Southern Devotion

by Kaylee Ryan

  I can feel him, us. It’s messy but so worth it. “You get this,” I say, ignoring the mess we made, “for the rest of your life.”

  “No sweeter words have ever been spoken.” He climbs off the bed and pulls on a pair of shorts.

  “Aren’t you going to, you know, clean up?” I ask.

  “Nope. I want you, us, all over me while I make you breakfast. Go”—he nods toward the bathroom—“before I change my mind and we stay in this bed all day.”

  “We could do that, you know,” I offer, because that sounds like a damn good idea.

  “We could, but I want you here. All of you, all of your stuff. And being buried balls deep inside you all day, no matter how appealing the thought of staying now, it won’t get me that result.” With that, he turns and exits the bedroom.

  Making a mental note to wash the sheets, I climb out of bed and head toward the shower. Today feels like the first day of the rest of our lives. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

  Reaching into the bed of my truck, I grab the last box Olivia just shoved my way. “This is it,” I tell her, even though she already knows.

  “I can’t believe we got my entire house packed up and moved in two days.”

  “Well, you’re donating most of your furniture,” I remind her.

  “I know but still… you’re one determined man, David Harris.”

  “You’re damn right,” I agree with her. She gave me the green light I’ve been waiting for.

  “Let me get this in the house, and then we can go back and do one final walk-through. Make sure there’s nothing you missed or decide you want to keep.”

  “Not a bad idea, although I’m pretty positive we got everything.”

  “The Salvation Army is coming by tomorrow to pick up what’s left.”

  “They are?”

  “That’s what you wanted, right?” That’s what she said, but it’s a possibility she’s changed her mind.

  “Yes, that’s what I wanted. I just didn’t realize that you called them already.”

  “I did it this morning. After the progress we made yesterday, I knew we would be finished today.”

  “Two days.” She laughs. “You are one determined man.”

  Leaving the box on the open tailgate, I reach up and place my hands on her hips, lifting her from the back of the truck. Instead of letting me set her feet on the ground, she wraps her legs around my waist. “You, my love, were just as focused as I was.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” she murmurs, kissing my neck.

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her to marry me; it’s something I would have done a week ago. Now, everything is different. I know she’s ready, and no way am I willing to risk her thinking me saying the words is her true proposal. My girl deserves the fairy-tale proposal she’s always wanted.

  What she doesn’t realize is that I know her better than she thinks I do. I’ve known for years that she wants the fairy tale. The romantic proposal and the country wedding. I think her fears stem from worrying that her dream proposal and wedding would not live up to her reality and she’d be disappointed. My girl loves her Disney movies. She thinks it’s because of the job at the bar, but I know better. She’s worried she’s not going to get her dream. I’m just a small-town boy. I work on the ranch with both Aaron and Evan. When they teamed up, they brought me on board. I work hard for what I have, and that includes Olivia. I’ll never stop showing her what she means to me and will make certain she gets her dream proposal and wedding. Besides, all I’ve ever dreamed of is her. She’s given me my dream; the least I can do is give her hers.

  “You’re my dream,” I tell her.

  Her eyes shimmer with tears. “I love you.” She buries her face in my neck, and I hold her tightly.

  The honking of a horn has us pulling apart. When I look over my shoulder, I see Mike and Jamie pull into the drive.

  “Hey, you two. Need some help?” Jamie asks.

  “This is the last one,” Liv tells her as I set her back on her feet.

  “You packed up your entire house in two days?” Mike asks.

  “Well, technically it was three days if you count what we did on Sunday.”

  “Determined,” Jamie laughs.

  “You’re damn right,” I agree.

  I hear a woof and notice Mike is holding their puppy, the one I went with him to pick up. “Hey, little guy,” I say, rubbing his head.

  “Oh my God! He’s so cute. The picture you showed me doesn’t do him justice. What did you name him?” Liv asks Jamie.

  “Ace.”

  “Aww, Dave, we need a puppy,” she says, cooing at the little furball in her brother’s arms. “Can I hold him?” Mike hands him over. The puppy settles in her arms, closing his eyes.

  “He likes to snuggle,” Jamie tells her.

  She looks over at me and smiles. “He’s too cute.”

  “You really want one?”

  She seems to think about my question before her eyes meet mine. “We talked about a dog for the kids to play with,” she says, as if it’s just the two of us.

  “Kids?” Mike and Jamie ask at the same time.

  “Not yet.” She shakes her head and laughs. “We’re getting there.”

  I want to drop to my knees and beg her to be mine. I can run in the house and get the ring and make it official. Then we can start on those babies. But I don’t. I need it to be her dream proposal, then wedding, and then the babies. However, the dog… we can make that happen now. “We did,” I say, agreeing with her earlier statement. “We can get a dog.”

  “Where did you get him?” she asks Mike.

  He points to me. “This guy found him for me. They have more.” He smiles.

  “Can we go?” she asks.

  “Now?”

  “Yes, now.” Her eyes are bright with excitement.

  Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I scroll through my contacts until I find the number for the lady Mike bought Ace from. “Hey, Susan, this is David Harris. I was wondering if you have any puppies left?” Liv’s eyes find mine as she waits for a signal from me. “Great, can we stop by in about thirty minutes or so? My future wife fell in love with the one her brother bought.” Liv’s eyes widen when I say ‘future wife.’ It’s the first time I’ve mentioned it since she told me she was ready. “Great. We’ll see you soon.” I end the call and slide my phone back in my pocket.

  “Well?” she asks.

  “She has three left. One male and two females. I’m sure you heard me tell her that we would see her tonight?”

  She turns to her brother and Jamie. “Sorry, but we’ve gotta go.” She hands the puppy off to Jamie and grabs my hand, pulling me toward the truck, causing us all to burst out laughing.

  “Let me get this last box in the house, and then we can go.”

  “Fine,” she says, reaching for the passenger door. “Hurry up.” She climbs into the cab and shuts the door.

  “You’ve got your hands full with her.” Mike laughs.

  “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  We say a quick goodbye before I grab the last box and carry it to the attached garage. I set it with the others, and my lips tilt with a smile. She’s here. All of her stuff is here. Now I need to focus on the proposal. I want her with my last name sooner rather than later. We’ve waited long enough to start the next phase of our lives together.

  “What should we name her?” I ask David on our way to the pet supply store.

  “I thought you had a name in mind already?” He glances over at me with the puppy in my arms before returning his eyes to the road.

  “I do, but she’s ours, so I want your opinion.”

  “Okay, so let’s hear it.”

  “I was thinking Dixie, or maybe Lucy.” I pet the sleeping ball of fur in my arms.

  “Dixie Harris, Lucy Harris, either works,” he says after adding his last name to both.

  “Wallace hyphen Harris,” I say, just to see his reaction.

  We pull into the pa
rking lot, and he puts the truck in Park before turning in his seat to look at me. “You plan on hyphenating your name?” he asks. He sounds disappointed.

  “You okay with that?” I counter.

  I watch as he processes my question. “Yes. I mean, when I imagine it, it’s always just Olivia Jean Harris, but it’s your choice if you want to hyphenate.”

  “You’re an amazing man, David Harris. The thought of hyphenating my name has never crossed my mind. I was just joking with you about the dog. Olivia Jean Harris has a great ring to it.”

  “Yeah?” he asks, hopeful.

  “Yes. Now, it’s time to get this little thing some toys, and food and a bed and whatever else we happen to find.” I laugh.

  “So, her name is…?” he asks.

  “Dixie. I like Dixie.”

  “Welcome to the family, Dixie,” he says, gently running his large hands over her tiny head.

  Butterflies dance inside my belly at the mention of us being a family. I want us to be official. I almost remind him again that I’m ready, but I told him to surprise me. Although patience is not my strong suit, I know I need to be just that, patient. He’s waited forever for me to come to terms with where our future is going. I can give him time, all the time he needs. Regardless, he’s mine and I’m his, and now this little furball, Dixie, is ours.

  Nearly two hours later, we’re loading the truck with our purchases. I went a little overboard, but she needed a bed, some toys, food, treats, a collar, a leash, and they had these cute little sweaters. I had to get her one in pink, and then I happened to see one in blue and picked it up for Ace.

  “You do know she’s going to be a big dog, right?” David asks on our way home.

  “Yeah, and?”

  “The sweater?”

  “It was too cute to pass up. She’s tiny now and will look adorable. Besides, you have to get them used to that kind of thing when they’re small.”

  “So you plan on dressing her up all the time?” He tries to hide his laughter.

  “Maybe,” I say, snuggling Dixie a little closer. “Hey, can we swing by Mike and Jamie’s so I can give them the sweater I got for Ace? Oh my gosh, they’re siblings. I bet they miss each other.” I feel sad for the pups who have been pulled away from their momma and brothers and sisters.

  David reaches over and places his hand on my thigh. “Yeah, baby, we can stop.”

  I settle back in my seat and realize that not only am I happy, happier than ever, but I’m content. I wasted so much time. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.

  “Aww,” Jamie says as I climb out of the truck with Dixie in my arms. “Look at her.”

  “They’re brother and sister,” I remind her. I’m not sure what it is about these little balls of fur that turns my heart inside out.

  “That’s right.” She nods. “Is she going to be an inside or outside dog?”

  I look over at a grinning David.

  “Whatever you want, baby.” He chuckles.

  “She’s too tiny to be outside.”

  “That’s what this one said,” Mike says, pointing at Jamie.

  “Hey.” She hip-checks him, both of them grinning like fools.

  “We got Ace a present,” I say, handing her the sweater.

  Jamie turns to look at Mike. “See, I told you it was a good idea.” She turns back to face me. “He said, ‘Babe, dogs don’t like sweaters,’ but what do you know?” she teases him, her voice turning back to her own.

  “Good impression.” I laugh.

  “Hush it,” Mike says, grinning.

  I watch as the two of them have some type of silent conversation, and my heart swells for my big brother and my friend.

  “So,” Jamie says, “do you all have plans two weekends from now?”

  I look over at David, who shakes his head. “Not that I know of. I’ll probably still be unpacking boxes,” I laugh.

  David steps up behind me and places his hands on my hips. “It’s my life’s mission to get you unpacked and settled,” he whispers only for me before kissing my cheek.

  “We’re thinking about a trip to the Florida Keys. My parents are there for a few weeks. We thought it would be fun to get everyone together, take a big family trip,” Jamie says, her eyes smiling.

  “Uh-huh, what are you hiding from me?” I ask, studying her.

  She looks over at my brother, and he gives her a subtle nod. “We’re getting married!” She jumps up and down with poor little Ace’s head bobbing with her. “We didn’t want to wait, and my parents are there, and yours said they would come… and a small beach wedding to seal the deal is all we want.”

  “Seal the deal?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, all that really matters at the end of the day is that we’re married.”

  “Don’t you want the wedding you’ve always dreamed of?” I ask her. It’s romantic, but I’ve had the same vision for my wedding since I was a little girl.

  “I never really dreamed of the wedding as much as the man who I would call my husband. I wanted the kind of love that consumes you and makes you whole at the same time. That’s all I need.”

  My brother wraps his hand around the back of her neck and pulls her into a kiss.

  “So in two weeks you’re going to be my sister?” I ask once he sets her free.

  “Yes. We’re not really doing a wedding party. We’re going to invite Aaron and Whit, and Evan and Kinley, but we’re not sure they’ll be able to make the trip. But you two, we need you two there.”

  “We’ll be there,” David assures her. He then holds his hand out for my brother to shake.

  Just like that, we’re the last remaining holdouts. Not because we’re not ready, but because I’ve been irrational at best and let fear cloud what has been right in front of me all along. Turning in his arms, I hug him tightly, hoping he gets the message. I love you, and I’m sorry for putting you through so much.

  We say our goodbyes with the promise to book our flights. On the way home, I can’t help but wonder if I waited too long. Maybe he’s over asking me. I can’t say that I would blame him.

  She was quiet on the drive home, then disappeared upstairs to take a shower. I took Dixie out on her leash, which she seems to hate, before bringing her back inside and using the baby gates we bought to barricade her in the kitchen. I set up her bed and some puppy pads, which the store associate who could not have been a day over sixteen assured us worked like a charm. With Dixie sleeping soundly in her big comfy bed, I check to make sure the door is locked, turn out the lights, and head upstairs. If I’m lucky, Olivia will still be in the shower and I can join her.

  “Damn,” I say when I see her walking out of the bathroom into our room. She’s already wearing one of my T-shirts. “I was hoping to shower with you.”

  “Yeah? You want me to go back in?” She smirks, pointing over her shoulder.

  “This works too.” I take a few large steps to reach her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her into me. “You okay?”

  “Of course,” she says way too quickly.

  “Livy.” I wait for her to raise her head and look at me. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

  She heaves a heavy sigh as she pulls away and takes a seat on the bed. “I always knew I loved you. That was never a question. I knew you loved me, and I wanted all the plans we talked about. I’m mad at myself,” she confesses.

  I have a feeling I know where this is going and hate that she’s still beating herself up over this. It’s done, and we’re moving forward. That’s all that matters. I open my mouth to tell her that, but she beats me to it.

  “I hate it, Dave. I hate that I put us through that. That I made us wait. We should be married by now, maybe thinking about a baby, if not already having one on the way. Instead, here we are, me just now moving in and we’re not even engaged.”

  “Hey.” I smile, letting her know I’m teasing, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ve asked multiple times.” I grin.


  Her face falls. “I know.” Her voice is thick with emotion.

  “Baby, listen to me. I’ve never asked you on one knee. I knew you weren’t ready for that, and honestly, I couldn’t stand the thought of you telling me no in that situation. That doesn’t mean that every time I asked you wasn’t coming from deep in here.” I place my hand over my chest, covering my heart. In just a few more strides, I’m grabbing her hands and tugging her to the edge of the bed. Her legs open automatically, allowing me to step between her thighs. “I’m only doing it once, Liv. There will be one time that I get on bended knee and ask the love of my life to marry me. There is only one love of my life, and that’s you,” I say, kissing the corner of her pouty lips. “It’s always been you. You told me you were ready, and to surprise you. Is that still what you want?”

  “Of course it is,” she says, trying to fight against the tears that are welling in her eyes.

  “That’s what I’m going to do. I want it to be special for both of us. I’m only ever going to do it once in my life, so I have to get it just right.”

  “You don’t know that,” she counters. “What if something happens to me and you get remarried?”

  I place my index finger over her lips to stop her from saying more. “Don’t think like that. We have to live for today, and today all I see is you. I can’t even imagine a day of my life without you in it. We can’t let the what-ifs and the fears of the world guide us. Just this,” I say, this time placing my hand over her heart. “This heart of yours is mine, Olivia Wallace. You gave it to me, and I intend to keep it.”

  She looks up at me with those sparkling green eyes, and I’m tempted to rush to the safe in the office and get her ring, but I don’t. Instead, I hold her stare, willing her to trust in this and our love for one another.

  “I love you,” she whispers.

  “I love you too.” I can’t wait another minute to kiss her, so that’s exactly what I do. Pressing my lips to hers, I take my time tasting as she mimics the motion, and our lips move in perfect harmony.

  Pulling away from the kiss, I rest my forehead against hers. “Anything else you want to talk about?” I ask.