AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Were you?” Georgie asked, snuggling into Ryan’s side and offering food from her plate to him.
“Yeah, thought I might get a bit of beauty treatment done before the baby comes. How about a girl’s day?”
“Georgie isn’t available tomorrow,” Ryan said, a note of finality in his voice that surprised Georgie.
“Aren’t I?” Georgie asked at the same time as Mikayla said, “Isn’t she?”
Without taking his eyes from Georgie’s, Ryan replied, “No, she’s not. She’s coming to Melbourne with me.” He waited a beat. “To pick out a ring.” He grinned at the sudden shrieks that followed his announcement, making Georgie laugh as they got to their feet to accept everyone’s congratulations.
Then they were all sitting down again and the conversation turned to wedding plans, honeymoon destinations and Leah’s expert opinion on what dress would best suit the bride to be. Under cover of all of that, Georgie turned into Ryan, laying her hand on his cheek and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you and I can’t wait to marry you.”
“I love you too, Georgie May.” His smile as he said the words had Georgie’s heart singing.
EPILOGUE
Georgie sighed, wrapping her fingers around her hot cup of tea and stretching her legs out, crossing them at the ankles. She loved this little spot on her veranda, especially around early afternoon when the sun wasn’t yet high enough in the sky that she couldn’t feel its gentle kiss on her face. The ocean was a beautiful, vibrant blue, rolling in to her little beach before easing back out. Her heart skipped a few beats when she heard the familiar sound of Ryan’s car easing across the gravel. She counted to ten, giving him enough time to park, get out and retrieve his case from the trunk. Then she bolted to her feet, already smiling as she rounded the corner of the house, crossed to the top of the stairs and hurried down them. Smiling back at her, Ryan dropped his case and held his arms open, catching her when she jumped from the bottom step into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and giving him a hot, wet kiss. “I missed you,” she said when she finally broke the kiss.
“Aye, I missed you too. It was a long two days.”
“It felt like forever,” Georgie replied, dropping to the ground, keeping her arm around Ryan as they walked up the stairs.
“It did. Everything okay here?”
“Of course. The new therapist is great. Settling in really well and loves the town.”
“Great.” He stopped so Georgie could go before him into the house, following her into the kitchen.
“Yeah, and Bran’s really loving running the yoga classes.”
“I was only gone two days, mo chroi.” The amusement in Ryan’s voice was unmistakable. “Your lad was loving running the yoga classes before I left.”
She pulled a bowl of salad from the fridge and placed it on the table. “Har har. I told you it felt like forever.” Before she could move away from the table, Ryan reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her into his lap. Giggling, Georgie pushed her fingers into his hair, shivering when she felt his fingers slip under her sweater to caress her skin as he kissed her. “Stop now, or the pie will burn.” She tried to pull away, but Ryan held her against him with one arm around her waist.
“It’s not pie I’m hungry for.”
Giggling some more, Georgie surrendered to his kiss, until they were interrupted by the baby monitor going off and the sound of a divinely sweet baby babble floated on the air. “Oop,” Georgie said, pushing to her feet when Ryan let her go. “He’ll want his Da and his lunch, in that order.”
Georgie smiled to herself as she pulled the pie from the oven, listening to Ryan take the baby from his cot, heard Shawn’s excited babble while Ryan changed his diaper, then his adorable chuckle when his father tickled him mercilessly. These were the micro moments of pure, perfect happiness that kept Georgie’s heart full.
She brought the plates to the table just as Ryan returned, with Shawn snuggled into his shoulder. “Missed your Da, didn’t you, little man?” she said, pressing a kiss to his blond mop. Grabbing a bib from the kitchen draw, she handed it to Ryan, smiling at him when he held Shawn on his lap instead of putting him in the highchair. Blowing on Shawn’s lunch to cool it, she tested the temperature with her finger. Satisfied, she pushed it across the table to Ryan, then rested her chin on her hand, feeling the familiar tug at her heart as she watched Ryan with their baby.
“Not eating, mo chroi?”
Georgie shrugged. “Just enjoying the show.” She picked up her fork. “But I suppose I should keep my strength up.”
Ryan glanced at her, a question in his eyes. Comprehension dawned almost immediately. “You’re not?”
“I sure am. Peed on a stick this morning.”
“Georgie…” his voice thick with emotion, he held his arm wide and Georgie moved from the chair into his lap. Shawn flapped his arms excitedly and threw himself at his mother. Laughing, she caught him up, pressing kisses all over his little face.
“Are you ready to be a big brother? Oooh, yes you are!” She said when he put his pudgy hands on her face, trying to pull her toward him. Then, holding Shawn close, she turned to Ryan and her smile faded. Her heart squeezed at the look in his eyes.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too,” She replied. “So much.”
