Chapter Forty

Shelby

It was a beautiful day out, and with Izzy gone, taking her allergy problems with her, I opened up all the windows to air out the apartment. In Montana, open windows meant a clean house and that's exactly what I was going to do. The floors were scrubbed, all the base boards were wiped down, and aside from one load of laundry in the dryer, it could be crossed off the list as well. I had even gone through my closet and started weeding out things I had outgrown to see what I had to get. There was a lot. As far as Izzy went, we were no longer friends but more so acquaintances. When she stopped caring about me and only herself, it was time to end the friendship. She knew what I was dealing with and agreed to let me stay in the apartment as long as I paid her two thousand dollars a month. Crazy? Yeah, but I was making enough to easily cover it, and the last thing I need to worry about was trying to find another place to live.

I was on my way back to my bedroom with the last load to fold when I heard something that I was sure was my mind playing tricks on me. “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel was being blared by a passing car, but the car didn't seem to pass. The music was right underneath my bedroom window. I dumped the basket onto my bed and tried to fold the shirt in my hands three times before I threw it down and walked toward the window.  There was too big of a coincidence with it being the song I had been hearing for months. Something weird was definitely going on.

Right outside my apartment was a blue convertible mustang with its windows down, just sitting there. 

"What the hell?"

Just when I grabbed the top of the window to close it, the roof of the car started to move. I pulled the window down and walked away when the music got louder just as I passed the next window. 

"Ugh!"

I grabbed the top and began to close it too when I out of the corner of my eye I saw that not only was the roof down but the most gorgeous man on the entire planet was standing there looking up at me.

"No way! No way! No way!"

I ran to the door and threw it open, ready to run into his arms, but then I stopped. What would he think when he saw me? Would he be repulsed? Would he turn back and never speak to me again? I couldn't face him. Why had I lied for so long?

"Red! Come down here. I need you!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs, making sure I heard. And in a matter of seconds, I knew regardless of how things would turn out, I was going to be okay. He was better if he was in California, and that meant everything to me.

One step at a time, I walked down the stairs until the door out to the street was the only thing standing between us. I threw it open, letting all my reservations go, and ran to the man who would forever hold my heart. He jumped out of the car when he saw the door open and waited with the hugest smile on his face until I was back in his arms where I belonged. 

"God, I missed you so much."

"I can't believe you're here!"

He pulled back enough to kiss me, and when his lips met mine I was reminded of what home really felt like. I grabbed his face and deepened the kiss when all of the sudden his lips stopped moving and his hands traveled down my back and then grabbed my waist, pulling me backward.

Cold-blooded fear took over me as his eyes lowered and took in what I had kept from everyone for five months since I found out.

"Are you? Is this for real?"

"Jase, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just knew that no matter what happened you needed to be okay before I was—"

"Red, stop talking."

I was ready for him to scream at me for deceiving him. To hate me, leave, and never look back. Never did I expect it to play out like a dream when he dropped to his knees in front of me, raised my shirt, and brought his lips to meet with my growing stomach.

His eyes traveled up to meet mine as tears leaked down his face. But then he pulled back and I was positive my dream had ended, until he reached in his pocket and came out with a ring box in his hand. As he slowly opened it, my body lost all strength to continue standing. Shaking profusely, I lowered myself to be level with him as he opened the box to reveal the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever seen before he began to speak. 

"Red, I was prepared to come here and ask you to be my wife. I never expected that I would be asking for so much more. My God, baby, you have made me the happiest man in the world already. I can't believe this is even happening."

"So, you're not mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad at all."

I couldn't believe that all my prayers were being answered. 

"Will you marry me, Red?

I practically tackled him on to the concrete and mauled him in front of all of San Diego. 

"Yes! Absolutely, I will marry you!"

I was getting married. He and I were going to be having this baby together. We were going to be family.

"Oh, there's one more thing."

His eye right brow rose. I knew by his expression he wasn't sure he could handle any more surprises. I laughed knowing this one wouldn't be so bad, though. 

"Take me back to Montana. I don't want to be here anymore. I need my family and Montana is home."

"Seriously? You want to leave?"

"I have never wanted anything more."

"Then let's go get your things. I don't care where we are as long as I get to be with you."

He stood and then helped me to my feet as I thought about everything that had happened to bring us to this point.

"You watched the end of that movie after all, didn't you?" It all suddenly made sense. Me logging into my account on his phone allowed him to add the song over and over again. It was him all along.

"You bet I did."