Surrender to Me (Boggy Creek Valley 4)

“What?!” Sharon’s concerned expression was suddenly replaced with a wide grin. “A family?”

“Have you both talked about this already?” James asked. “What about marriage?”

Bella and I both nodded. “I’d marry Bella today if she’d let me,” I said.

Sharon put her hand to her forehead. “Oh, James! I think I might pass out. Give me a moment, kids.” She stood and took a few deep breaths and James stood as well.

Leaning over, I whispered against Bella’s ear, “Maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned the family thing just yet.”

She smiled and placed her hand over her stomach, causing me to look down and then back up at her. My heart did a little somersault in my chest at the idea that Bella could already be pregnant. With as much sex as we’d had last night and earlier this morning, it wouldn’t be a surprise. The idea that she wanted to start a family right away had me over the damn moon.

“I think she can handle it,” Bella whispered back.

Sharon turned and walked back over with James at her side. They both sat on the sofa again. “I’m sorry, the idea of grandkids just got me a little excited,” she said.

James laughed. “Not gonna lie, me too.”

“As I was saying,” Bella said, “I’d move the bees to the farm. And I’ve already spoken to Candace, and she’s totally on board with running the café while I help out with the storefront. She’s actually really excited, since this is a dream of hers.”

Sharon’s smile grew even wider. “I knew that girl had a passion for all things baking and cooking. I could just tell by the way she moved around in that little kitchen up at the store.”

Bella and I both laughed.

“I’d also like to look into expanding the picnic baskets I’ve been making,” Bella said. “With Candace running the café, it means I won’t have to be at the store all the time, and I think it could be something I’d really like to do.”

“What about the apiary tours?” her mom asked. “Would you still do them? You know how much your grandmother and grandfather loved to teach folks about bees.”

“Yes, of course, I still would. The bees will always be my top priority. My dream is to teach our kids about the bees.”

I could see that the idea of grandkids had James and Sharon about to bounce out of their seats. I felt the same way.

Her parents exchanged a look, then turned back to us. “Well then, it looks like we’ve got some bees to move and a wedding to plan,” Sharon said.

Bella jumped up and ran over to her parents. She hugged them both, and then she and Sharon started to laugh and cry at the same time.

James walked over to me and hit me on the back. “It’s about damn time.”

I stood and looked out the window of our new house, watching as Bella, Willa, and Ben all walked down the freshly shoveled pathway to check on the apiary. It was mid-March and we had been in the house now for almost a week. Clearing a spot for all the hives and moving them had been a hell of a lot more work than any of us had anticipated, but seeing how happy Bella was made it all worthwhile.

Moving our little friends hadn’t been the only thing occupying our time. Bella and I drove into Boston last weekend and picked out an engagement ring, deciding on the way back to Boggy Creek that we wanted to get married on the farm, in the gazebo. That meant we needed to wait a few more months for warmer weather. If it made Bella happy, then I was all for it. But a small part of me just wanted to make her my wife immediately.

Bella and Candace both signed the rental agreement for the storefront on Main Street, and the contractor would start working on it next week. They needed to add a kitchen, and the contractor was optimistic it would only take a month since things were slow and he could get a double crew on it. There was so much going on—and I fucking loved seeing Bella thrive.

“How’s the therapy going?” Aiden asked as he walked up and handed me the beer I’d set down in the kitchen.

“Good. Bella goes once a week by herself, and I join her for a second session.”

Aiden looked out the window and gently rubbed Ciara’s back where she slept in some weird sack thing that was strapped onto the front of him. It was like a backpack for babies. “Everything been good?”

I could hear the concern in Aiden’s voice. “She’s woken up maybe twice from nightmares. Will she ever stop having them?”

He nodded. “I think so. I still have them occasionally. Not sure what triggers them. The best thing you can do is simply be there for her.”