Southern Devotion (Southern Heart 4)

e the RZRs out. I told him to let me know when.”

“Oh, is this a guys-only thing? It’s been forever since we’ve all been out riding.”

“Yes.” Mike speaks up before I have a chance to.

I’m digging myself into a hole and now am going to need to call Evan and Aaron and warn them. We might as well plan a day to ride while we’re at it. It’s been a hell of a long time since we’ve been riding.

“Thanks for your help.” I hold my fist out, and he bumps his into mine.

“Anytime. You”—he points to his sister—“get the rest packed up, and we’ll come back this weekend.”

“A week?” she asks, as if we’re telling her she has to go through fifty years of possessions.

“Can you not handle a week?” he asks.

“Pfft. I did all this in a day. I’ll be ready,” she assures him.

“Great. I’ve got the bar covered, so if you need to take a couple of days this week to get things ready, have at it.”

“Thank you. I just might do that,” she says, squaring her shoulders.

We’re all shocked at her reply. She never misses work and rarely asks for help with anything.

I snake my arm around her waist and pull her into me. “This is happening,” I whisper in her ear.

“Yeah.” She looks up at me. “It is.”

Leaning down, I kiss her forehead. If this is a dream, I don’t ever want to wake up.

The morning sun is poking just above the trees. I’ve been lying here for the last hour, watching its slow rise through the window of David’s bedroom. Scratch that, our bedroom. It’s hard to explain how I feel now that we’re finally moving forward in our relationship. It’s something I’ve always wanted, but I’ve foolishly let my insecurities hold me back. Hell, I don’t even know where they came from. I do that sometimes, get in my own head. I’m glad I opened up to my girls and they were able to get through to me. Sure, more than likely I would still be here in this bed, but it would be his bed, not ours. There’s a lightness in my chest from that simple fact alone.

He knows I’m ready, that I’m no longer going to hold back from what I want. I’m lucky as hell that he’s put up with me this long, but that’s David. He’s honest, kind, and has the patience of a saint. And he’s all mine.

“Morning, Livy,” he whispers, kissing my neck.

“Morning.” I lace my fingers through his hand that’s resting against my belly, holding me to him.

“This is our new normal. We wake up, go to work, and then you come home, to me. To our home.” He kisses my shoulder.

“So I’m not crazy thinking this all feels new?”

“It’s new for us. This is the beginning of forever. We both knew that’s where we were headed—at least, I think we did—but now we’re making it happen. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re living here with me. That this is our home.”

“I’m ready,” I whisper. David is a smart man. I’m sure he knows what I’m saying. Yes, I’m ready for the rest of our lives together, but I’m also ready to say yes. He just needs to ask me again. I know he’s trying to plan some elaborate proposal. That’s David, always trying to make things special for me. It’s not necessary, but I love him more for the thought alone.

“I called Aaron and Evan last night. I’m off the next two days. You think we can get you moved in, all the way, everything of yours and mine under this roof by then?” he asks.

I roll over and run my hands across his five-o’clock shadow. “Yeah, I think we can manage that. Look what we did in just a few hours yesterday.”

“Wanna know a secret?” he asks, kissing the corner of my mouth.

“Always.” I nod.

“I want to do it fast, for so many reasons. One is because this is what I’ve wanted since the day I put in the offer. You, living here with me, us making this place our home. I also don’t want to give you the chance to change your mind. Not that I think you’re going to. It’s just that I’ve wanted this, us, and you’ve been less than enthusiastic about us moving forward. I know you love me, but I wasn’t sure this would ever happen for us,” he confesses.

“I’m sorry, babe. I’m so damn lucky you’ve put up with me all this time. It was never you. It was never that I didn’t love you or want all the things we talked about. I was scared.”

“You’re not scared anymore?” I hear the worry in his voice.