SANDRA
When they’d left Detroit, she wasn’t sure what their future held.
It turned out, Miami was a very good landing spot.
They were happy. They’d been ridiculously happy for three years. As a family. Together.
At first, she kept waiting for it to end. For someone to pinch her so that she’d wake from the amazing dream. It took her nearly a year to realize that it was real. Trace was really there. Really with her. They really were a family. The three of them.
Except it wasn’t going to just be the three of them any longer.
Sandra walked lightly into Trace’s home office. He had the blinds up and the windows open, so that the warm Miami sunlight streamed through. The warm, wet breeze drifted through the room. Trace loved the heat. He never found it stifling. Honestly, she liked the warmer winters, but the full on heat of the summer was a bit much. It was a decent trade-off for the snow and they had central air installed into their small bungalow, so she was able to deal with the harsher summer months.
Trace’s face lit up when he saw her. He shifted away from the computer screens. He worked at book keeping and he was damn good at it. He’d taken an online course and got his certification. She never would have pegged him for an accountant of all things, but he’d told her he was once good at finding people and figuring out puzzles and numbers really weren’t that different.
“I have some news.”
Trace froze. His mouth opened. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “I know we’ve been trying for over a year and we kind of thought it wouldn’t happen, but I just took the test.”
“What?” Trace shoved back his chair. A radiant grin split his handsome face. “You’re not kidding?”
“I would never joke about that! That would just be- terrible.”
He gripped her arms, his huge hands gentle, but firm. “My god, Sandy. A baby!”
She nodded, hardly able to believe it herself. “I know that we talked about this with Alex, but he’s going to be so shocked. That was over a year ago.”
“He’ll be excited. He wants a play mate.”
“He’ll be almost twelve by then. Maybe he won’t be interested in a little brother or sister.”
“We both know that’s not true. Alex loves kids. He loves everyone. He’ll be a big help. Now that I’m going to lose my accounting assistant.”
“I barely do anything and you know it.”
“You do everything,” Trace argued. “You do all my filing, you meet with clients, you do the marketing, you do the phone calls. I might have the computer skills, but you definitely are better with people.”
“Years of working in a diner will do that to you. Waitresses have to be friendly you know.”
“Really? I know a couple who I’m sure wouldn’t hesitate to spit in my food.”
She slapped at Trace’s hand playfully. “I’ve never seen anyone spit in anyone’s food no matter how bad it got.”
“Not that you’ve seen.” He winked. “Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”
“You’re imp-”
Trace silenced her with a scorching kiss that left her breathless. He pulled away after, happiness shining in his eyes. His smile was back and it never faltered. “I can’t believe this is real.”
“I used to think that all the time,” she admitted. “About all of this.” She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down for another long, lingering kiss. “But you’re right. Everything is going to change. I feel like I’m too old to have a newborn again.”
“Old?” Trace snorted. “You’ll never be old. You’ll always be the most beautiful woman on earth. The sexiest.” His eyes danced mischievously. “Do you need me to prove it to you?” He ran the pad of his thumb over her lips and all the breath left her lungs. The way he was looking at her was absolutely sinful.
“I- I think that I might.”
“Consider it done.” Trace swept her up, giggling and screaming, into his arms. He carried her out of the office and down the hall to their bedroom. “I think it goes without saying, but I’m going to enjoy this so much more than our other work. I’m not letting you go until you can look at me and tell me that you’re the most beautiful woman on the planet. The kindest. The best mother. The most amazing person that ever walked the earth.”
Sandra giggled as Trace set her down on the bed. She lifted a brow and somehow managed to keep a straight face. “I’m afraid you have your work cut out for you.”
“A challenge? I never backed down from a challenge.”
She lost the battle and her lips turned up. A laugh escaped her, but it quickly turned into a throaty exhale as Trace pulled off his shirt and began removing his jeans. “This is real,” she admitted. “All of it. I don’t know about the most beautiful woman on the earth, but I certainly am the most blessed.”
Trace slipped out of his jeans and boxers and stood before her, beautifully naked. He might not know it and she didn’t want to stroke his ego, but there wasn’t any doubt in her mind that he certainly was the sexiest man on earth.
“We can both agree with that. You’ve given me all of this.” He edged closer and his hand traced its way up her leg, pushing up her calf length sun dress. “Thank you, Sandy. For first chances, for second chances, for all the chances you’ve given me. For putting up with me and forgiving me and loving me.”
“I do love you,” she purred. “Always. I always have and I always will.”
Trace shifted. He kissed her again, hot, scorching, a kiss that she felt straight down to her toes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kept him there, kissing him back just as furiously, nipping his bottom lip in her haste.
She actually didn’t mind getting older one bit. Not when it was with Trace. If he wanted to prove to her that she was still young and beautiful, she’d happily let him.
She might have given him another chance, but he’d given her a family, her life back, her happiness. It was all real. All of it. He had her trust, her heart, her everything.
The End