Love with Me (With Me in Seattle 11)

“You’ve written in love weekends twice a month.” I trace the words written in Jace’s chicken-scratch with my fingertips.

“That’s right,” he says. “And I’ll do my best to be home at the same time as you in the evenings, as long as there’s not an emergency that needs my attention.”

“Jace, this is just . . . I don’t have words.”

“Well, there’s more. As we get closer to the baby coming, and we have a clearer picture of the due date, I’ll arrange to take the two weeks off starting the day you give birth. I want to be here with both of you.”

“You’re amazing,” I whisper, then point to next Wednesday. “Can you pencil me in here for lunch? I’ll come meet you at the hospital.”

“Of course.” He writes it in with a smile. “We will schedule vacations and time together in advance. And I’ll do my best to make my schedule mirror yours as much as I can.”

“Thank you.” I set the book on the table and climb into his lap, framing his face in my hands. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

“We are going to make this work,” he promises. “And I owe you an apology, too. I promised that I wouldn’t make you feel like you’re second-fiddle to my job, and I didn’t succeed in that endeavor. Joy, I can’t promise that I won’t still work a lot, but I can guarantee that I’ll try harder, and do everything I can to respect our schedule.”

“Thank you,” I repeat, resting my forehead against his. “What do we do now?”

“Get naked,” he suggests.

“No.” I giggle and press my lips to his in a quick kiss. “I mean, what do we do next? I don’t want to get married when I’m huge.”

“I’m quite sure we can pull together a wedding before that happens. We have time. First, though, where are we going to live?”

I blink, not having thought of that before. “Oh, good point. It would make sense to live here. It’s bigger than my house and closer to your job.”

“I don’t want you to have to commute far for your job,” he says with a frown.

“Well, I have some work news, too. With the baby coming, I don’t think I’ll want to go back full-time. I’m hoping for three days one week, four the next, and then alternate that way.”

“I love that idea,” he says. “But you own the business.”

“I’ll still own it, I’m just going to hire another part-time doctor. I have time to find the right fit.”

“Well, since we’re on the same page about where we’ll live, follow me.”

He stands with me in his arms, sets me on the floor, and leads me through the house to the bedroom next to the master. It’s just a normal-sized room with a small walk-in closet, currently housing some home gym equipment.

“How do you feel about this room as the nursery?”

“Hmm.” I tap my finger on my lips. “It’s going to need some paint.”

His lips twitch, and his eyes shine in happiness. “I know a girl.”

“Nah-ah,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t think pregnant women are supposed to be around the fumes.”

“Good point. I’ll hire someone.”

“Then I think it’s the perfect room for the baby.”

Suddenly, I’m scooped up into his arms, and he’s marching into our bedroom.

“Now what are you doing?”

“Well, since all of our business is sorted, I’m getting you naked. Any objections?”

“Not even one.”

Five years later

~Joy~

“Mama!” Elizabeth Grace comes running over the wet sand toward me, her hand stretched out, and her sweet face lit up with excitement. “Mama, look!”

“What do you have there, pumpkin?”

“A crab!”

She reaches me and gingerly holds a tiny, squirming crab in her hand.

“Yes, you do. This is a hermit crab.”

I spend a couple of minutes explaining how I know that, and then she’s off again to put the crab back in the water.

My four-year-old is a sponge, soaking up everything in the entire world that she can. She loves animals like her mama, and she’s so damn smart, just like her daddy. We named her Elizabeth, after my mother, and I’ll never forget the day she was born, and my dad heard her name for the first time.

It might have been one of the few times I’ve seen him cry.

“This one is sleepy,” Jace says as he returns from his walk down the beach. He’s carrying our six-month-old son in a baby carrier. “If you’d like to take him back to the condo, I’ll play with Lizzy for a bit and then join you for lunch.”

“I like that plan.” Before I take Elijah from him, I rise up on my tiptoes for a kiss. Jace cups my ass and gives it a squeeze.

“I don’t want to give everyone a show out here,” he murmurs against my lips. His eyes are full of mischief.

“We’ll put on our own show later,” I assure him, taking the sleeping baby from him. “See you in a bit.”

We bought the condo in Maui two years ago when we decided that we needed another investment opportunity, and a place to get away from it all. We come at least four times a year.

“Mama!” I stop at the foot of our steps and turn in surprise. Lizzy is running toward me, her face deep in concentration. Jace is right behind her.

“What is it?”

“You just left us!”

“I left you with Daddy so I could put Elijah down for a nap. I thought you’d want to play some more.”

She shakes her head and climbs right up the steps ahead of me.

“We go together,” she informs us. “As a family.”

I glance at Jace, who just shrugs and takes the baby from me, cuddling him against his chest. “I guess she told us. She’s bossy. Like her mama.”

I snort, following my whole life up the steps to our home in paradise.

It’s a good life. It’s a very good life.