side in front of the flower arch. Emmi is in her arms, playing with a few remaining rose petals she kept from her flower girl job.

  I give Cora a tight-lipped nod and focus on the aisle, noticing that Oliver and Julia aren't in sync with the music at all.

  Wait. Is Julia pulling her brother?

  A chuckle escapes my lips, and my mom shoots me a curious look. That Julia seems just as impatient as I am lifts a weight off my shoulders, allowing me to finally relax, especially since they reach me at that point too.

  “Hi.” She's in front of me, a little bit out of breath.

  So fucking beautiful.

  “Hi yourself.” I grab her hands, unable to keep from touching her a moment longer. I take a step closer and bend to kiss her, which results in a few chuckles from the audience.

  I stare into her pretty brown eyes and forget everything around me. Even though I hear someone talking, I’m in a daze, and almost miss my moment to say “I do,” but Ollie comes to the rescue and nudges me from behind, whispering the words.

  Julia grins at me, saying her “I do” less than a minute later. My mom comes up to us with Hayden perched on her hip. He's holding the little pillow with our rings in his arms, squishing it to his chest like it's his new favorite toy.

  “Dada.” He gives me a drooly smile, showing off the few teeth that finally broke through before his first birthday a few months ago.

  “Thanks, big guy.” Seeing my boy causes me to look around the small crowd of friends and family that came to celebrate this special day with us.

  Making today even more perfect.

  Julia and I exchange rings, before we're finally declared husband and wife.

  After a way too short kiss, Hayden seems to feel the excitement around us, starting to cheer and bounce in my mom’s arms before leaping into ours.

  Julia and I hug him tight between us, and everything my mom said finally makes sense. The journey might have been littered with mistakes, but ultimately love directed us to where we were meant to be.

  This is what I’ve been waiting for all these years, for this special connection—my special someones—to fill my heart and make me feel utterly complete.

  THE END

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  Have you read my story Baking With A Rockstar yet? Hudson and Charlie’s love story is so much fun, not to mention sweet and sexy? Continue reading for the first chapter of this single parent romance or get it right here.

  Baking With A Rockstar Excerpt

  Chapter One

  The soft glow of the morning sunlight and a fresh breeze stream through the open window into the kitchen. The canyon stretches out beyond the backyard, accentuating a sky splattered with beautiful hues of pink, orange, and blue. I turn away from the window and walk over to the big island in the middle of the room, grabbing the radio remote on the way.

  Even though I enjoy the soft and comforting humming of the oven in the background, I prefer having some music on too. Almost everything is better with music, especially baking. Since there’s a nice pile of dough waiting for me, I wash my hands
thoroughly then dig into the soft mass, my whole body instantly relaxing at the sensation.

  “Charlie, it smells amazing in here. What are you making?” Hannah startles me as she walks into the kitchen, stopping to casually lean against the refrigerator. Her gray hair is piled loosely on top of her head, making her look younger than she actually is. But since she was my grandmother’s best friend, I know exactly how old she is—not that she acts like she’s in her seventies. If there’s one woman who portrays the saying of “You’re only as old as you feel,” it would be her.

  “You’re as stealthy as a cat.” I shake my head and laugh, my hands automatically going to my now racing heart. Removing them from my shirt a moment later, I feel the material lift and immediately know I’ve made a mess. One look at my chest, and it’s confirmed—several pieces of dough stick to the faces of my favorite Supernatural actors. I let my head fall in shame dramatically, not the slightest bit surprised about it.

  I should have known better. Sorry, guys. Poor Dean and Sam.

  “Sorry, honey, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I always forget how easily you scare.” She walks over and looks at the array of ingredients in front of me, especially the big jar in the middle with the hazelnut chocolate spread. “It’s that kind of day, huh?”

  We’ve only lived together for a few weeks, but she already knows me well enough to understand I crave specific kinds of food when I’m in need of some emotional comfort.

  “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, and the little I got was mediocre at best. So, I thought I could use a little pick-me-up this morning and decided to make some Nutella puffs.” I smile at the silliness of it all. “You know how much I love that stuff. There’s already some cream cheese Danish bread in the oven. I know you have a weakness for that too.”