Trust Me

by Lacey Black

  After the desserts have been consumed and a couple of card games have been played, Maddox and I gather up our belongings to head towards home. He has to work tomorrow since he traded a shift from earlier in the week when Brooklyn was in the hospital, and Brooklyn is still weak from her pneumonia.

  As we make our way to Maddox’s truck, my family joins us in the driveway to see us off. It’s kind of our own little tradition.

  “Thank you so much for dinner, Mom. It was delicious.”

  “Oh, you are so welcome, honey,” she says with a warm hug. Mom turns her attention to Maddox and Brooklyn.

  “Take care of my girls,” she tells Maddox with a hug and kiss on his cheek.

  “I will. I promise.”

  “And you, little lady, need to go home and get some rest. Grandma will stop by in the afternoon tomorrow to check on you. Okay?”

  “Otay, Gramma. I wove you,” Brooklyn says with a big wet kiss on my mom’s lips. I hug all of my brothers as Maddox fastens Brooklyn into her seat in the back of the truck.

  “I love you, baby girl. We’ll see you Sunday,” my dad says as he hugs me tightly against his chest.

  “Love you more, Dad.”

  With one last wave at my family, I settle into the front seat of the truck. Maddox shakes my dad’s hand before climbing in. As we head out the driveway, I can’t help but feel the exhaustion settling in.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. I think I’m just tired. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed tonight. It feels like it’s been weeks since I was home.”

  “We’ll be home in just a little bit. Actually, I wanted to make a pit stop quickly if that’s okay with you.”

  “That’s fine,” I say assuming we’re going to run by his house so he can grab more clothes, maybe a clean uniform for tomorrow. Maddox reaches over and takes my hand in his, linking our fingers together on the seat of his truck. The peace and contentment settle over me as I shut my eyes and slowly drift off to sleep.

  *****

  “Babe, wake up.” I can hear Maddox talking to me, trying to rouse me from sleep. I feel his soft lips press gentle kisses on my lips and nose. “Avery, we’re here.”

  “Where?” I open my eyes and try to focus. The landscaping is different. We are definitely not at my place or Maddox’s. So where are we?

  “Come on,” he says as he hops out of the truck and starts to get Brooklyn out of the backseat. She’s talking a mile a minute and I feel like I’m still struggling to catch up.

  I open my door and step out, taking in my surroundings. That’s when I realize instantly where we are. The house. My dream house. I look over at Maddox with confusion written all over my face. “What are we doing here?”

  Maddox walks over, Brooklyn tucked in his arm, and he holds out a hand to me. “Come with me and I’ll show you.” Without any hesitation, I place my hand inside of his.

  I’m quiet as we walk up the stone walkway towards the front door, though a hundred questions are flashing through my mind. When we get to the front door, we both stop and look at each other. Now what?

  Maddox reaches in his pocket and pulls out a key. Not just any key. A key that he places in the lock and turns. He turns the knob and gently pushes open the door. How did Maddox get that key? He stands there watching me, waiting on me.

  “Are you ready?” he asks. Ready for what, I’m not sure. My heart is racing and my stomach is in knots as I take his offered hand and we walk through the front door.

  Maddox pulls a small flashlight out of his coat pocket. He shines it down so that we can see where we are walking. The house is completely empty. Strange. I thought the couple who built it had left their furniture for when they returned.

  “Over here is the living room,” he says as he walks into the large open room with a big bay window that faces the front porch. The room extends the entire length of the house with sliding glass doors on the back. There’s a big, beautiful stone fireplace in the middle of the outside wall. We walk to the sliding glass doors. “Out here is a big backyard with concrete porch with built-in fire pit. It’s pretty cool. Over here,” he says as he points the flashlight to the right, “is the kitchen. There’s an island for extra counter space and a bar area where you can put stools.”

  He points the flashlight to the big open space on the other side of the bar. “Dining room,” which has the matching bay window to the living room. We make another right and we’re back to the front foyer. We walk straight in from the front door down a short hallway. “Half bath here,” he points as he opens the door so I can look in. “And large storage closest here under the stairs,” he adds opening another door.

  “Stairs,” Brooklyn exclaims and points up.

  “Yep, let’s go up the stairs,” Maddox says.

  As we reach the top of the stairs, we face another short hallway. He leads me to the right to the room that would be over the dining room and opens the door. “Bedroom.” We walk inside and look around the spacious room. The only light is the soft glow from the street light and Maddox’s flashlight. “Pretty good sized closets,” he adds as he points the beam of light inside the closet.

  He walks out of the room with me trailing behind. He opens the middle door which I discover is a full bathroom. Once I’ve looked around, he exits and leads me to the other door which is another bedroom. This one would be directly over the kitchen and identical to the first one he showed me.

  We exit the bedroom and walk across the hall. I have yet to say anything. Honestly, I have no idea what to say. He still hasn’t told me why we’re here, touring the house that I’ve dreamed of making my home.

  He opens the door and we step inside a large bedroom. “Master bedroom.” There are large windows on the back wall that overlooks the backyard, a smaller stone fireplace along the outside wall, and two doors at the front of the house. The carpet is plush and soft and the walls are warm beige. I stand there and take in the beauty of this large, bare room. There’s hardly any light, but this room is perfect.

  Maddox walks over to the door on the right and opens it up. We step inside a large bathroom. “Walk-in shower, Jacuzzi tub, double sinks, and private toilet area. Closet for storage.” I’m not 100% sure of what all he said because honestly he kind of lost me at Jacuzzi tub. I walk over and stare down into the large corner tub. I could spend hours in that thing! Maybe Maddox would join me.

  “Come on,” Maddox says breaking the spell. We exit the bathroom and walk towards the door on the left. He opens the door to the biggest closet I’ve ever seen. One entire wall consists of an upper and a lower rod for hanging clothes. The back wall is shelves and the other wall has a single rod and tons of nooks for storing what I assume to be shoes. In the center is a bench seat. My mind is officially blown. “Closet.”

  I look over at his face but can’t make out his features because of the darkness. He’s shining the light around the room to make sure I get a good view of the splendid closet. Then he grabs my hand with his, and we walk out. We head down the stairs and stop in the foyer.

  “I don’t understand. Why did you bring us here?”

  “I wanted to show you our new home. This could be our new home, if you want it.”

  Our new home? Is he serious? My mind is racing and my knees start to get a little weak. “Our home?”

  “Yeah. I have the opportunity to buy this place. For us. You, me, and Brooklyn. Maybe, someday, a few more little ones. What do you say?”

  Tears are starting to fill my eyes and I blink rapidly to try to keep them at bay. “You want to buy us a house?” I must be dreaming. Could this incredible man really be standing in front of me, offering me my dream?

  “I want to buy us a house now. And someday, when we’re ready, we’ll talk about more. The thought of going home to my empty house isn’t what I want anymore. I want to wake-up with you in my arms. I want to hear Brooklyn’s laughter filling the rooms. I want to come home every day and kiss you hello. I want us to be together. Do you want
this? This life with me?”

  I can’t hold back the tears any longer. I look into his amazing brown eyes that are filled with so much hope and love, and I know there is only one answer. “Yes, I want this. More than anything in the world.”

  I throw my arms around his neck and Brooklyn’s body and kiss him, hard and passionately. Brooklyn starts to giggle and rubs my head. “Brooklyn, do you want to live here with Maddox?”

  “And Mommy?”

  “Yep. You, me, and your mommy all together in this house. What do you say, Bean?”

  “Yay! Tairs!”

  Maddox and I share a laugh and another kiss.

  “Let’s get out of here and get my girl in bed. I was promised dessert,” he says with a full, ornery smile.

  “Yes, you were,” I reply as we walk out of our future house hand in hand.

  Christmas Morning

  I never knew putting together Christmas gifts and getting them wrapped was such a big job. A job that I reveled in during the early morning hours of Operation Santa. I sent Avery to bed around midnight to get some sleep but was up until almost two finishing up.

  Now, I am throwing on some lounge pants so I can go start the coffee. Avery’s in the bathroom getting ready and Brooklyn will be up any minute. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees what Santa brought her. Hell, I can’t wait for Avery to see what Santa brought her.

  The coffee is percolating as I pull two mugs down from the cabinet. I have to work later but everyone was cool at giving me the morning to be at home for my first Christmas morning with Avery and Brooklyn.

  We don’t have too much time left in this little house. We close on the new house on the twenty-eighth and will be moving in first of the year. I’m working as much as I can right now so I can take an entire week off to move and get us settled. Jake and I worked out our schedules so he’s off the day we move and the two days after to help out. In fact, all of her brothers made themselves available to help us move. And I’m so damn thankful for their help because we have two households to sort and move. The law office that Avery is working at is closed the week between Christmas and New Years so she’s going to take a couple of days, too, the first week of January.

  I can smell the sweet vanilla before she comes in the room. I fucking love that smell. Avery walks up behind me and leans against my back, arms around my waist. My pants start to get tight just by the slightest press of her body against mine.

  “Morning.”

  “Good morning,” she mumbles against my back.

  I spin around, pulling her against my bare chest. My hands dive into her long hair, my lips seek hers as if they have a mind of their own. The kiss goes straight to hungry, my tongue sliding back and forth against hers. She rocks into my body pressing her core against my very hard cock. My hands are seeking bare skin, unbuttoning her jeans.

  “Mewy Cwissmis!”

  “Shit. She’s awake,” I mumble, only mildly disappointed that I can’t continue my exploration as I pull my lips from hers. Avery urgently buttons up her pants and straightens her top.

  “Merry Christmas, sweetie,” Avery says as she spins around and picks Brooklyn up.

  I lean in and kiss her perfect little face. “Merry Christmas, baby girl.”

  “Pwesents!” Brooklyn is already shimmying down from Avery’s lap, heading towards the overflowing tree. We left the living room for last in Project Packing to ensure that everything was perfect for Bean on Christmas morning.

  “You better get in there before she starts without us. I’ll bring the coffee.” I lean down and kiss her lips one more time.

  “You just need a few minutes alone to get yourself together?” she sasses back with a knowing smile.

  “I’ve already started thinking about my grandma and gardening.” She laughs and walks into the living room, my eyes instantly mesmerized by the swing of her hips which doesn’t help the tightness in my pants.

  When I get in the living room with two hot cups of coffee, Brooklyn is bouncing around on the floor in front of the tree. “Now?”

  “Yes, now,” I reply with a smile.

  “Here, let Mommy help you read the tags.” Avery crouches down on the floor and helps distribute presents. There’s a big stack in the back and to the side of the tree for her family and mine. My girls are going to her parent’s house after I leave for work this morning, and we’re heading to my parents this weekend after we close on the house.

  There’s a huge pile of presents sitting in front of Brooklyn. She dives in with all the energy that comes with a three year old. She unwraps books, dolls, Barbie’s, clothes, and even bedding and décor for her new room. She barely has the last one opened before she’s moving on to the next, and she does it all with a huge smile on her face.

  Avery has a few gifts in front of her, too. I found an unbelievably sexy satin robe and nightgown set that I can’t wait to see her wear. When I saw them in the store I imagined her wearing them in front of the fireplace in our room. I can’t wait until we get settled in the new place. She also opened a diamond watch, her favorite perfume, and a new e-reader with tons of memory for her books.

  “You spoil me,” she says as she plants another kiss on my lips.

  I finally open the presents sitting in front of me. A new leather coat, tools for the little shop area in the man cave that’s attached to the back of the garage at the new house, a CD player with every AC/DC CD ever produced, and a framed photo of the three of us taken in the park a couple of weeks back during an unusually mild day in early December. That picture alone could be the best gift I’ve ever received.

  When all the presents are opened, the paper is picked up, and the boxes are being ripped open to retrieve the treasures inside, I start to get a little nervous and sweaty. The presents aren’t all opened yet. There are two more little boxes sitting under the tree, towards the back, that Avery hasn’t seen yet.

  “Hey, Brooklyn, will you grab those two little boxes that are hidden behind Grandpa Mike’s present, please?” Brooklyn takes off over to the tree and starts digging behind the present. I can feel Avery’s questioning eyes on me, but mine remain focused on my little girl. She brings me the two gifts that aren’t wrapped; just two black velvet covered boxes. “Thank you, sweetie.”

  “Are doze for me?” she asks.

  “One is for you and one is for your mom. Let’s do your mommy’s first, okay?”

  “Otay,” she says very enthusiastically and runs to play with her new toys.

  Avery is standing in the middle of the living room, watching our exchange, the questions written in her beautiful blue eyes. I stand up and walk towards her, stopping when I’m directly in front of her.

  “I have something else for you. I knew deep down on our first date that we would get to this exact spot sooner or later. It may have taken me a little while to realize it then, but you are everything to me. You and Brooklyn. When I think about my life without you and Brooklyn in it, I realize that it’s no life at all. You are my life. We have made a great life together, but I want to build it into something so much more.” I take a deep breath and pop open the ring box. Avery lets out an audible gasp as she looks at the ring I chose for her. Actually, she chose it before I even knew it. Sitting within the little black velvet box is the two carat chocolate diamond. The one she saw in the window of the jewelry store in the mall. When I saw the look on her face as she looked dreamily at that ring, I knew it was the one I would eventually put on her finger.

  I slowly kneel down in front of her, taking her shaking hand in my equally shaky one. “Avery, you are the best person I’ve ever known. You are caring and kind and passionate and the love you have for your daughter is evident in everything you do. You look at me with so much love and trust in your eyes that I can’t imagine not having you by my side every single day. So, today, I have a very important question to ask you and Brooklyn.” I take another shaky breath and notice she’s holding hers. “Will you promise to be with me for the rest of
your life so I can show you how much I love and adore you for the rest of mine? Avery, will you marry me?”

  I hold my breath as I gaze into Avery’s glistening blue eyes. Her tears are flowing unchecked down her face.

  “Yes,” she whispers. “YES!” And she throws herself down into my arms, almost knocking me down from the unexpected force of her body. I stand up with her still in my arms and kiss the hell out of my fiancée.

  When we finally pull apart, I slip the ring on her trembling finger, a gesture I used to believe I would never do. My lips seek hers one more time, her body pressed firmly against mine.

  I pull away and wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Wait, I have one more gift.”

  I take the second box and walk over to where Brooklyn is playing with her new toys, completely oblivious to the proposal that just took place behind her.

  “Brooklyn, honey, come here a second. I have a question for you.” Brooklyn walks over and leaps onto my lap on the couch.

  “You know that your mommy and I are moving in together in the new house, right?” She shakes her head yes. “Well, we’ll be moving in the new house in a little over a week. But I want to do more than just live with you and your mommy. I want to marry your mommy. Do you know what that means?”

  “You get to sweep in the same bed. Emma’s mommy and daddy are mawied and she said they sweep in the same bed.” I chuckle at the simplicity of her three year old logic.

  “That’s right. We will get to sleep in the same bed. But it also means that we are going to promise to be together forever. That means I’m not going anywhere. I will always be here for your mommy and for you.”