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Janie nods and tears come to her eyes as she takes my big hand in her small one.
“You’re welcome, Brand,” she manages in a lilting voice. “But I think that I should be the one thanking you. You’re the one who put our little ray of sunshine inside me, and you’ve given me a whole new purpose in life. I was casting about wondering about this so-called career that never materialized, but now I know what I want: to be a mom. So thank you, too.”
I smile and lean down to seize her lips in a passionate kiss before becoming serious again.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. More than happy to help. But as I mentioned, my lifestyle as a trucker wasn’t conducive to fatherhood, so I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since the news of your pregnancy. I’ve decided that I’m going to leave long haul trucking, Janie. It’s not the right job for me anymore.”
“Really?” she whispers, completely surprised. “But you’ve been a trucker for so long! This is your career!”
I nod.
“Yeah, but I want to be here for my child too, and that’s hard to do when you’re on the road all the time. I love my dad and I have a great relationship with him, but I still remember how it was when I was a little boy. I hardly saw Pete, and when I did, there was always a sad feeling because I knew pretty soon, he’d be on the road again. Then when he was gone, I was constantly counting down the days, minutes, and hours until I’d get to see him again.”
Janie’s eyes fill with tears.
“That’s so sad.”
I nod.
“I know, and he missed everything in my life too. My first baseball game. My first basketball game. My junior prom. He didn’t get to witness a lot of my childhood, and this isn’t to say that my dad didn’t love me. Pete absolutely adored his kids, but he didn’t know us. And then when I graduated, he retired, but by then, I had started trucking too and we never really intersected. I don’t want my own kid to go through that, I guess is what I’m saying. I want to be around to take care of them, and to see all those milestones with my own two eyes. I don’t want to be some ghostly father figure. I want to be right here whenever he or she needs me.”
Janie sniffles and wipes a stray tear as it rolls down her cheek.
“That’s so sweet, Brand. I can tell you’ve thought about this a lot, and you’re going to be an amazing dad too. But what are you going to do now? Are you thinking of being a stay-at-home father?”
I squeeze her butt fondly but then grow serious.
“I’m not sure yet,” is my admission. “I’ve been trucking all my life so that’s really all I know, but don’t worry. I’ll figure it out and in the meantime, I have plenty saved in the bank. I’ve been building my nest egg since I first started working twenty-five years ago, so it’s actually huge now. We’re all good until I find something else. We’re fine.”
She smiles again, gently leaning her head against my shoulder.
“I know,” my sweet girlfriend murmurs smiles. “I trust you, Brand. I know you’ll take good care of us.”
Then I chuckle and press a kiss to her curls.
“Yeah, but you know, I’ll have to make sure that it’s a job that will provide plenty of vacation time because I don’t want there to be any problems when it comes time for our honeymoon.”
Janie jerks up to stare at me.
“What? A honeymoon?”
I smile before getting down off the couch to take a knee in front of the beautiful woman. Then I pull a ring box from my pocket, and her eyes widen as she gasps, one hand cupping her mouth.
“Oh my God,” she breathes.
I nod with a big smile.
“Janie Mulgrew, I knew I loved you when we went on our first date, when I took you to that honky tonk. You were funny, giving, and gorgeous that night, and I was entranced. Since then, we’ve been on a wild adventure, but instead of pushing me away, it’s only cemented what I suspected from the beginning: that I want to spend my life with you. Will you, sweetheart? Will you do me the honor of becoming Janie Danner?”
Tears begin pouring from her eyes as she nods.
“Yes,” she murmurs softly. “Yes, I’d love to be your wife, Brand.”
I slide the engagement ring onto her finger, and it glimmers beautifully, like it’s always belonged there. Then I press my lips to her pink pout once more, claiming this woman as my own. After all, when the sassy cheerleader wore her uniform for me so long ago, we were both expecting hot fun and nothing else. But now, with my baby in her belly and my ring on her finger, it’s progressed to more than just a good time – instead, my life with Janie promises to be eternal bliss from here on out.
