“Hello?” I call as I step into the empty inventory room. I check my phone again to see the text from my husband telling me he needed help in his mom’s candle shop. No, I’m in the right place.
As soon as I think the thought, Barrett appears in the doorway. He leans against the frame casually, and my heart skips a beat. We’ve been together for six years. Today is our anniversary. Not that we had time to celebrate it before we were wrangling our three kids out the door and running our businesses.
There’s a teasing glint in his eyes. Something about the way he’s dressed feels so familiar. “How long has it been since you’ve had an O that wasn’t a donut?”
I finally realize he’s re-enacting the moment we met. “Way too long.”
He smirks. “I can help you with that.”
I put a hand on my hip, unable to suppress my smile any longer. “Prove it.”
He stalks across the floor and scoops me into his arms, bridal style while I laugh. He carries me into the donut shop and up the stairs to my old apartment. We’ve renovated it over the years.
Now, we pay a nanny to stay with the kids here during the day. This allows me to run the bakery but still be close by to drop in on my babies. I love that I get the best of both worlds—being a working mom who chases after her dreams while still having my kids nearby to cover with kisses and hugs anytime they need me.
Except the kids aren’t here today. They’re staying with Linda for the day. She’s an amazing grandmother who’s actively involved in her grandchildren’s lives. She has so many of them, and yet she still finds a way to make each one feel special.
He gently sets me onto the big king-sized bed we keep in the bedroom for our midday rendezvous. They don’t happen very often but when they do, the passion between us is combustible.
He drops to his knees on the floor beside the bed, pausing to stare at me for a long moment. I recognize that look. It means he’s thinking about something important. I press a soft kiss to his lips. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“The day I married you, I thought there was so much love in my heart that it didn’t feel like my body could contain it all. And now six years later, I have even more love for you and the family we’ve built together.”
His words make me tear up and remind me of why I married him in the first place. No one has ever loved me more or better than my big teddy bear. “I love you, too,” I whisper, my own heart overflowing with gratitude for this life we’ve created.
He kisses me again slowly and then we’re touching and caressing each other until we both find our release. He holds me after it, stroking my hair and listening to my heart rate come down. I love it when we’re in motion together, but I also crave the quiet stillness just after we’ve been intimate.
My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I was so wrapped up in celebrating our anniversary that I completely forgot about food.
He chuckles. “I brought lunch. Let me get it for you.”
Barrett gets out of bed, and I take a moment to admire my husband’s figure. He’s a little squishier around the middle now, but I love his body. I always thought he was sexy when he was covered in all of that delicious man fur. But now he’s rocking the dad bod along with the hairy chest and it makes my mouth water.
He slips into a pair of blue jeans before going into the kitchen. I drag my tired body from the bed and go to the bathroom to take care of business and wash my hands. By the time I return, Barrett is back on the bed with food spread out for us.
I settle on the mattress and take a sip of my milkshake from Ernie’s Diner. “I remember drinking this at our reception.”
“You looked so cute that day. All flushed and rumpled from our time together in the bathroom,” he says with a smile in his voice.
“Best day ever,” I agree as I steal some of his French fries. I always order onion rings with my food only to eat his fries.
“For me, it was the cabin,” he answers. “The moment you trusted me enough to tell me your story, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Still do every day.”
I tear up at his words. “How do you always know the sweetest stuff to say to me?”
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and smiles at me, the corners of his eyes crinkling. The little laugh lines have become more pronounced in the past few years. He has some gray mixing into his beard and starting at his temples. He’s going to be a silver fox within a few years.
I love that I’m getting to grow older with him. I’m looking forward to the day when we’re two old lovebirds who sit on the front porch and wait for our grandchildren to come visit. We’ll talk with fondness about days just like this when we snuck away from our daily responsibilities to be with each other.
“Why are you crying sweetheart?” His hand moves from my hair to my cheek, brushing away the moisture.
“I don’t know! You’re just so sweet, and you’re stealing me away for our anniversary and…and I haven’t had a period in a couple of months, have I?” The knowledge of why I’m crying suddenly hits me. Of course! I know exactly what this is about.
His face lights up. He’s just as excited as I am. “You’re right. You haven’t.”
I swipe at my face and hurry from the bed to the bathroom. I make quick work of the test while Barrett hovers nearby. The moment I see the positive result, I blink back another sheen of tears.
My cowboy husband pulls me into his arms and presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. “You just keep giving me all these precious little sprinkles.”
I giggle at the word we use to describe our kids and put a hand on my stomach. I can’t believe we keep getting so lucky. “You give me the best donuts to work with.”
He chuckles and holds me close. It’s been six years together filled with adventure and chaos and tender, loving moments like these. I can’t wait to see what the next six years hold for our beautiful family. If our past is any indicator, the coming years will be just as sweet.
***
My brother said that sometimes love hits you out of nowhere. He wasn’t wrong. I have the concussion to prove it.
Problem is, the little pixie who hit me wants nothing to do with me. But the whole town thinks we’re dating, and I’ll use every advantage I have to win my girl’s heart. Because this cowboy is head over heels and completely gone for the sassy reporter.
If you love fake dating romances and possessive cowboys who are all-in from the first awkward meet cute, then it’s time to fall for Zac Maple in Big Rowdy Cowboy. Pre-order Big Rowdy Cowboy for a story so hot you’ll need an ice cube!
