Having a Prince Charming Wasn’t so Bad

Harper finished up setting the table and waited for Gideon to come inside. The windows were repaired on the house and greenhouse, the siding replaced where a few stray bullets had hit. Everything was back to normal, well, her new normal, and she loved it. She had moved all her things into their room. Their room. She still couldn’t get over it.

Best part of her day, though, was waiting for him to come home. She didn’t know why, but she loved walking around their house or lounging on the couch naked. She loved her new confidence. The way she was finally happy and healthy. She wouldn’t say she didn’t have her bad days, they both did, although, they were few and farther between.

They talked about the future, and she understood they were still new, it had only been four months since they’d gotten together. A lot had happened. The biggest change was being free of Bill. She no longer had to look over her shoulder. She didn’t have to worry about being hurt or humiliated. Gideon treated her as if she were the best thing in his life and he made her feel that way. That she was perfect as is and loved. She’d worked through her doubts, the lingering fear and panic. She felt free.

Gideon hadn’t tried to change her, and because of that, she’d found herself. She was even looking into buying Nightingale’s because Clora wanted to retire. She had a home. A prospective business. And a man who loved her—not what she let the world see.

It was quick, but it felt right, she didn’t want to think about a future without him.

She checked the time and rushed for the door with Tiny right on her heels. She pushed open the screen door just in time to watch Gideon walk across the yard. He was all healed from the gunshot. He’d almost lost a kidney, but he’d been lucky. Bill had been drunk the night of the attack, and his aim hadn’t been true.

A smile curved his mouth as he jogged up the steps, swinging her into his arms.

“I was wondering if you were coming in anytime soon.”

“I had to check the shipment of orchids you wanted. Did you miss me?”

“Of course, and also, I’m hungry, I’ve been waiting on dinner.”

“Let me wash up, and we’ll eat.”

He set her on her feet, and she bent over to pick Tiny up, then they headed into the house. The screen door banged behind them. She glanced behind her to find him watching the sway of her hips, the gentle bounce of her ass, and she almost forgot she was hungry.

Gideon always seemed to want her. She’d lost count of the times over the last month that he’d awakened her, his touch gentle, and he told her he loved her at every opportunity. She would never grow tired of hearing it.

He washed his hands and took a seat at the already set table. She sat down on his right. Twitch had sent home several casseroles when they’d returned to the farm. She wasn’t much of a cook. She wouldn’t give anyone food poisoning, but gourmet she wasn’t. It was a good thing her man was happy with simple food—steaks and veggies she could do.

“Harper, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

She became nervous at the hesitancy in his tone.

“What?”

“Have you ever thought of having kids?”

She lowered her head, placed her fork on her plate and folded her hands in her lap. They hadn’t discussed kids before. Sometimes she thought he avoided the conversation, even though neither of them brought it up.

“It’s okay, forget I asked.”

He tried to change the subject, and she didn’t like the hurt in his tone.

“I always wanted kids. Have you ever thought about it?”

It would be too much to dream about, him, kids, a home, and it was all too much. The pessimistic side of her still waited for the bottom to drop out or she’d wake up from their perfect dream, and be right back where she was.

“I’ll answer if you look at me, baby.”

She took a deep breath and lifted her chin, but it took her a minute to meet his gaze.

“Do you want babies with me?”

“That’s a question, not an answer, Gideon.”

“Well, it pertains to the answer.”

“I don’t want to answer wrong.”

“There’s no wrong or right answer, Harper, this is just you and me. We’ve discussed our future, what we want, but this is one topic we haven’t brought up.”

“I want babies, or I’d settle for a baby with you.”

“Then when the time is right we’ll decide on adoption or surrogacy. Whatever works for us.”

She jumped from her chair and threw her arms around him. She couldn’t contain the tears.

“But do you know what we have to do first?” He gently tugged her head back.

“What’s that? The house is great. We both work. It a safe place, we’d be great—”

She closed her mouth so fast her teeth clicked as a small black box appeared in front of her. That couldn’t be—she started to get up, but Gideon’s hold on her tightened.

“I know, when we’ve talked, we’ve established we’re in this all the way, but you’ve never said you wanted to get married. Maybe you didn’t think about it, but I did. I want forever, marriage, and kids if we decide on the right time. Harper, I love you, will you marry me?”

She didn’t know what to say, she was frozen, and when he opened the box, she started to shake. He wanted to marry her, have kids, it was everything she’d wanted and refused to hope for, and now it was all right there. Revealed within the facets of stone, shimmered in white gold, and shined in his blue-green eyes. She pushed her mouth to his, nodded, as she felt his smile. The almost suffocating embrace she held him in.

It was perfect, for someone who hadn’t dreamed of a happily ever after all her own…it was everything. Who knew when she was eleven and swore she’d have a Prince Charming that at almost thirty, she’d find him and it wasn’t so bad.