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I grab her hands and kiss them, then fall to my knees and kiss her exposed tummy.
“I’m going to take such good care of you and your mom, little one.” I’ve always wanted this, but now that it’s happening, I’m completely overwhelmed.
“Now listen. I need you to be nice to your mom. She’s making you grow in there and keeping you nice and cozy, so I’m going to have to ask you to stop making her throw up, at least until we get her back home to dry land and Cherry Falls.”
Frenchie laughs. “Doesn’t really work like that, but you’re the sweetest, Hudson. Now can we go get some ice cream and sit on the beach? Looking at fruit is making me feel ill.”
I rise back up to full height. “You just tossed your cookies, and now you want ice cream?”
I don’t know if it’s pregnancy hormones or what, but the salty Frenchie comes out right then, and she points a finger in my face. “The first rule of taking care of your pregnant wife is never question her cravings. And actually, that goes for whether your wife is pregnant or not.”
I hold up my hands in surrender, but I can’t help but remind her of the fact that we’re not married yet. “Legally, we’re not married yet, so—“
And that was the wrong thing to say.
“If you want to get married at some point, then I suggest you stop talking. Ice cream. Now.”
I probably shouldn’t take this opportunity to tell her that bossy, pregnant Frenchie is turning me on. I’ll save that for later.
With my hand gently rubbing her belly, she softens her stance and leans into me, accepting my apology and my kiss on her forehead. “Ice cream and a beach day. Aye-aye, captain of my heart.”
Epilogue
Ten years later
Adalee
“Grandpa Kris has a surprise for you boys,” Hudson declares over breakfast, much to the excitement of our two little monsters, Adam and Harry.
&nb
sp; Adam’s little nine-year-old face is covered in blueberry syrup. “Are we getting a puppy?”
I look over at my Hudson, whose expression darkens, but only a little. Peanut, Butter, and Jelly were elderly cats when we got married nine years ago. It’s a miracle they lived this long. So as heartbreaking as it is to admit, they are not going to be around much longer. Hudson seems sadder about the inevitable than I do.
I chime in. “Not exactly. Grandpa Jay is taking you two fishing on Captain Jack’s boat today.”
Harry, who is five, jumps up. “Are we gonna see dolphins?”
He loves the sea and marine life, and his little brain fits so many fishy facts in it that I feel like he could lecture most adults on how to take better care of the environment.
I smile at Harry. “Maybe. You never know.”
A deep, gravelly voice booms across the kitchen and startles us all.
“Arrrgh! Where be my nuggets? I need me miniature crewmates.”
Adam and Harry love it when Grandpa Kris uses his pirate voice. He scoops up our little rug rats in his beefy arms and corrals them as they get their shoes and gear ready.
After the buddies are gone, I watch Hudson begin to clean up the breakfast dishes. He’s still too quiet for my liking right now. I know what he’s doing; he’s all up in his head.
I slide up behind him as he stands at the sink, slipping my arms around his waist. Over his shoulder, I see the view from our kitchen window, on top of a secluded wooded hill overlooking the marina. It’s not fancy or huge, but we’ve made a comfortable life for our little family. We have a bit of land to grow vegetables and keep chickens. The boys have a couple of acres to run, explore, dig trenches and build tiny dams in the creek. There’s nothing more we need except to cheer up my Hudson.
He’s still my best friend. Always has been, always will be. I will go to the ends of the earth to make his world right, just as I know he would do for me.
“I love you, Hudson. And if you’re ready, the county shelter opens in an hour. They have a pair of lab pups in need of rescue. I figure, if you want to give a couple of active little ones some room to run around and dig, we’ve got the perfect spot for it. It might make the transition easier.”
Hudson pivots around so quickly I almost lose my balance.
