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“What is all of this?”
“Dinner…” John said evasively, moving towards the table and setting down the tray. “And a chance to recreate one of my most favorite moments, where I knew you were the one for me.”
“What?” Emily breathed, stunned, as she watched him unload the tray – and saw him begin to pull off the chafing lids from the plates… only to start laughing in sheer amazement and delight.
There was a tray of oysters on ice, two small plates of what looked like a half-hearted attempt at a shrimp boil, a plate of beignets… and John dug out twoAbitabeers from the silver bucket full of ice.
“John… you didn’t?” she whispered openly, gazing at him, and realizing that he’d done this for her, to make her feel comfortable, special, and loved.
“I’m sorry it took so long,” he said sheepishly. “I said I’d be back in an hour and I’m kinda late. They were definitely on ‘New Orleans time’and in no hurry, combined with the fact that they were busy…?” he glanced at her. “It’s not Krazy Cajun’s food, but hopefully it’s edible…”
Emily walked over to the table where he was straightening up the forks beside each plate, trying to make everything look perfect, and she realized that perhaps he was as nervous as she was.
“John…”
He hesitated and didn’t move, didn’t look at her.
“I thought maybe we could focus on the fun part of our relationship, how we enjoy the same things, and how much I liked laughing with you the night we went to dinner after your sister’s wedding…” he began.
She laid a hand on his arm and felt him jump.
“We don’t have to…”
“Look at me,” she urged softly, gazing at him as he swallowed, before turning slowly towards her. His green eyes searched hers as they stood there together. “This is the most beautiful and wonderful thing you could do to try to put me at ease…”
“I just want things to be perfect between us in our marriage.”
“Perfect or not, I just want someone beside me who wants to be there… and have always felt that way. I’m not expecting perfection, John. I never have. I just want to be the center of one person’s veryimperfectworld and…”
“Oh Em…” he breathed, before smiling ruefully. “If you were looking for imperfect? I’ve got that in spades…”
“And charm,” she smiled.
“… But youareat the very center of my world,” he told her, his eyes warm and tender, before clearing his throat. “Are you hungry?”
She reached up to touch his cheek, marveling again that this beautiful, sensitive man was actually hers, her husband, for the rest of her life. If she had asked for a miracle, she’d been given a tremendous one that there would never be enough ‘Thank yous’for…
“Emily Masdenhas a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
His tender smile widened.
“It honestly sounds incredible…” he said huskily.
“I thought so, too,” she replied, gazing at him, and treasuring the happiness in his expressive face. “I love your smile.”
“Your eyes make me weak in the knees,” he admitted softly. “The way you look at me sometimes just makes me want to…”
She nodded.
“Then you should,” she interrupted nervously, taking his hand, and pulling him away from the table.
“You don’t think the neighbors will be mad?” he said teasingly. “I mean, if I go around hollering in excitement or stomping then…”
“I thought you were referring to something else,” she blurted out, before bursting out laughing as she realized he was teasing her.
Her face grew warm as she saw the humor dancing in those brilliant green depths gazing at her with so much love and tenderness… right before he pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, Mrs. Masden,” he whispered softly, his lips brushing against hers. “I think you are incredible, my best friend, so witty, so overtly sexy… and…”
