AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And I love you,” he breathed – and then hesitated.
“What?”
“Killeen, Texas,” he said simply, grinning at her. “There was one set of orders to Killeen, and I got them. We’re going home, and will be within driving distance of both of our families, Ruby.”
… And before she could say anything?
Michael kissed her deeply. She threw her arms around his shoulders, laughing, kissing him once again… and again.
EPILOGUE
Four months later…
Killeen, Texas
Ruby was walking back inside,grateful for air conditioning during the late Texas summers that were sweltering sometimes. She made a beeline for her classroom to get her bag that was hidden under her desk.
They were driving up to Tyler for the weekend to celebrate, because Rose and Ben were coming for a visit – and it would be the first time everyone was together since the wedding. John, Michael’s father, was grilling, and her parents were bringing the side dishes.
As Ruby walked into her classroom, she spotted her beloved soldier standing there in uniform before the chalkboard, and looking at the scribbles across the surface as she taught spelling to her first graders.
Michael looked so handsome in that moment – and surprisingly like his father. There were times that the way he stood, how he smiled, or how he looked at her, reminded her so much of watching John and Lily together… and other times, he was definitely his own person.
“Hey peep…” she smiled softly, moving to his side as he turned to embrace her in the empty classroom.
“Hey Beautiful,” he breathed, capturing her lips in a tender kiss that made her feel so loved and grateful for this life she lived now.
Sure things could be hard financially, or it was annoying to live such a structured life on base, but she wouldn’t change any of it… because it was these moments where he could be himself with her.
“Am I not your unicorn anymore?” she pouted, wincing as she pointed to her hair. “Is it that bad?”
“You look beautiful and always have,” he smiled – and then bent his head slightly to kiss the roots of her dark hair that were obviously growing in. “But I’m not quite sure what made you decide to let it grow out. I kinda like the bleached look with all those funky colors, but it’s ultimately your hair, my love…”
“Well,” she hedged nervously, and then smiled shyly at him. “According to some things I read online, the chemicals get absorbed in the blood stream… and can be passed on to the placenta.”
Michael stood there for a moment – and she could pinpoint the exact second that he understood what she was saying. His hazel eyes widened, and his breathtaking smile was her undoing.
“Are you serious?”
“I snuck to the doctor to make sure when you had duty on base,” she bragged, fidgeting with his collar. “So, perhaps we’ll use ‘peep’for our little ‘peep’and upgrade you to ‘Daddy’… in about seven months.”
“Oh Ruby…” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion as he stared at her in disbelief and wonder, before putting his hand on her lower abdomen over her slacks. “We’re going to have a baby?”
“Our very own little peep,” she smiled. “Now, it remains to be seen if we need pink peeps or blue ones…”
“But yellow is your favorite color,” he prompted, drawing her into his arms again, almost reciting word for word what she’d told him a few years ago. She curled her arms around his neck, kissing him easily, before hugging him tightly. “I love your brown hair, Beautiful…”
“I love yellow peeps…” she choked out tearfully, hearing him chuckle as they looked at each other, savoring this moment. “And I think we’ve made quite a ‘go’ of our relationship, grunt.”
“We’ve done a better job than our weirdo siblings…”
“They’re happy,” she laughed, shaking her head.
“But I’m ecstatic. Every morning that I wake up beside you, see your smile, hear your voice, or make you laugh at me?” he murmured openly, brushing a wisp of her hair away from her face. “Your presence jumpstarts my soul on a daily basis. So yeah – our siblings can be happy… but I will take basking in your paradise for the win any day of the week, Ruby Griffin.”
“Mmm,” she murmured, moving to kiss him once more. “Smart man.”
“Only because I got smart and quit picking on you…”
* * *
The End
