Keeping Him

by Kennedy Fox

  Only family and very close friends were invited because of the size of the chapel. Emily and Addie will be standing up in the front with me as I say my vows, staying true to keeping the wedding private. Mila and River didn’t mind at all and volunteered to help me in other ways, though the planning of it was surprisingly stress free. Apparently, when you’re marrying the person you’re meant to be with, everything from the cake to the reception is trivial and easily falls into place.

  As my mama helps me zip up my dress, Emily, Mila, River, and Addie surround me with eager smiles on their faces. It’s nothing extravagant with sequins or a long train. It hugs my body in all the right places, but it’s simple and perfect. Instead of everyone gasping over my expensive luxury dress, they’ll be seeing me for me. I even did my own makeup this time, taking the classy Meghan Markle approach, and kept it light and natural. My hair falls in beach curls along my back with my bangs clipped to the side, just the way Jackson likes it. A small crown and veil sit on the top of my head, and I’m so happy with the whole look. It’s me—not a made-up version of myself, trying to impress everyone—and it’s exactly how I envisioned when I’d marry Jackson.

  I glance in the mirror, asking the girls and Mama if I can have some alone time to collect my thoughts beforehand. They all agree, but Emily lingers behind.

  “You’re not planning to run, are you?” she playfully asks, already knowing the answer to that question.

  I pull her into a big hug. “Not this time. This time it’s right.”

  When we break apart, she hands me a letter. I glance down at it, somewhat surprised.

  “I promised I’d hand deliver it.” Em gives me a sweet smile and leaves me to read it in peace.

  My heart beats erratically as I sit down in the chair in front of the small vanity mirror. Sucking in a deep breath, I open the envelope and immediately recognize Jackson’s handwriting. Before I even begin to read it, I start choking up. Already there’s nothing I’d change about today, not a damn thing.

  Kiera,

  Before you walked down the aisle to say your ‘I do’s’ the last time, you received a letter from me. I thought it’d be kinda like a tradition to give you another one. :)

  On a more serious note, words can never truly express the way I feel about you, how deeply I love you, or what you really mean to me. I will never, for the rest of my days, be able to fully explain it, but I’ll spend eternity trying and making sure you understand. Today will officially mark the first day of our forever, and there’s no other woman in the world I’d rather spend my life with.

  You are my everything, Kiera.

  You’re my best friend, my lover, and now you’re finally going to be my wife. I’m still pinching myself and wondering what I ever did to deserve someone as kind and sweet as you.

  When I was younger, I dreamed of marrying you.

  I dreamed of you being the mother to my children.

  Anytime I thought of my future, you were always a part of it.

  Today those dreams will finally become our reality.

  There was a point in my life when I thought I’d lost you forever, and the thought scared the shit out of me. A life without you isn’t a life worth living at all, but I wanted your happiness above all things, and I still do. I know we will read our vows soon, but I want you to know right now, I’ll do anything for you, baby. I’d rope the damn moon for you.

  For every day I’ve known you, I’ve become a better man.

  And I’ll try every single day to make you a happy woman.

  You’ve given me the greatest gift—yourself and your heart—and if I die tomorrow, I’ll die a happy man knowing you love me the same way I love you. You bring joy to my soul, light to my dark days, and have restored my faith in love and true happiness.

  A year ago, I wasn’t ready to let you go, but I’d come to terms with it.

  Sweetheart, today I’m promising I’ll never leave your side.

  Thank you for making me the happiest man on earth. Thank you for giving me a chance, giving us a chance, and loving me with every fiber of your being. We might have a simple life full of horses and kids on a ranch, but it’s our life, and that’s more than enough for me.

  I love you so much. So damn much.

  Always yours,

  Jackson

  P.S. Truth or Dare?

  Dare you to marry me.

  Tears stream down my face, and I try to wipe them away, but it’s no use. His words speak straight to my heart, and I want him to know that he’s my everything, too, and that marrying him will be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

  A knock rings out on the door, and I hurry to wipe my face.

  “Come in,” I say.

  The door swings open, and Mama Bishop enters wearing a lavender dress. When she sees my tears, I can tell she’s alarmed.

  “You okay, honey?” She walks in and closes the door. “Not having second thoughts, are you?” She smiles cautiously.

  “No, ma’am. There’s not an ounce of doubt in my body. Marrying Jackson is the only right thing I’ve ever done,” I tell her confidently.

  She glances down at the letter and smiles, knowing what happened before. I stand and wrap my arms around her.

  “I’m so happy you’re officially joining the family. But you know you’ve always been like my second daughter, Kiera, and I love you.”

  Tears well in my eyes again. “I’m an emotional mess. I’m sorry.”

  She chuckles. “As long as those are happy tears, they’re welcome anytime, sweetie.”

  I sniff. “They are. I promise.”

  Carefully, she wipes away the tears that stream down my face and smiles. “Just wanted to come see you before we started. It’s almost time. We’ve got about thirty minutes.”

  I give her another big hug, and she tells me again how pretty I am before she leaves. Soon my parents enter, and they’re a big emotional mess, just like me. My mama wraps her arms around me, and so does my dad. They squeeze me so tight, and I’m so thankful to have them as my parents.

  “I know we’re really letting you go this time, Kiki,” my dad tells me, his eyes watering.

  “Daddy, please don’t cry,” I beg. “You’re going to make me start again.”

  “She’s right, Charles,” Mama tells him. She gives me a grin and lets the girls in who were patiently waiting in the hallway. Their excitement is contagious, and soon I’m smiling and laughing again. I feel like I’m living in a dream state, but I’m trying to soak it all in because I never want to forget a single detail about this day.

  Eventually, Evan knocks on the door, telling us we have less than ten minutes.

  Emily looks at me. “Ready to officially become my sister?”

  “You better believe it.”

  Emily grabs my hand and leads me out to my father. Dad turns to me with happiness, and I tell him to stop it before he starts a chain reaction. As I peek inside the chapel, seeing everyone waiting for me to come out, I can’t stop smiling. Today is one of the happiest days of my life, and it’s only going to get better from here.

  It’s still so surreal.

  Emily walks down the aisle with John, and Addie walks down with Colton, and a minute later, the “Wedding March” begins to play. My father positions the veil over my face, and I suck in a deep breath and let it out quickly. “I love you.”

  “Love you too, Dad. Thank you.”

  It’s time.

  It feels like I’ve waited a lifetime for this very moment, or at least half a lifetime.

  I walk up the aisle, and as I do, everything that surrounds me disappears when I see Jackson in the front of the room wearing a tuxedo, smiling at me. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. The way he’s looking at me like I’m everything completely takes my breath away. As I walk forward, I feel as if I’m gliding to the front to him. My father gives me away, and I take the few steps up to Jackson. Slowly, he removes the veil from my face, and I see tears on the brims of his eyes, and i
t almost makes me lose it in front of everyone. I never knew happiness like this could ever exist.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, only loud enough for me to hear, and I want to kiss him now.

  The pastor begins, and I’m not listening to a word he says as Jackson and I hold a silent conversation. I’m lost with him as he holds my hands, brushing his thumbs over my fingers. The pastor clears his throat, and the chapel erupts into chuckles. Neither of us was paying attention, and it’s time to say our vows.

  Jackson looks into my eyes and pulls his handwritten vows from his pocket. The paper shakes in his hand as he pours his heart out in front of our friends and family. I feel as if I can’t find my voice when it’s my turn to tell him exactly how I’ve always felt, though he knows by now. When tears stream down my face, he wipes them away with his thumbs. The pastor requests our ‘I do’s’ and soon we’re exchanging rings and being pronounced man and wife.

  There’s no hesitation from either of us, not an inkling of doubt.

  When Jackson is finally allowed to kiss me, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me sweetly, before it becomes more heated and passionate. The pastor clears his throat again, but neither of us cares because right now, this moment is everything. When we break apart, my lips are swollen, and our smiles are contagious. As soon as we’re announced as Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Bishop, the entire room erupts into cheers and applause.

  We make our way down the aisle, happiness radiating from us, and run down the steps of the church. The photographer stops us and has us pose in front of the double doors. The family feeds in, and we take pictures with them, then she takes us off to the side of the church in a big overgrown field. I can’t stop looking at my husband, and the smile on my face is so genuine, it might possibly be permanent.

  Jackson pulls me into his arms and feathers kisses up and down my neck as the flashes go off. It feels so natural being with him freely like this. After hundreds of photos are taken of us laughing and kissing and holding on to each other for dear life, Jackson grabs my hand and leads me back to the church. The photographer doesn’t miss a single precious moment.

  As everyone crowds around, Jackson picks me up and carries me to the classic Mustang he rented to drive us home. On the back, it says “Finally Married,” and I let out a huge laugh because it’s true.

  As soon as we get in, we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

  “Let’s get the hell outta here, wife,” he whispers against my lips as we break and wave bye to everyone.

  He interlocks his fingers with mine as we drive home to change clothes. Mama Bishop is holding a small reception at her house, and we’re supposed to meet there in an hour. It was important to give everyone time to arrive, but all I want to do right now is be with my husband.

  Jackson glances over at me. “I love you.”

  I squeeze his hand. “I love you more.”

  We pull under the Circle B ranch sign and travel down the gravel road, and my heart is so damn full when we park in front of the house. Jackson walks around the car, and when I step out, he picks me up and carries me up the steps to the porch, kicks open the door, then sets me down.

  “I think I might be finally gettin’ used to this caveman thing.” I laugh against his lips.

  He lifts an eyebrow at me. “Bedroom. Now.”

  I do exactly as he says, knowing I need him as much as he needs me.

  Jackson takes his time, undressing me, kissing every inch of me. I remove his tux, and we’re standing naked, touching, not able to keep our lips apart. His fingers lightly brush against my skin, and goose bumps cover me.

  “We don’t have much time,” he tells me as he lays me on the bed.

  My eyes meet his. “We have forever.”

  A smile touches his lips as he moves to me. Though we have somewhere to be, an event that’s celebrating us, we decide to take our time. We make love like never before. As our worlds collide, the emotions I feel are indescribable, and by the look on his face, I know he feels exactly the same. Jackson moves in and out of me, our bodies joining, and we’re as close as two human beings can possibly be. Right now, we’re one. It takes no time at all before we’re losing ourselves together, but in the end, Jackson finds me and pulls me back to reality with his mouth.

  “Truth or dare,” I whisper with a smirk.

  “Truth,” he says, searching my face.

  I swallow hard, knowing I’ve got to ask this one question before we go to his parents’ house. My heart pounds hard in my chest, almost to the point where I wonder if even he can hear it.

  “What is it?” he asks, grinning, propping himself up on one arm, not taking his eyes from me.

  I tuck my lips in my mouth, almost nervous. “You said truth, right?”

  I somehow knew he’d choose that one this time. It was a gut feeling.

  He nods, waiting.

  “What if I told you I’m pregnant?” I wait patiently for his answer.

  “I’d be thrilled to death.” He runs his fingers through my hair, and my eyes flutter closed.

  When I open them, Jackson is staring at me. A hint of a smile touches my lips.

  “Well…” I linger.

  He’s searching my face. “What?”

  “You’re gonna be a dad, Jackson.”

  His eyes go wide as my palm holds his cheek. “Seriously. Like this isn’t a joke?”

  I shake my head with a smile. “I found out this morning. I was late and thought maybe it was stress induced, but I took a test or three, and they were all positive. We’re finally pregnant. We’re going to be parents.”

  Tears immediately roll down his face, and he devours my lips, then bends down and kisses my tummy. “I’m the happiest man right now. Today has been the best day of my life,” he admits.

  “I know,” I whisper. “I feel like I might burst with happiness too.”

  My emotions spill over. I have everything I’ve ever wanted—Jackson Bishop and starting a family together.

  “Also,” I add, “John told me he put a hex on us to have triplets.”

  Jackson bursts into laughter. “That bastard would. Hmm. Maybe it’ll happen.”

  I slap his arms. “Don’t wish that on me. Bishop babies are the size of turkeys.”

  “Okay, so if not triplets, maybe twins?” He lifts his eyebrows.

  “We’ll see how potent your sperm really is,” I tease with a laugh.

  Jackson smirks. “I want this printed in the paper. Just imagine the headline, The Infamous Jackson Bishop Settles Down and Knocks Up His Wife with Multiples. It’s stuff for the record books.”

  I pull him closer, wanting to taste his lips again. “Thank you.”

  “For what, sweetheart?” He wraps his arms around me.

  “For making me your wife and a mom. You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

  He leans over and kisses my forehead. “And just think, we’re only getting started.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Jackson

  The past eight months have been one hell of an experience. Right after the wedding, I swept my bride away for a two-week honeymoon in the Cayman Islands. I originally scheduled it for a week, but once Kiera told me she was pregnant, I knew this would be our last chance to go on a vacation for a while. We spent most of the time in our room anyway, but not having any responsibilities and getting to just be together was exactly what we needed.

  Watching my beautiful wife change and her belly grow with life inside has been indescribable. Between the cravings, hormone changes, setting up the nursery, picking out names, and buying enough baby things to fill one of the barns, I’m so damn excited the day has come to bring our babies home.

  “I always knew you were gonna get payback for all the shit you gave us,” John told me as soon as we announced we were having twins. He laughed his ass off, but I didn’t find it as humorous with their horror stories. Though I was over the moon to start our family, I have no idea how to be a dad, especially
to such a tiny human, nevertheless two tiny humans. However, after the shock wore off and we started preparing for our new bundles of joy, I was ecstatic. Kiera, on the other hand, blamed me for the back aches, muscle cramps, and spasms. Though I can’t say her little fits weren’t adorable, I know how uncomfortable she was toward the end of her pregnancy.

  “What if my vagina never goes back?” Kiera groans as Emily and River assist her into the house. I offered to carry her, but she wanted me to bring the babies in, and all four of us walk into the house together. It was a special moment for her, and I wanted to do it her way.

  We’d been having unprotected sex since our very first time, but getting pregnant wasn’t as easy as it sounded. After six months, I was starting to worry my sperm was no good, but then Kiera surprised me with the best news on our wedding day, and it felt like it was supposed to happen like that all along.

  “Your vagina will go back, I promise,” Emily reassures her as Kiera takes a seat on the couch. “But no hanky-panky for six weeks,” she warns, pointing a finger at me.

  “I just pushed two babies out—no scratch that—two Bishop babies out. He’s not getting anywhere near my vagina again,” Kiera announces firmly. My boys came out over seven pounds—each. All the Bishop babies are born big, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. Except to Kiera.

  “But they’re the cutest little twins ever,” River coos, kneeling by their car seats.

  “You’re right.” Kiera smiles. “Totally worth the pain and wrecked vagina.”

  “Can we stop teaching my sons about vaginas? They’re only five days old,” I remind them all.

  Emily snorts. “Look who’s talking. Mr. Playboy himself doesn’t want his boys to hear the word.”

  “The irony,” River cackles. “You better hope they don’t turn out like you.”

  “Oh, I already know I’m doomed. I grew up with three brothers, so I anticipate they’ll get into all kinds of mischief.” I kneel in front of Kane’s car seat and unbuckle him. He doesn’t even fuss and stays sleeping as I pull him out. He looks so small in my large hands. They both have dark hair, and according to theory, Kiera’s horrific heartburn nightmares predicted it all along.