That night at dinner Logan dined on mushed up macaroni and cheese while they dined on the non-mushed variety. Shane had never felt more like a king.
After he put Logan to bed he came to join Kate on the couch. They sat in silence, but continuously met each other’s gaze and grinned, as though they were communicating telepathically. Their expressions were twin pictures of serenity and relief. This was it. His life was figured out.
Turning to her, he watched the soft smile curl her lips. It was a day of wins, yet something was missing. He took her in. Her toenails were the color of bubblegum. Her pants were pressed and fitted. She wore a sweet, butter yellow blouse and a delicate string of pearls.
That was his Kate, yet he saw the girl within. She was wild and silly and had a little gremlin tattooed right next to her money spot. He laughed.
“What?” She turned, grinning at him curiously.
His gaze dropped to her hands folded primly on her lap. His fingers plucked the tab off his beer and faced her. She blinked adoringly at him. Taking her hand, he fiddled with her fingers, slipping the beer tab over the tip of her ring finger. She looked at him and giggled.
“Marry me, Kate.”
She stilled, her expression sobering.
When she didn’t immediately reply, he said, “I know I don’t have a whole lot to offer you, but it’ll come in time. Right now I have my heart to give and I only want to give it to you and Logan. I want to love the two of you with everything I have.”
He hadn’t planned this. When she still didn’t answer he looked down at her finger with the silver beer tab stuck on the end and frowned. He should’ve planned this out better.
“If you don’t want to—”
She grabbed his face and made him look at her. “Shut up,” she rasped. “I’ll marry you, Shane. I’d love nothing more than to be your wife.”
A smile split his face. He kissed her and she kissed him back, their lips curling with happiness. He had an idea and suddenly pulled away.
His fingers went to his ear and he undid the diamond stud there. It was his John Bender diamond and she was his Molly Ringwald. She was his Claire. He pressed the post of the diamond earing through the narrow hole of the tab and attached the back. The diamond winked back at them. He grinned at his handiwork. “There, that’s better.”
“Did you just Ringwald me?”
“I believe I did.”
She kissed him. “I love you, Shane Martin. Thank you. That was probably the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done.”
He felt himself flush. “Let’s go to bed.”
“Please,” she said, and shut off the television.
Epilogue
Kate picked up another garbage fry doused in chili and cheese, and God knows what else, and tossed it in her mouth, her wedding ring flashing amber under the dim lights at the Grill. She was getting fat, but she didn’t care. These fries were unbelievable.
Shane reappeared and slid into the booth across from her. “Sorry.”
“How was he?”
He laughed. “Ridiculous. Nadine said he insisted on saying goodnight before he went to bed.”
She laughed. “You really shouldn’t indulge his every whim.” Her phone rang and she brought it to her ear. Shane gave her a knowing look, his one eyebrow arching high in his beautiful face.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Mommy?”
“Hey, big man. Why aren’t you in bed?”
“Mom-mom said I call you.”
“I see. And what did you have to call me for?”
“This…” He blew raspberries into the receiver and she laughed. “I sound like Uncle Duce!” he giggled.
She shook her head at Shane. This was his influence. “Yes, you do sound like Uncle Duce. Now go to bed.”
He laughed. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too, Logan.” Her heart raced every time he said those words.
“Do it back,” he said excitedly.
Kate looked around. Leaning low over her fries, she stuck her tongue between her lips and blew raspberries into the phone.
Logan cracked up. “Mommy farted!”
She laughed. “Goodnight, stinker.”
“Goodnight, Mommy.”
She shut the phone. Shane gave her a dubious look. “You know, you really shouldn’t indulge him like that.”
“Oh, shut up,” Kate said, smiling as she shoved another fry in her mouth.
Shane stood and kissed her. “Do you need anything before I go up?”
“No, I’m good. Break a leg.”
“Roger that,” he said as he grabbed his guitar case and headed to the stage.
Kate finished her fries and leaned back as the waitress removed the plate. She watched her husband, just like she did every Friday night, as he set up his equipment.
She still had a hard time believing she was married to such an incredible man. She loved him with a fierceness some might call obsessive, but she didn’t care. He was hers and she was never giving him back.
Her sisters and her parents had both welcomed Shane into the family with open arms. Having not been around family in such a long time, he was shy with them at first. It didn’t take them long to see what Kate saw in him. Everyone saw it. His modest ways seemed to charm everyone that crossed his path. Even her nieces, Keira and Kiley adored him.
The microphone whistled as Shane took his seat. “Good evening, everyone.”
She’d never forget the first time she heard him play. She probably fell in love with him in that moment. He was so incredibly talented. His voice was like silk and when he sang, it covered her skin in goose bumps every time.
“This first song’s for my beautiful wife. Katie, I love you.” His fingers strummed over the guitar. His voice rung out. “Well Momma told me…”
His hair was getting longer again. She liked it. He was the John Bender to her Claire.
When he hit the chorus to Skynyrd’s Simple Man the crowd applauded. He sounded wonderful. Heat blossomed in her chest. He was her simple man, but she knew deep down he was anything but simple. He was the other half to her soul. He was her world, her heart, her very extraordinary husband.
When they pulled up at the rancher, Nadine’s car sat in the driveway. He grabbed his guitar out of the trunk and opened her door. “Come on, sleepyhead.”
They walked into the house and Nadine stood from the couch. “How was he?” Kate asked, putting her purse on the table next to a stack of Shel Silverstein books.
“He was wonderful.”
She kissed them goodnight and Shane walked her out. Kate tiredly bent to pick up a pile of Transformers scattered all over the floor. Sims convinced Logan they were the coolest toys and he played with them every day.
Shane came back in as Nadine’s headlights skittered across the back wall as she pulled out. He locked the door and came behind her, hugging her tight.
His hands rested on the swell of her belly, peeking from the opening in her cardigan. Pressing his lips to the back of her neck he asked, “You tired?”
She sunk into his hold and shut her eyes. “Depends. What did you have in mind?”
He swayed with her and hummed the tune to their wedding song, Tupelo Honey, by Van Morrison. “I was thinking about carrying you to bed, stripping you out of these clothes, and making love to you until you passed out.”
She sighed. “That sounds wonderful.” Her world tilted and she squeaked. “Shane! I’m too big for this.”
“Shut up, you are not too big.”
“I’m fat,” she pouted.
“You’re seven months pregnant. You’re beautiful.”
When he said that, she melted. He truly saw her that way. He didn’t see any of her flaws. He never noticed how intimidated she could be by others or how much she second-guessed herself. He only saw her best parts. Either that or he saw her worst and still found reasons to love her anyway. She made him a better man and he made her a better woman.
He laid her dow
n on their bed and began taking off her shoes. His lips kissed her toe and pulled off her maternity pants. She self-consciously covered her belly.
“Stop,” he said, drawing her hands to her side and pressing a kiss to her rounded stomach. “You’re perfect.”
He gently pulled off her shirt and undid her bra, kissing her tenderly. She pulled at his shirt and he crossed his arms at his waist and lifted it over his head.
She could look at him like that for days. His strong arms wore various markings. His left arm was completely covered in a black sleeve of art. She traced her finger over the line at his ribs. She liked to think that she helped him remember how to smile.
Her lips kissed the tattoo covering his heart where their son’s name was forever held in a place of honor. And then she moved her lips over to his newest work of art, a tattoo of their daughter, the way they first saw her in the ultrasound.
He slowly kissed her body as if he were worshiping her, anointing every dip, curve, and imperfection with his mouth. Her soft body arched into his hold and he carefully filled her. When they made love of late, it was always gentle. It was because he was afraid for the baby, but she didn’t mind. She’d take him any way she could have him.
Their bodies glided over each other’s, becoming one. Like the waves of the ocean, they ebbed and flowed together in a vision of beauty.
Afterward he held her and she reflected on how lucky she was to find such an amazing man. The fact that he wanted her still took her breath away.
He’d come so far from that first day she met him, hair piled up on his head like a run down maid. She smiled and squeezed the arms holding her tight.
He’d gotten the job for the township and that seemed to make him happy. It was never about the money for Shane, it was about feeling like he could provide for those he loved.
It had taken a lot of persuasion to convince him to move into her house. He wanted to live somewhere they’d bought together. She finally agreed the next two years’ mortgage payments would come out of his pay and then they’d be even. He was happy with that.
They’d traded in the Kia and purchased a family car. Since he was making better money his self-esteem seemed to take a turn for the better.
Kate knew bad times would come, but she also knew so long as they had each other they could overcome anything.
They weren’t rich. They lived within their means, but as far as wealth went, they had everything they’d ever need. They had Logan and would soon have their daughter, whom they planned to name Noel Grace, after his sister and mother.
As far as Kate was concerned, they were the richest people in the world. And she hoped she would always feel that way.
“I love you,” she whispered into the dark.
His lips pressed into her ear. “I love you too.”
*The End*
About the Author
Award winning author, Lydia Michaels, writes all forms of hot romance. She presses the bounds of love and surprises readers just when they assume they have her stories figured out. From Amish vampyres, to wild Irishmen, to broken heroes, and heroines no man can match, Lydia takes readers on an emotional journey of the heart, mind, and soul with every story she pens. Her books are intellectual, erotic, haunting, and always centered on love.
Lydia Michaels loves to here from readers! She can be found of Facebook or contacted by email at [email protected]
www.LydiaMichaels.org
Other Books by Lydia Michaels
White Chocolate
All 4 You
To Catch a Wolfe
Chasing Feathers
Breaking Perfect
Simple Man
Skin
Sacred Waters
Call Her Mine
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
Simple Man Page 25
