It’s been five weeks since Summer and I became an item. As I suspected, Valerie was thrilled about our new status as a couple and since our visit to see her, Summer has relaxed even more into our relationship. I had a week-long assignment out of state right after we returned from Colorado and just got back home last night. Every day we talked on the phone at whatever time I had available and she stayed with Scooter. Now we only have one week together before she has to return to Key West to shoot, and she’s been quiet. I’m not ready for her to leave yet and I’m hoping that’s her issue too. The one week apart was too much for me, but I didn’t say anything because I know she’s afraid that’s what will end us.

I lean in the doorway to the bathroom and ask, “M, you about ready?” I ask, leaning in the doorway to the bathroom, anxious to leave for our visit with my grandparents. There’s more to tonight, but she doesn’t have a clue.

“Yes, let me put on my lips,” she says, just like she always does before she puts her lipstick on.

Once she’s done I lead her out to the truck, opening the door and helping her inside. By the time we reach my grandparents’ house my palms are a little sweaty so I wipe them on my jeans.

“Why are you nervous?” she asks as I’m opening the door.

“What?” My mind is so muddled with what’s about to happen that I don’t know what to say.

“You’re nervous. Your palms sweat when you’re nervous. They always have, since we were kids. Remember the time you had to sing that solo in elementary school and when they passed you the mic your hand was so sweaty the mic slid right through and bounced on the ground, causing that awful sound and making half the audience go deaf?”

“How the hell do you remember stuff like that?” I ask her.

“I pay attention, that’s all. Besides, that was funny as hell.” She giggles a little and I get out of the car, not wanting to explain what the issue is. When I come around to her side of the car she’s already gotten out so I shut her door and instead of leading her inside my grandparents’ house, I lead her to the middle of the front yard and stop dead.

“What are you doing? Why are we standing in the grass? Your granny is waiting on us.”

“No she’s not.” I take both of her hands in mine and hold them lightly, aware of my sweaty palms. When she looks up at me, her blue eyes watch me intently.

“I brought you here because I’m feeling really sentimental. This exact spot is where I was standing 35 and a half years ago when you came into our yard looking for new friends.” Her eyebrows draw together like she’s thinking about what I’ve said. “Your hair was in two uneven, fuzzy pigtails, you had on a blue sundress with one strap that kept falling off, and you had dirt on your hands and bare feet. I thought you looked like a dirty little angel. From that day forward you’ve been part of my life. It didn’t matter how far I went or how long I was gone. It didn’t matter who I was dating or who you were dating. We kept our friendship alive and it’s the most precious thing in my life. Or at least I thought it was, until I kissed you that first time after our Colorado trip. There’s not another woman on this earth that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I thought about waiting a little longer to ask, because this part of our relationship is new, but I don’t need to. I knew I loved you long before our first kiss so I refuse to waste any more time.” I lower myself to one knee and pull the little blue-velvet box from my pocket. As I pop it open I watch the first tear slide down her face and my nerves kick up another notch. Please don’t say no, I chant over and over in my head.

“Summer Jessica Arden, will you marry me?”

She’s silent as the tears run down her face and my stomach is clenched up tight. Is she about to break my heart?

She reaches out and places her hands on my jaw and runs her thumbs over my cheeks. “Yes,” she says, her voice scratchy with emotion. I pull the marquise cut diamond ring from the box and slip it on her ring finger. The tears continue down her face and before I can stand she says, “I have something to tell you.” She swipes at her river of tears and ends up smearing them rather than wiping them away. After a big swallow, she says, “We’re gonna have a baby.”

I blink up at her. “What?”

“A baby. We’re gonna have a baby.”

I look down at her stomach and back to her face. She’s smiling and sniffling.

“Really?” I ask, unable to believe this is happening.

“Yes, I found out while you were gone and I was afraid to tell you. I was worried you’d think I was trying to trap you.”

“Trap me? I’m more likely to trap you than vice versa.”

“Yes. We have some things to talk about. Big things, but yes. You’re going to be a daddy.”

I leap up from the ground and grab her around the waist, spinning her as we go. She squeals with delight and smacks me on the shoulder. “I’m gonna puke. Cut it out!”

I set her down gently and kiss her with everything I have until a loud whistle cuts through the fog of happiness.

“Boy, get a room. My front yard ain’t the Holiday Inn,” my granddad yells.

“She said yes,” I yell back.

“Well duh!” he yells back to me.

“And she’s going to have my baby too!”

“Well get her in here so we can feed her!” Granny hollers, and we both laugh.

Wrapping her in my arms, I kiss her hair, so thankful for this whole evening. In the middle of my bliss an unwelcome thought occurs to me. “You have to go back to Key West and pick up a crazy schedule. I don’t want you to give up your new career, but I’m going to worry.”

“I already thought of that. I talked to my agent while you were gone and asked to add security detail to my expenses. An actress I worked with did that. Granted, she was a bigger name than I am, but with everything that happened, my agent didn’t think I’d have a problem getting that negotiated in.”

“You’re going to have a bodyguard?”

“Yes, I thought that might make you feel better.”

“Yeah, but no one is guarding this body but me.”

“I already thought of that too. I contacted Athena yesterday about contracting you through Omega Team, at least until the baby is born.”

“What did she say? She didn’t mention anything to me when I talked to her earlier.”

“I asked her to let me talk to you about it. She said they’d be willing to do it if it’s what you want. I know you love your job and if you want to keep doing it, I’ll interview and hire someone else until I deliver. Then we can revisit everything. I don’t want you to stop doing what you love to follow me around, but I didn’t want to take the option from you either.”

“So, you’re asking me to be your bodyguard?”

“Well, yeah.” She looks at the ground like she’s afraid to see my face when I respond.

“You want me on location with you and tied to you that tight?”

“Of course. There’s no one I want more, but if it’s too mu—”

“That’s not even a question, M. I love you. I’ve waited for this too many years to count. I’ll follow you wherever you want to go.”

She looks at me with tears in her eyes. “What if you get tired of me? My own mother can’t even…”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but your mother is a selfish cow. She never loved you like you deserved to be loved and now that I have a chance to show you how good it can be, I’ll do it. Our baby won’t experience a single second of what you felt growing up. There is nothing more important than you, this baby and our future together. I love you.” Before she can respond I kiss her softly, my lips lingering longer than normal, willing her to feel the truth behind my words.

My granddad, being the cantankerous old man he is, breaks the moment by yelling, “Boy! If you don’t get that girl in here and feed her so she can grow my great grandbaby, I’m gonna take a switch to your butt.” We both bust up laughing because we were threatened as kids with the “switch” when we’d get too rowdy, but he never could do it.

“Okay, okay Granddad, we’re coming.”

She slides her arm around my waist and my arm slips over her shoulder, holding her to me as we walk toward the front door. When we reach Granddad, he has a big smile. He lifts both hands, patting us each on a cheek. “Proud of you two. Glad you finally figured it out.” We don’t get the chance to respond because he turns on his heel and disappears into the house.