Chapter 60
She loved the sound of his heart beating. It was so steady and strong. Comforting. She sighed. She'd never been so happy. So content. "Hank," she said softly. Lifting her head from his chest and looking into his brown eyes. "What, Babe?" he asked with a lazy grin. Trailing his fingers down her bare back.
"I'm happy," she whispered. Tears blurring her vision. "Hey," he said. Sitting up and bringing her into his arms. "I thought the usual sign of happiness was a smile. Not tears," he said. Brushing her hair back from her face. "I can't help it," she sniffled. "I've never been this happy before. I thought I was with...before. But being here with you, being your wife," she paused. Studying the golden band on her finger. "I can't even describe it."
"Man, I always knew I was good," he joked. "But not this good." She laughed. Wiping the remainder of her tears away. And smiled at him. "Now...that's more like it," he teased. Tipping her chin up with his fingertips and leaning in for a kiss. Easing her back down on the bed. Letting the covers slip away. "Again?" she teased back. Brow raised but eyes sparkling with happiness. "Just making up for lost time," he smiled. Pulling the sheets up over their heads and making good on his word.
The car lurched forward, and she woke. Eyes blinking against the sun. "Some dream you must have had," she heard him say. And the events of the last week rushed back to her. They'd gotten married. Almost a week ago. She smiled and turned to face him. "It was," she said softly. Linking her fingers with his and squeezing them gently.
"We're almost home," she said. No reason in particular. But she knew things would be different now. Her mother was bound to have learned their secret by now. Her father was one of the most wonderful men in the world. But he couldn't keep good news to himself. He found it impossible to do so. "Yeah," he said. "As nice as our honeymoon was, I can't wait to get home. See Jake."
"Me, either," she agreed. Laughing as she remembered talking with Sheridan on the phone the night before. "Poor Sheridan. She didn't say it. She didn't have to. Jake and Ali are a combination a little too potent to take twenty-four hours a day," she said with a smile. Hank chuckled to himself. Luis had been much more forthcoming in his phone call the previous night. Openly admitting Jake was pure and utter chaos. He grinned as he remembered his friend's words. "Sheridan's worried we're going to have to take that damn cat to a shrink. Can you believe it, Hank? Who chooses that as their profession? Maybe they'll want to commit the little pest," he'd said in a hopeful voice.
"What are you laughing about, Hank?" she asked curiously. "Nothing," he smiled. "Just something Luis said. He hates that cat, you know. Always plotting ways to get rid of it." "Sheridan told me the feeling was mutual," she laughed. "I don't see why he gets so bothered by it. It's just a harmless kitten. Kittens aren't annoying. They're cute. Now dogs. Dogs are another story. Slobbering all over you whenever you let them get near you."
"I knew it," he said. In a serious voice. "The honeymoon's over. We're headed straight to divorce court." And her heart stopped beating in her chest altogether. Until he said, "Becs...she's the mother-in-law from hell, but I can handle her. My wife not being able to cook...anything's better than Grace's cooking. But hating dogs...nope. I can't live with someone who has such hostile feelings toward man's best friend. Besides Luis, the best friend I ever had was a dog. I'll have the papers drawn up and sent to you, Babe. This is where I draw the line," he said. Finally cracking a grin when he saw her shaking with laughter.
She still wore a smile when they rang Sheridan and Luis's doorbell. He smirked at her. It sounded like a war party inside there. He rapped on the door. But still no one answered. So he turned the knob slowly in his hand. And the sight before them sent them into fresh hysterics. Jake and Ali wore paper Indian headdresses. And tied to a makeshift stake was the poor cat. Luis was nowhere in sight. Sheridan was in a heap on the couch. Looking incredibly exhausted. With a fussy MJ in her arms. "Help," she called out weakly from the sofa. Ah, the joys of home, he thought as his son ran to his outstretched arms. Sure it was chaotic. But he wouldn't have it any other way.
She loved the sound of his heart beating. It was so steady and strong. Comforting. She sighed. She'd never been so happy. So content. "Hank," she said softly. Lifting her head from his chest and looking into his brown eyes. "What, Babe?" he asked with a lazy grin. Trailing his fingers down her bare back.
"I'm happy," she whispered. Tears blurring her vision. "Hey," he said. Sitting up and bringing her into his arms. "I thought the usual sign of happiness was a smile. Not tears," he said. Brushing her hair back from her face. "I can't help it," she sniffled. "I've never been this happy before. I thought I was with...before. But being here with you, being your wife," she paused. Studying the golden band on her finger. "I can't even describe it."
"Man, I always knew I was good," he joked. "But not this good." She laughed. Wiping the remainder of her tears away. And smiled at him. "Now...that's more like it," he teased. Tipping her chin up with his fingertips and leaning in for a kiss. Easing her back down on the bed. Letting the covers slip away. "Again?" she teased back. Brow raised but eyes sparkling with happiness. "Just making up for lost time," he smiled. Pulling the sheets up over their heads and making good on his word.
The car lurched forward, and she woke. Eyes blinking against the sun. "Some dream you must have had," she heard him say. And the events of the last week rushed back to her. They'd gotten married. Almost a week ago. She smiled and turned to face him. "It was," she said softly. Linking her fingers with his and squeezing them gently.
"We're almost home," she said. No reason in particular. But she knew things would be different now. Her mother was bound to have learned their secret by now. Her father was one of the most wonderful men in the world. But he couldn't keep good news to himself. He found it impossible to do so. "Yeah," he said. "As nice as our honeymoon was, I can't wait to get home. See Jake."
"Me, either," she agreed. Laughing as she remembered talking with Sheridan on the phone the night before. "Poor Sheridan. She didn't say it. She didn't have to. Jake and Ali are a combination a little too potent to take twenty-four hours a day," she said with a smile. Hank chuckled to himself. Luis had been much more forthcoming in his phone call the previous night. Openly admitting Jake was pure and utter chaos. He grinned as he remembered his friend's words. "Sheridan's worried we're going to have to take that damn cat to a shrink. Can you believe it, Hank? Who chooses that as their profession? Maybe they'll want to commit the little pest," he'd said in a hopeful voice.
"What are you laughing about, Hank?" she asked curiously. "Nothing," he smiled. "Just something Luis said. He hates that cat, you know. Always plotting ways to get rid of it." "Sheridan told me the feeling was mutual," she laughed. "I don't see why he gets so bothered by it. It's just a harmless kitten. Kittens aren't annoying. They're cute. Now dogs. Dogs are another story. Slobbering all over you whenever you let them get near you."
"I knew it," he said. In a serious voice. "The honeymoon's over. We're headed straight to divorce court." And her heart stopped beating in her chest altogether. Until he said, "Becs...she's the mother-in-law from hell, but I can handle her. My wife not being able to cook...anything's better than Grace's cooking. But hating dogs...nope. I can't live with someone who has such hostile feelings toward man's best friend. Besides Luis, the best friend I ever had was a dog. I'll have the papers drawn up and sent to you, Babe. This is where I draw the line," he said. Finally cracking a grin when he saw her shaking with laughter.
She still wore a smile when they rang Sheridan and Luis's doorbell. He smirked at her. It sounded like a war party inside there. He rapped on the door. But still no one answered. So he turned the knob slowly in his hand. And the sight before them sent them into fresh hysterics. Jake and Ali wore paper Indian headdresses. And tied to a makeshift stake was the poor cat. Luis was nowhere in sight. Sheridan was in a heap on the couch. Looking incredibly exhausted. With a fussy MJ in her arms. "Help," she called out weakly from the sofa. Ah, the joys of home, he thought as his son ran to his outstretched arms. Sure it was chaotic. But he wouldn't have it any other way.