He pulled a chair up next to me and handed over a cup. “Wine?”
“Please.”
Water rippled, and the reflection from the porch light danced on the surface. Locusts and other creatures of the night were warming up their voices. My favorite wine rolled over my taste buds.
Hank brushed his hand on mine before lacing our fingers together. “Thank you for agreeing to counseling. Forgiving you was a long process, but knowing you were committed to getting back together helped.”
“I love you, Hank. I wish I could go back in time and change so many things.”
A sadness settled in his eyes. “Like what you said before leaving the wedding?”
“I was mad and embarrassed. I should never have said those words.”
“Did you mean it?”
I took another sip of wine, aching from the memory. “I sobbed all the way home. I was mad and embarrassed, but the tears were because of regret. When Eli pulled me over that night, I was a mess.”
“He what?” Hank furrowed his brow.
“My foot rested a bit too heavy on the accelerator. Poor guy was really flustered. I figured word had gotten around.”
“I didn’t know.” He balanced his cup on the arm of his chair. “Those words are hard for me to forget. I think—”
The wind gusted and blew his cup, splashing his drink all over him. He jumped up, then reached under the grill to pick up the cup. On his way back up, his head connected with the edge of the BBQ pit. With his eyes squeezed closed, he grabbed his head, mumbling words he never said in front of children. He stepped backward, tripped over a potted plant, and splashed into the pool.
How hard had he hit his head? Without stopping to think, I launched into the pool feet first. Why did he have to fall into the deep end?
When I felt his shirt, I shoved on him, hoping I could get him to the shallow end. Gagging and choking, I pawed at the water, determined not to cling to Hank. Climbing on him would pull him under. Sinking, I tried not to breathe in water and failed. A lot. When my feet touched bottom, I kicked upward. Sputtering, I shoved on Hank when he grabbed me.
Finally opening my eyes to see why he wasn’t floating, I met Hank’s gaze.
“What are you doing?” He hugged me close, keeping my head out of the water.
“Saving you.” I laughed at how stupid it sounded.
“Considering that you can’t swim, after I rescue you from the pool—again—maybe you can explain that to me.”
I looped my arms around his neck. “I didn’t know how hard you’d hit your head. If you fell in unconscious—”
“I was cursing, Nacha. Perfectly conscious.” He swam to the shallow end, keeping my face safely out of the water.
“I panicked.”
He sat on the step and pulled me into his lap. “Don’t ever jump in the pool again.”
“Until I learn to swim.” I pulled back far enough to look him in the eye.
He blinked. “You what?”
“Will you teach me? I don’t mean tonight.”
“You get yourself a skimpy little swimsuit, and I’ll give you private lessons.” He danced his eyebrows.
I poked his chest, then dropped a kiss on his neck. “But I’m serious about learning.”
“I’ll teach you. That would make me feel better. As often as you end up in the pool.” He laughed.
His hand slipped behind my neck, and he pulled me to his lips. Desire and hope exploded as our mouths communicated without words. He let loose a soft moan, and I pressed in closer.
His hands moved down to my hips, and after pulling away, he snagged one more kiss. “Stay with me tonight.”
I sealed my lips to his, too happy for words.
He brushed my cheek as he pulled away.
Leaning into his hand, I laughed. “I don’t care about Marla’s suggestion.”
Instead of laughing, he furrowed his brow. “Let’s get you out of the pool. Then we’ll talk.”
I scrambled out of the water and crossed my arms. “Talk about what?” Refusing to cry, I blinked and wiped pool water out of my eyes. That was all it was—pool water.
He guided me to a chair, then sat beside me. “What I started to say before you decided to go for a swim—” He dragged his arm across his face. “This isn’t the way I planned this. Come with me.”
“We’ll drip all over the floor.” I preferred the darkness. It hid my disappointment.
Hank grabbed both of my hands. “Please.”
I followed him inside, down the hall, and into the bedroom.
“Close your eyes.”
Being in the bedroom with my eyes closed was more in line with where I thought the evening was going before he dropped the we-need-to-talk line.
With my hands covering my face, I waited.
“Okay, you can open them now.”
I dropped my hands only a second, then covered my mouth.
Hank was on one knee. “Ignacia Sparks, will you marry me again?”
I nodded, but words tumbled out of my mouth. “We’re still married.”
Reaching into his pocket, he swallowed. “You said it was over, so I’m going to need you to say the words again in front of a minister.”
What he’d said outside now made sense.
I hugged him. “I do. I will. What will we tell him?”
“We’ll tell him we’re tightening the knot.” Hank held out my engagement ring. “Cami isn’t so bad. She helped me sneak around to get what I needed.” He slipped the ring on my finger, then tore the bandage off his.
I didn’t have room in my head to think about Cami right now.
A tattoo circled his ring finger. “Forever, Nacha. I can’t take it off. It never goes away. I love you.”
I dropped to my knees and kissed him. “When?”
“When did I get the tattoo? While I was out of town.”
Poking at his chest, I laughed. “I meant, when are we going to get married again?”
He brushed a finger along my cheek. “I planned to ask you tomorrow when we were all at the resort. Since I had a pretty good idea of what you’d say, I also called a minister. Your brothers and their families will be there too.”
I threw my arms around him. “Yes, I want this. I want you.”
Chapter 26
Hank handed me a towel, then dropped another on the puddle created while we’d made up for lost time. “Help yourself to whatever you want to wear. We can run your stuff through the washer and dryer.”
I grabbed his hand. “I was thinking—”
He wagged his finger. “No silk boxer viewing until after you say I do.”
“Hank!”
“Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.”
I’d missed his corny jokes and amazing sense of humor. “That’s not even the right saying.”
“If the swimsuit fits.” He grinned.
“Since we are only going to be talking, I thought maybe we could do it in the hot tub.”
His gaze swept downward. “But you . . . don’t have a . . .” It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking. “Sure. We can do that. I just won’t turn on the back-porch lights. The water isn’t deep. You’d have to work pretty hard to get completely under water.”
“And you’ll hang on to me.”
He dipped his head and whispered in my ear. “I’ll keep my hands wherever you want.”
“Let me grab my purse. My swimsuit is in it.” With the towel wrapped around my wet dress, I hurried down the hall, then returned to the bedroom carrying my very small purse.
His smile widened. “If your swimsuit fits in there, I can’t wait to see it.” He walked toward his dresser.
“I’ll change in the—” I headed toward the door.
“No. Stay in here.” He swung his swimsuit in a circle and blew me a kiss as he walked out of the room.
When I’d shopped for the swimsuit, I’d been thinking of Hank. With very little fabric and lots of strings, the suit didn’t cover much. I peeled o
ff my dress, wiped up the floor, and tied on my bikini. Standing in front of the mirror, I imagined his excitement. The red fabric popped against my olive skin.
He’d love it.
Whistling, he knocked on the door. “You decent?”
“Not hardly, but you can come in.”
The door opened, and Hank dropped the clothes he’d carried in. The next thing I knew, we were tangled together on the unmade bed, kissing like we’d just discovered love.
When we finally stopped to catch our breath, he grinned. “Oh, I’ve missed you. And all joking aside, while it’s taking every last bit of willpower not to pull on these strings,”—he touched my hip—“tonight was supposed to be about talking, and if I pull on this, I won’t be talking.”
I kissed his cheek. “Tonight can be for conversation and cuddling.” If this was my penance for the ways that I’d hurt him, I could handle it . . . for one night.
“Tomorrow will be for nuptials and nakedness. How’s that for alliteration?” His laughter echoed off the walls. “Are you sure about getting in the hot tub because—you know—you hate water.”
“I’m sure. But I’ll probably cut off circulation in your hand because I’m gripping it too tight when I step in.”
He sat up. “I won’t let you go.”
I eased up behind him. “You spent most of last year working out, didn’t you?”
“Had to take out my frustration somewhere.”
I climbed onto his back. “You look amazing.”
“If I didn’t make that completely obvious minutes ago, you do too. But you haven’t changed.” He carried me piggyback outside, then put me down next to the hot tub. “Want me to go in first so you can see how deep it is?”
“That’s a good idea.” I was determined to get into the water without panicking.
He stepped in, and I relaxed a little. His chest was still mostly visible.
“There are seats on the sides. Just hold my hand as you step in. I won’t let go.”
I nodded but didn’t step into the water.
“You don’t have to do this, Nacha.”
“I want to.” I dipped my toes in the water, and warmth tingled on my skin. “It feels good.”
“Whenever you’re ready.” He held out his hand.
Slipping my fingers into his hand, I breathed in deep. I could do this.
I took the first step, squeezing his hand. The second step was a bit easier. When my feet touched the bottom, I hugged Hank. “I think I’ll just stay wrapped around you like this.”
“I have no complaints.” Chuckling, he guided me to the side and pulled me into his lap as he sat down. With his arms around me, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “We’ve covered many topics in our sessions, but there is one thing I haven’t told you.”
“Okay?” I trusted him, but his tone made me curious.
“The person who suggested that maybe there was too much distrust and hurt was a woman like you suggested that day outside the fire station. Tandy was the one who said it. She’s probably pushing seventy. But don’t tell her I said that because I’m not great at guessing women’s ages, and if she’s only fifty, she’ll hate me.”
Laughing, I drew hearts in the water droplets on his chest. My amusement only fueled him.
“I’ve had to go to her house to get the same bowl off the same shelf nearly every week. I’m not sure how the bowl gets back up onto the very high shelf, but I think I’m being played. So, when you move in, if the silver-haired lady next door gives you dirty looks, you’ll know why.”
I never would have imagined being so content in the water. But with his embrace and the warmth of the hot tub, everything felt perfect. “She sounds like a hoot.”
“She’s a something.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Is she the one who writes romance novels?”
“Yep. She has books with bare-chested men on the covers spread out on her coffee table. I think she just likes looking at them.”
“Hank.”
He continued his trail of kisses down to my neck. “Hmmm?”
“When you go help her with the bowl, please wear a shirt.”
“Always.” He trailed his fingers along my back, stopping occasionally to toy with the strings. “I’m not sure where I put the deck of cards.”
“I have no interest in playing War tonight.” I arched my back as his hands trailed lower. “If you find another job opening, you should apply. I’ll go with you, wherever that is.”
“We’ll see. I like living here. It’s near your mom and Haley. Aunt Joji is even going to be living here now that she bought that goat farm. Our life is here.”
“But your dreams.” I didn’t want to be the reason he settled for something less than what he wanted. “And how do you know about the goat farm?”
He crinkled his brow. “Oops. I wasn’t supposed to say anything. But you already knew.”
“I did. I have a feeling that when she announces it, it won’t be a surprise to anyone. And I want you to follow your dream, Hank.”
“The dream of seeing a baby in your arms and then growing old with you is much more important to me than being a medic in a helicopter.”
I sealed my lips to his, overwhelmed by what he’d said. “Mama wants a granddaughter.”
“I’ll do my best.” His lips brushed my shoulder. “But not until tomorrow.”
I leaned my head on his chest. “I had no idea a hot tub could be so relaxing.”
“When you aren’t trying to breathe it in, the water can be nice.”
Ticking through what I’d need for tomorrow, I pushed away from him, ready to get out. “I’m not changing my mind about tomorrow, but I have no idea what to wear.” I leaned toward the edge of the hot tub.
Hank grabbed me around the waist. “I have something for you inside.”
“Something for me to wear?”
He nodded. “I got so distracted by your leap into the pool and by that swimsuit, I forgot to give it to you. Do you want to go in now?”
“No. Let’s stay here longer.” I snuggled back into his lap.
“It’ll be a little sad to leave this house now that this amazing pool is here, but I’m sorta set on living with you. And not Cami . . . in case that needs to be said.”
“Poor Cami. I’m not sure what she’s going to do. But if you’re okay with it, I’d like to sell our house. You work in Stadtburg, and now I do too. Let’s live here. Haley won’t care, will she?”
“Haley will be thrilled, but are you sure? The kitchen isn’t as big.”
“You can build an outdoor kitchen near the pool.”
That was a win for me because he’d cook more.
We spent a half hour tangled in each other’s arms, kissing and talking.
“Once I’d decided that I didn’t want to live without you, I went radio silent. I spent the week cleaning stuff out, getting ready to move back home. Also, I knew I couldn’t talk to you and not say something. I almost blew it in counseling. I wanted you to know, but I wanted to surprise you.”
“I loved hearing that you’d never give up on me. I think I needed to hear that.”
“Let’s go inside.” He scooped me into his arms and carried me to his bedroom. “Let’s get into some dry clothes, then you can open your gift.”
“I didn’t pack a change of clothes in my purse.” I shrugged.
He handed me a t-shirt. “This is the best I can offer you.” Grinning, he tugged on the strings on the back of my top. “Want my help taking this off?”
“I do.”
Chuckling, he stepped away and dug clean clothes out of his drawer. “You keep practicing those two words.”
When we were both somewhat dressed and sitting on the bed, Hank handed me a perfectly wrapped present. “Open this.”
I peeled off the tape before taking the paper off in one large piece.
He rolled his eyes. “You must’ve been a blast at Christmas as a kid.” Wearing only a pair of gym shorts, he flopped
back onto the pillows. “We’ve been talking all evening, and you haven’t asked me where I went.”
“I figured you’d tell me.” I lifted the lid off the box. My yellow dress lay in the box. “You saved my dress.”
“No. It couldn’t be saved. It turns out that Coke and chlorine are very bad for that type of fabric. As I was told multiple times.”
“But . . .” I pulled the dress out and held it up in front of me. “I don’t understand.”
“I flew to Colorado and begged the nice shop lady to make me another one. She wanted to know why. After telling her our story, she made a new dress in three days. Just for you. I paid her of course.”
“Hank, that is—you are the most romantic man ever.”
“Go hang your dress, then come back over here.”
After slipping the dress on a hanger, I snuggled up next to Hank and rested my head on his chest. “I love you.”
Grinning, he gave me a thumbs up.
Whether or not we followed the advice of our marriage counselor was nobody’s business.
Chapter 27
Waking up with Hank spooned behind me and his arm draped over me made it hard—pretty much impossible—to get out of bed. If we didn’t have big plans for the day, I’d stay right here beside him.
While he slept, I thought through what I’d need. I had the dress, but shoes? Aunt Joji had replaced my broken pair, but they were at my house. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. If I left now, I could be back in just a little over an hour. It wasn’t that late. What time had Hank arranged for the minister to arrive?
I lifted Hank’s arm and inched toward the far side of the bed.
He pulled me back toward him. “Don’t get up. We have time.”
“I need to run home and get—”
“Your shoes are in the closet. Please lie down.”
“How did you know Aunt Joji bought me new ones.”
“I didn’t. I found them in your closet.”
I snuggled back into his arms. “Then I will stay here if that makes you happy.”
“I’ve missed this, and I’ve missed you.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder.
“What time is everything happening?” I trailed my finger up and down his arm.
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