Callie

I managed to table the wedding talk and finish up a few assignments so I wouldn’t have to deal with school over the break. I’d been to Aspen with my family in the winter for skiing. I’d never been when there was no snow on the ground. Noah assured me I’d love it. He knew me and what I needed. I knew him, too.

Maybe that was the reason the whole engagement came as such a surprise. I didn’t see it coming. I loved looking down and seeing the ring on my finger, but I was in shock over the whole wedding thing.

Four days later we took a car to LaGuardia Airport. We were flying to Aspen on a private. With two dogs and this being Valentine’s first trip on a plane, we didn’t want her cooped up the whole ride. It sounded ridiculous and awfully expensive to bring our little family across the country, but when I mentioned it to Noah, it made perfect sense to him.

I put the dogs on a leash and let them do their business before we boarded the plane.

Valentine stayed close. Nip saw new territory to explore. He went as far as the leash would allow.

“Callie.” Noah motioned. “Wheels up in five minutes.”

I nodded. I grabbed Valentine and pulled Nip along. We ascended into the plane. It was a twelve seater Gulfstream. The interior was comfortable with plush beige leather seats and wood paneling.

“Wow.” I said as I took a seat in the second row seat. Noah sat down next to me. Nip jumped up into his lap.

“It’s nice, right.”

“I could get used to this.” I sunk into the seats. “Can we afford to buy a private plane?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

“Well, we couldn’t do it until I turn twenty five. I don’t think I could convince my father it was necessary and approve the funds. Of course it would probably give him a heart attack, he’d drop dead and then we could afford two planes.”

“Welcome.” The captain came from the cockpit. Noah stood and shook his hand. “My name is Captain Clancy and this is Captain Drones. Stephanie and Grace will be taking care of you on our flight to Aspen.” The captain pointed to the flight crew behind him.

“Hi. I'm Noah and this is Callie.”

“Who are the two little ones?” Grace bent down and scratched Nip’s nose.

“Nip and Valentine.”

“Oh my goodness. How cute?” Grace said as she stood up and straightened her skirt and blinked her fake eyelashes at Noah.

“Flight time to Aspen is about three hours and twenty minutes.” He tilted his hat at me. “We’ll conclude final flight check and be on our way shortly.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Grace put her hand on Noah’s forearm.

“Is there anything we can get you before we take off.” Her tone made me sick. I sat Valentine on the ground and stood up.

She had her other arm across her body. I reached out with my left hand and squeezed her arm.

“You know. We’d love a glass of champagne,” I said and put my hand to my chest and wiggled my ring finger. It was all involuntary. I swear.

“Sure no problem.” She gave a meek smile and walked to the back of the plane.

“What happened to not telling people we’re engaged?” Noah guided me back into my seat.

I flopped down and huffed. Good thing he stopped me before I backslapped Grace with my ring to make sure she saw it.

“I didn’t say a word.” I said and giggled.

Stephanie returned with our champagne.

Noah rolled his eyes, but laughed.

“What were we talking about?” I asked.

“Money. What is your father worth?” Noah asked.

We never talked about money. I knew what he made, but with endorsements and no knowledge of how he spent his money before we met, I didn’t know much else.

“I think his companies are worth sixty million, give or take a million,” I said. “I know it’s a crazy amount, but it’s just a number. It’s not real. Why? How much are you worth?”

“Uhm. I could probably scrape together twenty million cash. Give or take a million. With my new contract, sixty, eighty mill if I play it out.” Noah said.

My eyes grew wide without meaning to. The numbers sounded huge.

When Noah signed with the Giants it was a one-year deal for three million. He had an unbelievable season and they signed him to an extension, sixty million for five years. The way the NFL salary cap worked, sixty million wasn't sixty million.

“What? You thought it was more?” Noah asked.

“No. I was thinking less.”

“Well, I haven’t spent any of it.” Noah took my hand.

“What about your house in San Diego?” I sipped my champagne.

“David put it on the market last month and it sold in three days.” David was Noah’s assistant.

“You didn’t tell me that?”

“I thought I did.” Noah shrugged his shoulders.

“Any other assets I should know about?” I asked.

“Besides the rock on your finger,” Noah grinned. “Nope.”

I shook my head.

“Your dad’s house?”

“He bought and paid for it with his own money when I was a kid.” Noah face beamed and he raised his head.

“Do you send him money at all?” I asked.

“Just the commission he earns with handling my money. He won’t take it.” Noah shifted in his seat. “My mom had a life insurance policy, so.”

“Oh.” I took his hand. “I’m sorry. Am I being nosy?”

“No. You’re going to be my wife. You should know these things.” Noah kissed my hand.

“Well, my only assets are the trust fund.” I said with air quotes. It was held over my head by my parents since they started making money. “Which I will have full access to in less then two years. I can’t wait. I should go out and blow it all on the first day.”

“How about we roll it back into a trust fund for our kids?” Noah asked.

I looked down and found Nip and Valentine sitting quietly at our feet. Nip gnawing on a bone and Valentine gnawing on Nip's foot.

“How much you think a Chihuahua needs to live off of?” I giggled and took a sip of my champagne.

“Not those kids.” Noah turned in his seat. “I mean our kids.”

I coughed.

Noah took the glass out of my hand and helped me sit up. The champagne went the wrong way. I forgot how to swallow.

“Kids.” I whispered as the burning in my throat dissipated.

“Yes. Kids. You want kids don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. I do. In theory.” I said and shook my head. I reached for the glass.

Noah held it out of my reach.

Yes. Of course I want to have your babies. Just not anytime soon.”

He frowned and handed me back the glass.

“So when is not anytime soon over?”

“You want kids now?” I grimaced. The champagne had turned sour.

“Not now. But, I do want them.” His head faced away from me.

“How many?” I sat the glass down, pulled his arm so he would look at me. “Exactly?”

“Two.”

I nodded in relief. I leaned back on the seat and rested my head. It blocked my view of Noah.

He scooted up in the seat and looked back at me.

“Two’s good.” I said and smiled.

Noah was an only child. I’d half expected him to say some ridiculous number like ten.

“What did you think I was going to say?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Somewhere between two and ten.” I ran my hand through his hair. “Our kids are going to be so cute.”

Noah leaned in. His face inches from mine.

“I hope they have your hair.”

“No. No more red hair. It’d hate for them to deal with being a ginger in this society.” I shook my head.

“You didn’t do too bad.”

“Are you kidding?” I laid my hand on his cheek. “I cut my hair off once because I hated it so much.”

“No way.” Noah’s eyes grew wide. “How old where you?”

“Eight.” I shuddered. I could hear my mom yelling at me about ruining myself. I could hear my sister Dani in the background laughing. She had beautiful blonde hair.

“I bet you were so cute.”

“People keep confusing me with a boy.” I ran my hand down his strong jaw. “Dani called me Calvin for years.”

Noah laughed and licked him lips.

I stared at his lips as he stared at my face.

“I hope they have your freckles. All four hundred and eighty of them.”

I blinked and shook my head. His lips landed on mine. His soft, sweet kisses made everything okay.