June 23rd of the following year…
After the wedding was over and Jackson finally got his beautiful bride all to himself, he grabbed her hand and starting walking from the ranch house towards the fields.
“Where are you taking me?” Autumn asked stepping around the divots in the land.
“Some place special.” He smiled at her in the dark, the moon being their only source of light.
“Jackson, slow down. These heels weren’t made for rough terrain.” She hiked up one side of the elegant party dress she pulled on for the reception and tagged along behind him.
Jackson stopped and scooped her into his arms, surprising her nonetheless with the chivalrous gesture. “Have I told you how beautiful you are, today?”
“About a million times.” Autumn chuckled. “It’s sweet, though.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her cheek against his shoulder. The land was quiet tonight, giving them the perfect escape from the wild party back at the house. The wedding was her dream, the man holding her making the fantasy a perfect reality. The two planned to move closer to the city, to find a place of their own to call home. Autumn didn’t know what they’d do about the clinic but she didn’t care. Somehow they’d find a way and they’d do it together.
“Okay, we’re here.” Jackson stood next to a soft blanket right beneath the moon. The faint glow highlighted his face just enough so that she could see his smile. He set her down and then knelt and began to pull out dishes of food from the basket off to the side.
“You planned a picnic on our wedding night?”
He nodded, still not looking at her. “I figured since you conned me in to one the last night we were together fourteen years ago, I’d con you into one on the first night we spend as husband and wife. Plus, you said you fell in love with me beneath the moon. I wanted to make love to you in the same fashion.”
When he was done, he glanced up and held out his hand. “I even re-created the meal. Grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, and my own personal favorite, strawberries.”
Autumn didn’t try to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks as she took his hand. He pulled her between his legs and hugged her close to his body. He let her cry in silence, kissing her periodically.
“I thought I was doing good, you know.” She laughed and wiped her tears before kissing him again. “I didn’t cry when I first saw you. I didn’t cry during our vows. I didn’t cry when my brother made the toast. I didn’t even cry during the father-daughter dance even when my dad told me I’d always be his little girl.”
Jackson wiped her tears. “It’s okay to cry, sweetheart.”
“Thank you.” She hugged him pressing her cheek against his shoulder. “Thank you for doing this. I never expected it and you have no idea how much it means.”
Jackson kissed her shoulder. “I have some idea.”
She chuckled and pulled back to kiss him again. “Davis didn’t cook this, did he? He really tries to be a chef but the poor boy can’t boil water without burning it.”
Jackson shook his head. “I did everything.”
He pulled out a bottle of sparkling cider and poured the chilled beverage in the provided glasses. He handed her the food, and they ate in comfortable silence. Life couldn’t possibly get any better than this.
“One more thing.” Jackson wiped his fingers on his napkin and reached in the basket for some papers. “I know you can’t read them right now since we’re in the dark, but this is the deed to your new place. Your father fronted the cost of the doggy ambulance part and all.”
She dropped her sandwich and grabbed the papers from him. “What?”
“Your father was supposed to pay me for being your bodyguard and whatnot so I told him to use the money to set up the doggy ambulance service. I planned on buying you a state-of-the-art clinic anyway, and with what he and your brothers chipped in, we bought you the critical care clinic you’ve always wanted. That’s the deed to your new place, and once we come back from our honeymoon, you’ll be able to start setting up the shop and hiring new people to work.” Jackson grinned. “Davis said he wanted to apply for ambulance driver.”
Autumn read what she could of the papers, seeing that it held her name, Autumn Faye Callahan-Cooper as the property owner. She owned her own critical care clinic.
“Oh, Jackson.”
“Are you happy?” He waited patiently for her reaction.
“I can’t believe it.” She sniffled. “I’ve dreamed of this for so long, and it’s finally here. I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, you don’t have to say anything. Giving me a simple kiss would do.” He smiled at her.
She couldn’t believe her dreams finally came true. Not only did she have her own clinic, she had her man. Jackson was the one man her mother talked about, the one true love it took a lifetime to find. She couldn’t believe he was finally hers, that they would now share the rest of their lives together.
“Jackson, I know I’ve said it a lot today, but I’m going to say it again. I love you. Thank you so much for doing this for me.” She ran her hand down his chest, feeling the smooth fabric of his tux. “I honestly haven’t felt this happy since before my mom died. And you make me so happy.”
Jackson pulled her onto his lap and held her close. She stared at the document, unable to fathom it.
“I have some news for you, too.” She grinned. “I went to the doctor the other day and he told me we’re about to become parents. I’m six weeks’ pregnant.”
Jackson sat motionless with a deadpan look on his face. “Why the hell did you let me bring you out here? You should be inside in a bed with your feet propped up and a soft mattress beneath you.”
Autumn chuckled. “I’m fine. The doctor gave me a great bill of health. He did an ultrasound and took gallons of blood to make sure everything was okay. Everything is normal, Jax.”
He cupped her cheeks. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure.” She grabbed his hand and brought it to her belly. “You’re going to make a great father, Jackson. You have so much love to give.”
“I learned from you.” Jackson hugged her in his arms and then laughed saying, “Looks like I won.”
“Won what?”
“The bet.”
“What bet?”
“I needed to get you pregnant before July.” He nuzzled her neck and pressed a kiss there.
“Oh, really?”
“Your brothers started it. Jeff’s money is on anytime this year after October. Davis has between August and September. Nick has July. I told them they were all wrong. Looks like I was right so therefore I win.”
“Jackson,” Autumn scolded him.
“What?”
Autumn turned to face him and forced him to meet her eyes. “Do you really want a baby?”
“You know I do.”
“Even if it’s not a little girl? If we have a little boy, you’d still want him too?”
Jackson tilted his head to the side. “You mean we can’t send him back?”
“Not funny.”
Jackson’s hand slid up her thigh to the crotch of her barely-there panties. “I don’t care what we have. I’ll love a little boy just as much as a little girl.” His finger dipped inside her, and she closed her eyes, absorbing her husband’s touch. “I just want to make you come.”