Chapter 24
Katana
Christmas Day
On Christmas morning, I woke up alone in bed. After stretching, yawning, and trying to wake my sleepy self up, I sat up and called out, “Nix?”
No one answered, and I got up to take a shower and get myself all prettied up for the day. Our first Christmas!
I’d put the presents I’d bought him under the tree last night, and he’d put some for me under there too. And I thought it was pretty sweet that we’d each bought something for our baby too and put those under there.
There was a bigger stack of presents under my very first tree than I’d ever had growing up. Everything was better with Nix.
As I showered, I noticed there was some expensive new shampoo and conditioner in there, and Nix had drawn hearts on the bottles and written, “just for you,” on them.
I lathered up my hair with the minty shampoo that had my head tingling, and I thought about what a treasure the man was. I’d take that man even if he didn’t have a dime. I’d live in a treehouse with the man. I didn’t care. I knew I’d been lucky he’d found me in that club that night.
After getting myself as pretty as I could, I pulled on the red dress I’d bought just for this day. It fit tight at the top and all the way to my still narrow waist—which I knew I’d lose soon enough. The dress flared out at the waist, making it look like I had a petticoat underneath it. The fabric came to just below my knees and when I added the flats—as Nix told me he never wanted to see me in heels while I was pregnant or he’d give me a real spanking—my legs looked long and slender.
I felt pretty, and I couldn’t wait to find Nix. I wasn’t going to let this day pass without telling him how I really felt about him.
When I walked out the bedroom door, I found something littering the floor. The white rose petals stood out, contrasting against the dark stone tiles. It looked as if he’d placed each one just the way he wanted it.
What’s this about?
I had to wonder what the man had up his sleeve. With him, I just didn’t know what he was up to.
A thought hit me, and I stopped. What if he’s bought me an expensive car?
Trying to steady myself for the shock of that, I thought about how scared I’d be to drive something so expensive. I’d only ever had old pieces of barely held together crap. Could I pull off being excited instead of afraid?
Moving on, I shook off the nerves and got to the top of the stairs. The rose petals went all the way down the stairs and on the floor at the very bottom, the entire floor was covered in a circular pattern.
It looked as if something was missing from that circle, and I had to wonder what that could be. Okay, maybe he hadn’t bought me a car. Maybe it was a really large gift, and he hadn’t gotten it inside yet to put it there.
Should I go back and wait a few more minutes?
As I stood there, thinking about what I should do, I noticed something else. Two suitcases were sitting by the door.
Now why in the world would those be there?
Was he surprising me with a trip of some kind?
I had absolutely no clue what he was up to and had no idea if I should turn back to wait or not. I didn’t want to screw up his big surprise when he’d gone to so much trouble.
No one had ever done anything nearly as grand as all this. I looked over my shoulder, wondering if I should go back to the bedroom to grab my cell so I could take a picture. I wanted to remember this scene forever.
Just as I turned around, I heard a noise—the sound of rustling met my ears and I turned to see what it was.
Down on one knee and wearing a black tuxedo, Nix held out a box. The stone in the ring was so big, I could see it all the way from the top of the stairs.
His green eyes met mine as he gazed up at me. I took each step one at a time, slowly, so I could take him all in. The way he smiled up at me. The way his eyes sparkled. His clean-shaven face, bare of the beard I’d gotten so used to. The cute dimple that I could now see he only had in his left cheek.
I could barely breathe. He was about to propose to me, and I knew damn good and well what my answer would be. Some people might think it was too fast, but I knew I loved the man and was positive there was no other one out there in the world for me. Nixon Slaughter was it.
He waited so patiently for me to get to him. When I did, he finally spoke. “You look beyond beautiful, baby.”
I was close to crying, but I managed to say, “You too.” I ran my hands over my own cheeks. “You shaved.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I wanted the pictures to be nice.”
So he planned on taking some more pictures. The man would make sure we had something to remember all of our pivotal moments. He was perfect that way.
Today would be the day we got engaged and celebrated our first Christmas. One day there would be a wedding. One day there would be the birth of our child.
“I’m sure they will be nice, Nix.” I smiled at him and loved the way his dark hair was so nicely combed, parted on one side, making him even more handsome.
“I’d like to ask you a question,” he said. “Is that okay with you?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Good, I’ve gotten my first yes, now I’ll shoot for more.” He chuckled, and his eyes shone with amusement. “Katana Grace Reeves.” He stopped and winked at me. “I snooped in your purse last night and found your driver’s license, that’s how I know your middle name.”
“I see.” I laughed lightly. “Please, go on.”
He cleared his throat before he moved on. “Katana Grace Reeves, I love you.” My heart pounded, and I felt the first tear break free. “I’ve been a fool for you since the night we met. A night I know neither of us will ever forget. I’m not asking you this just because you’re carrying our baby. I’m asking you this because I don’t want to think of a life that doesn’t have you in it—right by my side—until death do us part. And I mean that. So, I’m asking you if you love me too, and if you’ll become my wife. Today. In Las Vegas.”
Today?
I swayed a bit, feeling like I’d been knocked back. Not only did he want to marry me, but he wanted to do it right now. My mouth went dry. My head spun. And my heart lurched in my chest.
Tears poured down like rain as my lips parted. “I love you, Nixon Slaughter. Nothing would make me happier than marrying you today.”
His smile got even wider as he stood up and slipped that huge diamond engagement ring onto my finger. “Thank you, baby. I promise you’ll never regret your answer.”
When his arms slid around me, bringing me to him so our lips could touch, I knew I’d made the right decision.
Where Nixon was concerned, every decision I’d made had been the right one. From taking him up on his offer to leave that club with him on Halloween night, to telling him as soon as I could about the baby, to accepting the invitation to move in with him—everything had been right.
This had to be the right thing too.
When our mouths parted, we were both panting. “I’d take you upstairs and make sweet love to you, Katana, but we have these presents to open and a private jet to get to. I took the liberty of booking us a bridal suite already. I didn’t want to take any chances.”
We slowed down a bit and opened the presents we’d given each other. He gave me more expensive jewelry, and then there was one more small box. When I opened it, I found a set of keys with the Mercedes emblem on them. “Nix!”
“You look a little shocked, baby,” he said with a laugh. “You know my wife can’t be driving around in a clunker. I do have standards to keep, you know.”
I shook my head as I put the keys down. I picked up the special present I’d gotten him and handed it to him. “Thank you for the car and all the jewelry, among the other things you’ve given me. Open this one next.”
He smiled the entire time he opened that package, and when he found the simple paperweight I’d given him, he laughed. “An “I Love You” paperweight?”
“Well, I had no idea you were going to do all this. And I wanted to tell you that I loved you today. You kind of stole my thunder there with the marriage proposal, but I wanted you to know that I was going to declare my love for you today anyway. I knew it the day we heard our baby’s heart beating.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
We just kept on having one perfect day after another. I was no fool—I knew some days wouldn’t be all wine and roses, but I had a feeling there’d be more good days than bad ones.
A few hours later, he and I stood in front of a preacher who looked a hell of a lot like Elvis as soft music played in a tiny chapel in Vegas. I’d never dreamt about having a wedding, but this surpassed anything I could’ve ever come up with.
When our lips met as husband and wife for the first time, I knew we’d beat all the odds and make a marriage and family we both could be proud of. Nix and I had found our happily ever after; I had no doubts about that.
The End.