by Rae, Alicia
“I’m looking for a wedding ring for my fiancé,” I replied.
“Congratulations on your engagement.” She smiled politely. “The gentlemen’s wedding bands are this way,” she added while gesturing me to follow.
I let out a nervous breath and trailed along behind her. Stopping at another case, my eyes broadened for a split second at the wide selection. I wondered how I was ever going to select only one. Then, as my gaze made it to the third row down, fourth one across, I saw it—the perfect ring for Kyle.
A warm loving glow spread throughout my entire body, especially my heart. I lifted my hand and pointed. “That one,” I said with absolute certainty.
“Of course,” she responded. “Just let me get some paperwork for you.”
I continued to roam around the store while she readied my order. The cases were filled with many choices of cuff links, necklaces, earrings, rings, and watches.
The saleswoman returned with my total, and I handed her my Visa after telling her that I wanted to purchase another item.
She took it and then walked off to finish the sale. I walked back over to where Kyle’s ring was, and I lowered my eyes to look at it one more time. My cheeks started to ache from smiling so much.
As I flopped down onto the couch after hiding Kyle’s gifts, I was relieved that I had felt well enough this morning to shop for him. My only regret was overdoing it. The stomach bug came back with a vengeance. It was quite ticked with me for not giving myself adequate time to recuperate. Feeling drained, I draped my hand over my head to shield the light coming from the living room window, and I closed my eyes.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” my favorite voice whispered in my ear.
I felt his hand affectionately stroking down the side of my head.
“Ugh,” I grunted incoherently, feeling miserable.
Kyle chuckled softly. “Still feel sick?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
I nodded while keeping my hand in place. “Yes…it won’t go away.”
He brushed his knuckles down my cheek. “You don’t have a fever.”
“I started to feel better, and then it came back with full-blown retaliation, dirty style.”
His husky chortle was louder this time. “Viruses are known to linger,” he replied in a gentle tone. “How about I make you some broth? Then, you can use me as your pillow again.”
“Okay.” I looked at him, smiling tenderly. I loved the way he wanted to care for me. “I think I should be able to keep that much down,” I added, disliking my noncompliant stomach.
As I lowered my hand, he bent forward and kissed my cheek softly.
“Alright, beautiful, broth is coming right up.” He rose to his feet and headed for the kitchen.
I stayed in my position on the couch, trying to wake up, while I heard Kyle moving about as he prepared to start cooking.
After a moment, I stood and slowly ambled toward the bar stools at the kitchen island. “So, how was your day?” I asked, making easy conversation.
“The usual.” He shrugged while still facing the stove. “I should be finished by a decent time tomorrow,” he added. Then, he turned to walk over to the other side of the island.
“That’s good,” I replied.
“And then, I’m all yours for the next five weeks,” he said with a grin forming across his lips.
“Even better.” I smirked back, feeling slightly better. Maybe all I needed was my handsome sexy alpha.
“I haven’t had that much time off in…” He paused while drawing his brows together. “Forever.”
“Me either.” I laughed.
He turned back to the stove to check on my dinner that was sizzling in the pot, and then he turned off the heat. He sidestepped, opened the cabinet to pull out two bowls, and carefully filled them with the broth.
Kyle set my glass bowl in front of me, and then he slid his over to the empty bar stool next to me. At the fridge, he pushed the ice button and walked back to dump a cube in my soup.
“What are you doing?” I asked with amusement.
He placed an ice cube in his bowl, too. “It’s another one of those traditions.” He grinned while sitting in his chair. “Whenever my mom made us soup when we were kids, we always put ice cubes in it to cool it off faster.”
I lifted my brows at him. “I don’t know whether to be bummed out because you weakened my broth or be impressed and think you’re a genius,” I teased.
“I’m going to go with genius,” he stated matter-of-factly.
I laughed and shook my head. “Of course you’d say that.”
Our broth slowly cooled. I sipped tiny spoonfuls of my dinner, not sure how my stomach would react.
So far, so good.
“So, what’s on the agenda next week?” Kyle asked in between mouthfuls.
“I think we are pretty much set to go. We just need to decide if we want to do a rehearsal or not,” I replied.
“What do you want?” he questioned.
“I don’t think it’s really necessary since our wedding party is rather small. I think the six of us can handle it,” I said, referring to our wedding party that consisted of Abbey, Brooke, Kate, Ryan, Damon, and Jason.
“Okay.” He turned to face me. “So, when do we leave for our honeymoon?”
I could not help but unleash a huge smile, loving the idea of having him all to myself for a month. “We leave the day after the wedding at one o’clock.”
“Mmm, then I get you on a beach, all to myself for one whole month,” he responded dreamily, sharing my feelings.
Sometimes, we were so similar with our thoughts.
“What all did you select in our package?” he asked.
“An oceanfront room, convertible car, breakfast each morning, one boat trip to another island, and even a helicopter ride to tour the island,” I answered, feeling quite ecstatic about my awesome all-inclusive deal.
His spoon stopped midway to his mouth. He looked at me with inquisitiveness. “I thought you hated to fly?” he asked, confounded.
“I do,” I agreed. “But the helicopter doesn’t have a great big engine roaring in my ears. I think I’ll be okay because it’s smaller. And for our airplane tickets, I personally selected seating near the front, so we won’t be stuck in the back again.”
“Uh, Lily, the helicopter is smaller, yes, but sometimes, that actually makes it worse for people because a helicopter makes more sudden movements,” he clarified.
My face paled.
He continued since I could not form any good retort, “Are you sure a tour by air is a good idea?”
“Well, I was until you just told me all that,” I muttered, waving my hand aimlessly in the air.
Kyle chuckled softly and then reassuringly rubbed my arm. “You never know…” he countered, rising to grab two glasses from the cabinet. He opened the fridge to grab the milk, and he poured us each a cup. “You might be surprised and like it,” he added while passing a glass to me.
“Thank you. I’m so thirsty,” I said while lifting the glass.
As soon as the smell of milk assaulted my nose, I cringed. My belly rumbled in protest, and Kyle stared at me with wide eyes.
I set the glass down with a loud thud and leaped out of the chair. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I said, running for the bathroom.
Thank the heavens I awoke feeling refreshed on Friday. I could not bear to be friends with the white porcelain god for one more day. I definitely was going to get the flu shot next year to save myself from this awful monstrosity of an illness.
Kyle was already gone for work, so I excitedly retrieved his presents from my hiding spot. I laid them out across the living room floor to wrap them while listening to the radio. I had never shopped for a man before, so I hoped he liked everything I’d gotten for him.
After I finished wrapping his presents, I hid them on my side of the closet behind some long garment bags. I glanced at the clock on my cell phone to see that it was only noon. I made my way up to the lof
t and worked for a few hours.
I was expecting to be able to write a great deal today. Usually, after having a few days off, my mind was on overload, but today, I found myself too eager for Kyle’s birthday to focus.
I closed my laptop at four sharp. Dinner with Kyle’s family would be in only two hours. I went downstairs and into the bathroom to start getting ready.
After a quick shower, I dried off and walked into the bedroom to open my drawers. Wanting to feel sexy tonight, I picked out my black lacy bra and matching garter set and slipped into them. I ambled over to my closet, and my eyes roamed over my selection of clothes. I reached for one of my favorite plum skirts and a white V-neck silk shirt.
I reemerged into our bedroom and put on my top. I stepped into my skirt and pulled it up the length of my shaved legs. When I went to lift the zipper, it suddenly felt snug. I sucked in a sharp breath, hoping to wiggle it up, but the zipper would not budge. I bit my lip, pondering how I could make my wardrobe selection work. I refused to select a different outfit. Then, an idea came to mind, and I marched over to the bed. Lying down, I tried again.
I heard Kyle enter the room. I glanced in his direction to see his odd expression. He was looking at me as if I had lost my mind.
“What are you doing?” He laughed.
“This damn skirt won’t zip!” I responded, slightly embarrassed. I heaved in a deep breath and gave the zipper a hard yank. “Got it!” I beamed as I rose from the bed. I slid my hands down my curves to straighten the plum material.
I lifted my gaze to take in Kyle’s bemused expression.
“It seems that after weeks of not working out and eating whatever I pleased, my metabolism has failed me, and so have my deceiving yoga pants,” I huffed.
Kyle bit his lip to keep from snickering while he raised his eyebrows in mirth. “Must be all of those late-night bowls of chocolate ice cream in front of the TV, too?”
“Guess so,” I snorted. “Looks like no more munchies for this girl. Just tennis shoes and eating up miles to burn as many calories as possible in the next seven days,” I answered while wondering if my wedding dress would still fit. It seemed my metabolism was no longer what it used to be.
Kyle gathered me in his embrace, and I inhaled the scent of him. He always smelled so divine.
“You look beautiful the way you are, Lily,” he whispered along my ear. Then, he bit gently, tugging on my lobe. “I can’t wait to see what’s underneath that sexy outfit of yours.” He leaned back abruptly. “Speaking of…where are we going anyway?”
I inwardly debated on if I should continue to keep dinner a secret, but then it occurred to me that I had only been to his family’s house a few times. I had never really paid attention on how to get there. So, it looked like I was going to have to spill the beans.
“We’re having dinner with your family tonight,” I said while watching his eyes.
In that moment, I could tell that he knew I was aware his birthday was tomorrow.
“Surprise.” I grinned.
The corner of his mouth curved up, exposing his dimple. “So, you do know?” he questioned mischievously.
Raising my brow and my arms around him at the same time, I playfully smirked up at him. “Of course I know!” I snickered while leaning back to let him go. I nudged his chest, and then I shook my head. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that tomorrow is your birthday!” I chided.
He was definitely going to have to get past his aversion to celebrating because I loved birthdays and holidays—a lot.
Amusement danced in his eyes. “I’m not a big fan of my birthday,” he admitted.
“How come?” I asked with curiosity.
“Sibling trauma,” he responded casually.
I gathered my arms up around his shoulders once more. “Oh, then I definitely need to hear more. Did a big clown pop out of your birthday cake or something?” I teased while stroking his nape with my fingertips.
He let out a soft laugh. “Even worse. Ryan and Abbey thought it would be funny to hide my gifts, and then they wrapped my sister’s Barbies,” he said with a haunted tone. “My mom sat there with her mouth hanging open as my dad laughed hysterically while I opened Barbie after Barbie…and then doll clothes.” He shivered slightly. “It was traumatizing.”
I threw my head back, laughing hard. I was completely caught off guard by his story. I had no idea what I had imagined it would be, but it certainly was not that.
“It’s totally not funny,” he said, chortling himself. “It was very emasculating to an eleven-year-old boy. Not to mention, they joke about it every year.”
Laughter continued to pour out of me. I could not stop it. “Oh my gosh!” I said between laughs. I was nearly in tears. “No wonder Abbey didn’t elaborate on why you disliked your birthday.”
“That’s because she was the mastermind behind it. She just used Ryan as her scapegoat. Needless to say, they both got grounded,” he said with wit.
After recovering, I lifted my head to meet his eyes. “Don’t worry, birthday boy. By the end of this weekend, I hope you start looking forward to every future birthday,” I said with candor in my voice.
“Oh yeah?” he rasped, his tone suddenly husky. “You have me intrigued. What have you been up to, beautiful?”
He leaned in, and his breath was hot against my ear. I deliberately pulled back, moving my lips to stop less than an inch from his, while watching his eyes darken.
“Not telling. My lips are sealed, so you’ll just have to wait.” I snickered.
Kyle closed the distance between us, zoning in for a toe-curling kiss. His warm mouth ravished mine, and then he pulled back, leaving me wanting more.
“Are you sure you want to keep it a secret? I bet I can pull it out of you,” he teased.
“Nope, I can’t spoil the surprise,” I said, shoving him away. “We only have a short while to get ready before your family is expecting us for dinner, so get to it,” I demanded.
Kyle sauntered off to the shower while I finished getting ready.
Thank goodness he hadn’t tried to force it out of me. With that man’s kisses, I would have never stood a chance.
Once he was dressed, we made our way to the car. I was glad his parents’ house was only a short drive away since I was eager to spend time with them all. They were all such fun, loving people to be around. I could not wait to get to know them more, and with our approaching wedding, I was feeling extremely blessed to soon call them my own.
We pulled into the driveway at the exact same time as Ryan and Kate. I exited the car and turned to face Kate, who looked to be struggling to stand up.
“Hi, Kate! Would you like some help?” I asked her.
She placed one hand on the seat cushion beside her and the other on the car door for leverage to hoist herself up to her feet. “No.” She laughed while rotating to face me. Her hands came down and fondly caressed her stomach. “I’m fine. Just a little off-balance with this belly.”
“I can see that.” I smiled at her.
Her tummy was even more pronounced since the last time I’d seen her.
“When are you due again?”
She let out an exhausted sigh. Ryan came to her side to offer his hand. She smiled sweetly at him and then looked back at me.
“Not until early September. I don’t know how or if I’ll survive the whole forty weeks. I swear, my belly is going to burst at the seams.”
“Well, you’re almost there,” I said encouragingly.
Kyle came to stand at my left, and he placed his hand on the small of my back.
“Not close enough,” she snorted good-naturedly. Then, she teasingly narrowed her eyes at Ryan. “I’ll think twice before letting my husband ever knock me up again.”
I bit my lip to keep from chortling. However, Ryan and Kyle burst out laughing.
Ryan wrapped his arms around his wife. His eyes were shining with adoration. “If I recall our conversation correctly, Kate, it was you who came down with baby
fever.”
“Damn baby fever,” she muttered under her breath.
The men chuckled again. Kyle took my hand in his as we all congregated toward the front door.
“Aw, Kate, just think of how happy you’ll be in a few weeks when you get to hold your little girl for the first time,” I said, trying to comfort her.
Kyle slightly squeezed my hand, and it made my heart soar.
Kate tilted her head in my direction. “I know! I can’t wait to wrap her in my arms and snuggle with her for hours,” she replied with excitement, her whole face glowing with love.
All of our heads snapped up as the front door opened.
Grace stepped out onto the porch, her eyes full of light. She pressed her hands together in front of her chest. “I’m so happy you guys all made it!” she cried. Then, she opened her arms to hug Kyle. “Happy birthday, son.” She pulled back, holding him at arm’s length. “Gosh, I can’t believe you’re twenty-nine. Where does the time go?” She looked as if she might cry at any second.
“It doesn’t stop, that’s for sure.” Ryan chortled as he nudged Kyle on the shoulder. “So, don’t blink, Kyle, or next thing you know, you’ll be thirty and plucking out gray hairs in the bathroom mirror,” Ryan teased.
Kyle let out a deep laugh as he turned his gaze to Ryan. “You’ve got enough of those for the both of us,” Kyle retorted good-naturedly.
We all turned our heads at the throaty sound of a car pulling up into the driveway, and then I could also hear the slight beat of music, too.
“I can’t believe you two let your sister buy that death trap,” Grace admonished while all of our eyes were still glued on the sexy Camaro.
“Uh, Mom,” Kyle said, turning his attention back to Grace, “you know as well as we do that Abbey is an unstoppable force of nature once she sets her mind on something.”
“You could say that again,” Ryan huffed. “But damn, that car? At least we taught her well,” he added with admiration.
“Yeah, we did,” Kyle replied.
“Hey, guys! I’m so sorry I’m late. There was road construction on the way here, and the detour took forever!” she exclaimed while making her way toward the porch. Abbey looked between all of us with a perplexed expression. “Hey, what did I miss?” she asked.