Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Why’d you stop?” She juts out her bottom lip in a pout.
Leaning in, I nip at her lip, and she moans. “I want to give you your Valentine’s Day present.”
“That’s tomorrow.”
“Close enough.” I tap at her hip. “Let me up. I’ll be right back.” She does as I ask, and I jog down the hall to my bedroom, grab the small gift bag, and race back out to the living room. “Okay, you have two gifts, but this is the only one you’re getting tonight,” I tell her. “I’ll hold the other for our dinner tomorrow.”
I hand her the small bag and sit back down on the couch. She smiles before reaching into the tiny gift bag and shuffling around. She pulls out the keychain—a belt buckle with M&B on it—and with it is a key.
“This is so cute,” she says, inspecting the keychain. “What’s the key for?”
“To my house.”
Her eyes widen. “You’re giving me a key to your house?”
“I am.” I smile at her.
“But you had this before our talk tonight?”
“I did.”
“What?” she asks in disbelief.
“I wanted you to have full access to me at all times. My plan was to tell you that you hold the key to my heart, because I was afraid if I told you that I was in love with you that you would run, but tonight, well, you changed my plans.” I grin.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. After everything we’ve shared tonight, I can tell you everything I was thinking.” I take a deep breath and keep going. “I was thinking that I want you here, Baylor. I want this house to be our home, or if you hate it, we’ll move. But I meant what I said when I told you I wanted to build a life with you. So, you have a key to this house, you have my heart, and one day, when you’re ready, I want you to live here, too. Regardless of when that happens, to me, this is our home, not mine.”
Fresh tears appear, but they’re accompanied by a wide smile. “I love you, Macklin McBride.”
“I love you, too, future Mrs. McBride.” She gasps, and I laugh, pulling her back into my lap and kissing her like it’s the last time I might ever have the chance.
Seventeen
Baylor
* * *
I risk a quick glance at Macklin in the passenger seat of my new SUV as we cross over the corporate limits of Nashville. He has no idea where we’re going. I told him two weeks ago that we had plans for today and that we’d be spending the night. I told him it was a surprise, and he simply nodded and didn’t ask questions.
Well, not until this morning, as we were getting ready to leave his place. He wanted to take his truck and drive, but I told him we were taking my new Traverse and that I was driving. He grumped but never really complained. I love my new SUV. Sure, it’s bigger than what I need, but what’s the point of getting a smaller car if we’re working toward a family one day soon? Okay, now, if I’m being honest. It’s been a little over a month since we confessed our love for each other, and Macklin pretty much said he’d give me the world.
I don’t need the world. I just need him.
Anyway, we’re still not using protection, but I’m suddenly not worried. If we’re being honest, I wasn’t before either. I was devastated when I got my period, but last week, I handled it just fine. I think it was a lot of things: hormones for one, my love for him that I was still holding inside, for two, and some of the pain that my ex left behind, for three. I think somewhere in my mind I was thinking if it wasn’t then, it would never be, that my time was running out. But that’s not true. Sure, I’m going to be thirty-one this year, but we still have time to start a family, and the way we’ve been working toward that goal lately, well, it’s bound to happen soon.
“Wait, is that where we’re going?” He points to a billboard sign advertising tonight’s rodeo.
“Yep.”
“Whoop!” he cheers, then leans over as far as the seat belt will allow and kisses my cheek. “Best girlfriend ever!”
I laugh. “I thought that I could experience a little of your world. I know you’re retired now, but you can still explain all the ins and outs, and I’m sure you’ll see someone you know.”
“You’ve been to a rodeo before,” he reminds me.
“I have. But I’ve never been to one as a cowboy’s girl. I want to see it through your eyes.” I pull into the arena parking lot and put the SUV in Park before turning to face him. “Our hotel is right across the street, and I managed to get us behind-the-scenes passes, so here we are.”