“We probably should go. Logan called and said he and Melanie are about to go crazy. Mama is in a tizzy.”
“I agree. I can’t leave Claire alone too long with your grandpa. I think he’s serious about wanting to steal her,” Mathis mumbles.
“You afraid of a little competition?” I goad him.
“It’s not the competition. It’s the fact Roy’s been known to shoot people off his property.”
Grace starts to giggle and buries her face in my shirt. “It was one time!”
“I love that story!” Bizzy starts bouncing, and Shaw grabs her in his arms, terror written on his face.
“Stop that!” he orders, holding her in place.
I’m not the only one who thinks she’s going to jiggle this baby out.
Mathis starts laughing while shaking his head.
I look at the people I love most in the world with Grace attached to my side. My heart is completely full.
I lay my lips to the top of her head and speak low enough so only she can hear. “Thank you, Sweet Peach.”
She raises her face to me, her violet eyes glowing brightly. “For what?”
“For choosing me, giving me this.”
She smiles sweetly, knowing exactly what I mean.
2 Weeks Later
“I can’t believe this!” Grace gushes, spinning in a circle with her hands spread wide. Her face is pure awe, and I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s taken months of private calls, secret emails, and tons of help, but I’ve finally been able to pull it off.
Grace now stands in her own studio, equipped with the best that money can buy. She will now be able to create her sculptures in her own space when she moves back.
“This had to cost a fortune!”
I scoop her into my arms and twirl us both. “Don’t worry about the money, Grace. When you come back from Greece, I wanted you to have a place of your own. I even had a bedroom set up in the loft, so if you’re working late nights, we’ll have somewhere to stay.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
“I figured, since I couldn’t give you a honeymoon until spring, I could give you your wedding present now. Even though it’ll sit empty for a few months, it’s here when you come home.”
“Home,” she repeats with a smile.
“Home, with me.”
“How’d you do all this?” She braces on my shoulders, her face shining bright with excitement.
“I had lots of help, but Doni was essential in making sure I ordered the right things. Actually, I ended up handing over my credit card and telling her to handle the ordering.”
“That sneak! So the whole time she was on my case, working me to the bone, she knew about this?”
“At least since March.”
“I love it!” She leans in and lays her mouth on mine, tracing my lips with the tip of her tongue until I part them. Our tongues swirl together, slowly at first until I grip the back of her neck and angle her head to go deeper. Her hands scrape along my shoulders until she reaches my face and holds it tightly.
The kiss turns wild, and her legs lock around my stomach, forcing me to reposition so my hands are holding her ass.
Fifteen stairs. If I can get to the staircase, there are only fifteen stairs until I can lay her out on the bed. I start moving, and she tears her mouth away.