Last night I told him to surprise me. I’m ready for our future. Ready to leave the worries behind and just be happy and live. I can still see his face, his shocked expression mixed with so much love. He truly is an amazing man, and I’m lucky he’s chosen to give his heart to me.
Rolling over in his big king-size bed, I watch him sleep. His hands are under his pillow as he sleeps peacefully on his belly. His chocolate-brown hair, in need of a trim, is tangled from sleep. As I watch him, I let my mind wander to our future. This is where we’ll be. I love this house, and he knows it. It’s why he bought it. I’m sure of it. We’ll need to put my place up for sale.
“What are you thinking about, gorgeous?” he asks, his voice laced with sleep.
“Living here,” I tell him honestly.
“Yeah?” he asks, a little more alert. “You finally ready to move in with me?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” I confess.
This gets his full attention. He lifts his head, and his eyes bore into mine. “Don’t tease me, Liv.”
“I would never,” I say in a tone hinting that he’s offended me. The smile on my face tells him different.
“What’s gotten into you? First last night, and now you’re ready to move in? What changed?”
I don’t even hesitate when it comes to my confession. “I used to think… well, it bothered me that I would be the mom who worked behind the bar. I know kids can be cruel, and I never wanted to be the reason my kids were made fun of or given a hard time. I thought I needed a career, a regular old nine-to-five job before we started the rest of our lives together.”
His eyes soften. “Livy, you have a career. Mike’s Tavern has been in your family for generations. It’s a good thing you and your brother are doing, keeping the family business alive. You never need to feel less for that.”
“I know. It’s my own stupid insecurities. I have this vision of the perfect life, with you, our kids, and it all fit everything… except for my job. I can see it all, from the wedding to when we’re old and gray and sitting on the front porch watching our grandkids play in the yard.”
“Don’t let what you fear others might say or think keep you from living your life, living this life with me.” He leans in and kisses the corner of my mouth. “I love you, and your career has not a damn thing to do with it.”
“I know it was silly. I confessed to the girls a while ago, and they told me the same thing. Then last night, McKinley and I were talking, and it hit me. I’m keeping myself from living, letting fear hold me back.” Reaching over, I brush his shaggy hair out of his eyes. “I love you, David, more than anything, and I’m sorry I’ve put you through this, put us through this. If I didn’t let my fears get in the way, we would already be married and maybe even have a baby by now.”
“How many are we talking here, Mr. Harris?”
“Well, we have four bedrooms here, and with the floor plan, it would be easy enough to add on.” He grins.
“Let’s start with three and go from there.”
His lips brush against mine. “Three is a good number.” He pulls away, and the smile on his face tugs at my heart. I’ve been holding us back for so long. I’m just glad he stuck around. “So, about this moving in thing.”
“Yeah, this place is bigger and ideal for a family.”
“It is. We both agreed on that when I bought it. I’ve also asked you since the day I signed the papers to move in with me.” He studies me closely. “You sure this is what you want?”
“Yes.” No hesitation, no reservations. I’m ready for this, for him, for us.
“When?” he asks, sitting up. The sheet pools around his waist, and I can’t help but run my eyes over his toned muscles, tanned from days in the hot sun.
“Is today too soon?” I ask.
His answer is pushing me back on the bed and kissing me deeply. I can feel the love, the happiness pouring off him. When he pulls back, his lips hover over mine. “You’re really moving in?”
Regret washes over me. This man, so strong, kind, and loving, has given me all the space I need, and in doing that, I’ve made him uncertain of my feelings for him. He knows I love him, but my wariness has made him question that.
My hands cradle his cheeks. “Yes, I’m really moving in. I’ll call the realtor tomorrow and get my place up for sale. I already have a lot of my clothes here. What furniture we don’t want to bring, we can donate. I want nothing more than to live here with you, become your wife, have your babies, and live our happily ever after.”
Again, a kiss. This time he crushes his lips against mine, pushing his tongue past my lips, taking what he wants, celebrating the fact that I’m no longer fighting him. “Call your parents and tell them we can’t make it to dinner,” he says.
“What?” I laugh. “Why not?”
“Because we’re moving you in.” He beams down at me.
My heart swells at the happiness radiating from him. “How about we go over and start packing. We can still go to Mom and Dad’s for dinner, and afterward, we can load up your truck and bring the first load over here.”
“How about I call Mike, Aaron, and Evan, have them bring their trucks, and we load up all four of them and bring them over?” he counters.
I chuckle. “Dave, I have to pack. It’s going to take time.”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “But as of today, you sleep here. So make sure you have the essentials, because you are in this bed every night from here on out.”
“Deal,” I agree, and we seal it with a kiss.