V Card Sweetheart (Sweetheart, Colorado)

She leans over and kisses me. “I love you too.”

Epilogue

Jane

Four Weeks Later

Valentines Day

“What is it?” I ask for the hundredth time it seems like.

“It’s a surprise. I’m not telling you.”

“Dutton, you shouldn’t have gotten me anything. You’ve already given me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Not yet I haven’t,” he says almost wistfully as he reaches over and rubs his hand over my stomach.

I cover his hand with my own. “I told you. It’s too soon to know if I’m pregnant, but I’m sure it will happen.”

“I’m not rushing it. When it happens, it happens. I’m just happy to be working on it right now, if you know what I mean.”

Dutton wiggles his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Oh, I know exactly what he’s talking about. He’s gone out of his way to do everything he can to make sure I get pregnant soon. It’s like he can’t stand to have me out of sight, still coming to work and sitting for hours just to be near me. He works his schedule around mine so he can take me to work and pick me up. He’s been everything I didn’t know I needed. But somehow, it seems, he knows exactly what I need.

He pulls into his shop, and I take notice of the large fourplex apartment unit that looks to just about be finished. He started on it around the same time as his shop, but it seems like it’s taken a bit more time to finish. “What are we doing here? Is this part of my surprise?”

He just shakes his head. I guess he’s discovered that he shouldn’t mention a surprise to me because I’ll drive him crazy trying to find out what it is.

He comes around to the truck and helps me out, holding my hand as we walk across the gravel lot. I pull him to a stop. “Dutton, you don’t have to keep buying me things. You got me this ring, all the flowers earlier today, everything. I just need you. That’s all I want.”

He stops and puts both hands on my cheek. “You have me. You’ll always have me. But how about this? I give you your Valentine’s present, we go to dinner and then when we get home, I get my present.”

“You don’t even know what I got you.”

“You, honey. You’re my present. And I can’t wait to unwrap you,” he says right before he dips his head for a kiss. And with Dutton, it’s never just one kiss. He takes his sweet time exploring my mouth. I get lost in the kiss until I hear someone clear their throat. “Okay, break it up. I don’t need to see all that.”

I pull away and look at the man behind the voice. “Sam! What are you doing here?”

He looks at Dutton. “You didn’t tell her?”

Dutton shakes his head.

Sam blushes. “Well, Dutton gave me a job.”

Dutton interrupts. “I didn’t give you anything, old man. You’ve earned it.”

Sam’s chest seems to bow out at that. “Yeah, so I’m working in the shop and Dutton offered me an apartment in one of the fourplex units in exchange for doing maintenance and upkeep around the apartments.”

“Oh Sam, that’s amazing. I’m so happy for you.”

He looks embarrassed, but he proudly asks me, “You want to come and check out my apartment?”

“I do. I’d love to. But first I need to do something in Dutton’s office and then we’ll be right over.”

Sam nods his head. “Okay, see you over there.” He walks out of the bay toward the apartments.

I grab Dutton’s hand, pulling him through the warehouse, past all his workers, and I don’t stop until we’re alone in his office with the door shut. “Was that my Valentine’s Day gift? Did you do that for me?” I ask in awe, my hands over my mouth.

He wraps his arms around me. “Yes, honey. That’s what you told me you wanted on our first date. Don’t you know I’ll give you anything you want? Anything at all.”

“That is…” I sob and take a deep breath to try to calm myself. “Dutton, that is the absolute best present anyone has ever given me. I can’t believe you did that.”

“Sweetheart, I bought this land the first day I met you because I knew I had to get close to you. I love you.”

I grab the front of his shirt. “Okay, so I want to give you your present. Now.”

He reaches behind him and locks the door to his office and then smiles broadly at me. “I’ll take it.”

I shake my head. “No, that’s not it. I mean that can be part of it, but I got you a real present. One I know you’re going to want.”

He’s kissing me already, and his beard scraping the sensitive skin of my neck has my body trembling. He doesn’t stop, so I put my hands on his face. “Dutton, you want your real gift?”