by Rae, Alicia
“Would you like some gravy with all those biscuits?” I teased lightly.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m on that next.” He grinned before lifting the spoon from the skillet and pouring gravy all over his biscuits. His plate was almost overflowing.
I rolled my eyes, snickering quietly. I had no idea where he stored all of that food with that gorgeous body of his. If our whole weekend continued at this calorie rate, I’d have to start running way more.
After his first bite, he asked, “So, do I get to open my present after we finish eating?”
“One of them,” I answered while debating which one to let him open first.
Confusion and amusement flittered across his eyes. “There’s more than one?” he questioned.
“Yep.” I grinned. “I have them all planned out.”
“You’re spoiling me.” He smiled affectionately at me.
After breakfast, I quickly cleaned up around the kitchen as Kyle went into the bedroom to shower and dress for the day. While he was putting on a pair of jeans, I walked past him and into our closet. I bent down to dig behind my garment bags and pulled out his first set of gifts. I strode back to the bedroom as he slipped his shirt over his head, and I placed the three boxes on the bed. Then, I patted the box next to me.
“What are all those?” he asked with a perplexed expression.
“Presents,” I corrected.
He smiled as he approached me, glancing between the gifts and me. I handed him the first one.
“Happy birthday.” I beamed.
He sank down on the bed next to me and opened the wrapping paper. A broad smile spread across his features as he pulled out the trunks and sandals. The second box he opened was full of shorts and T-shirts.
“They’re for our honeymoon,” I added.
“Eight days and counting,” he said while admiring the clothing. “Thank you. I don’t have many summer clothes. Most of mine are dress clothes for work.”
“I noticed that, so I decided to expand your wardrobe.” I chortled.
“That was great thinking. I probably would have looked funny wearing jeans on the beach,” he chortled.
“Good point.” I laughed as I handed him his next gift.
He opened it to see the Mr. and Mrs. towels. They had been folded precisely, so he could read them.
“I thought these would fit my theme perfectly, so I couldn’t resist,” I added coyly.
“Very fitting,” Kyle agreed. “And only seven days until you’re officially my wife,” he added while smiling at them. He leaned forward on his palms and kissed me sweetly. “Thank you, Lily. I really like all of it,” he breathed against my lips.
I smiled happily. “And for your next gift…” I paused, watching enthusiasm rise in his eyes. “We are going to the garage—after I get dressed,” I added, realizing I still needed to change.
“The garage?” he asked in a surprised tone, excitement spreading across his face.
“Yep.” I winked before swiftly kissing him once more.
“You definitely have me intrigued now,” he said. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll just have to wait and find out,” I said, rising from the bed to make my way to the closet.
I threw on a pair of old jeans and a Columbia zip-up sweatshirt. I dug in my closet again for Kyle’s next gift. I was hoping to find the perfect spot to give it to him after his next surprise. I zipped it up snug in my pocket and strode back into the bedroom.
“I’m ready,” I said to him.
Kyle leaped off the bed and followed me out of the bedroom, hot on my heels. I grabbed a hair tie off my wrist and pulled my hair up into a sloppy bun.
We strolled to the mudroom, and I opened the door to the garage. I passed the first three spaces of the vehicles and then pivoted to face him.
“Now, I hope this doesn’t break our Sharpie Weekend rule, but if it does, we’ll need to readjust.”
Kyle stepped closer while keeping his eyes on me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me close. “Depends on what you have in mind.”
“I was thinking we never had the chance to ride together with just you and me.” I shrugged at him before enclosing my hands around his nape. “So, I thought we could have a four-wheeler date as your next present?” I asked, hoping he would feel the same way.
A grin broke free across his face. “Of course. I’ll get muddy with you any day of the week, beautiful.”
He hesitated, and I could see the moment an idea popped into his mind.
“Although…I do have one request.”
Uh-oh. I blinked up at him. “What’s that?” I asked warily, feeling nervous.
I tried to guess what he was thinking. I never knew what the man was going to say. He always caught me off guard.
Kyle tipped his head, gesturing toward his four-wheeler, with a wicked grin. “I want you to ride with me,” he replied while looking at me with those big brownish-green eyes.
“Um…I don’t know about that,” I murmured.
“Why not?” he countered.
“Three male cousins and traumatizing experiences, you know. I learned at a young age not to sit bitch anymore,” I responded truthfully.
His eyebrows rose at my honest reference to sitting in the back. I was about to laugh, but then his arms tightened around me in a possessive but reassuring gesture.
“Lily, I would never take a risk that could hurt you,” he said with absolute certainty.
“Okay,” I sighed, knowing the truth of his words. I wanted today to be special for him. My nerves rapidly dissipated. “But if you dump me off, birthday or not, I’m gonna kick your ass,” I threatened, half serious. I was trying extremely hard not to laugh.
Kyle tipped his head back, chuckling. “Deal,” he said before tugging on my hand to lead me toward his four-wheeler.
Within minutes, we were outside and making our way through his backyard. Holding on, I squeezed my hands tightly around his waist, feeling his taut abs beneath, as I pressed my thighs along his.
Kyle veered left toward the wide-open field. The only trees I could see were far off to the right. I closed my eyes briefly and let the wind beat against my face. The fresh air felt heavenly.
He maneuvered us over to a wild prairie trail I had not been on before. It was much smoother than the one we had taken last time, and it was a good thing, too, because I only had a mere seven inches of the seat for my behind. There was no room for bumps or error. I snuggled in closer, thinking I could get used to being a passenger as long as I was pressed against his body. I laid my cheek on his back, reveling in the feeling of him and this moment.
After about fifteen miles of cruising along, he tilted his head back at me. “We are going to cut across the brush, so hold on tight,” he demanded.
Uh-oh…here we go.
I clutched him with more force as he slowed down to take the turn. We veered right in between a narrow path of pine trees.
He downshifted gears and then rotated a fraction in my direction. “Lean forward with me,” he said as he pointed to the upcoming hill. “We’re goin’ up.”
My eyes darted to the incline in front of us. I pitched my weight forward, bracing myself against him, as he hit the gas. The four-wheeler’s engine roared, shooting us forward, as I let out a squeal.
I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the top. I dropped my forehead against the center of his back as I laughed. It was such an adrenaline rush to let someone else control a machine that I was riding, and it was so much fun. I trusted Kyle to use good judgment. I knew he would never endanger us. I had ridden on much steeper hills by myself.
When I lifted my head, my laughter came to an abrupt stop. The sight before me was magnificent. Tall pines surrounded us at our backs.
Kyle turned off the four-wheeler. I lifted up to place my knees on the seat in an effort to get a better view of the area. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my chin on his shoulder. His hands enclosed over mine while we too
k in the scenery around us.
Directly in front of us, a slight drop-off revealed a vibrant blue skyline with only a few visible white scattered clouds. The fresh air mixed with the smell of the pine trees filled my senses. Birds chirped around us while a few flew between the tree branches. It was truly nature at its finest. The innate beauty was part of what I loved so much about the outdoors.
“Wow,” I said in awe. “It’s so pretty up here.”
“It is,” Kyle answered. “This is my favorite place to be when I have the time. No phone calls, no emails, no work—it’s just a chance to clear my mind and appreciate the view.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I breathed before repositioning my head to kiss his cheek tenderly.
This was my moment to seize the opportunity, not wanting it to pass by. I stood and then pivoted to slide around him, placing one leg on either side of his. Kyle realized my intentions and helped me sit astride his lap at the front of his four-wheeler. His hand rested on my thigh while the other delicately gripped my hip to hold me in place. He looked at me with such soft eyes that my pulse sped up uncontrollably.
“So…” I whispered while trying to gather my wits. “I have another gift for you.”
“You do?” he asked in wonder as a smile filled his expression.
“I do.” I nodded. “This one is technically a week early.”
“Oh,” Kyle said, intrigued. His smile broadened.
I unzipped my pocket and pulled out the tiny box. He silently took the small wrapped package, his eyes never leaving mine. My heart was pounding so hard. I almost wanted to take it back and hide it in my pocket again.
He gazed down and pulled the wrapper off in record time. Then, he inhaled sharply as his eyes danced between the box and me. “Lily…” he said with a voice full of emotion.
“I know it’s not our wedding yet, but I wanted this moment to be between just the two of us.”
He pulled out his wedding band, and I lifted my hands, placing them on top of his. I tilted the band, so he could read the inscription, Yours Forever, Lily.
“I wanted our wedding band engravings to match since I feel the same way about you.” I breathed unevenly while awaiting his response.
His wedding ring was a thick platinum band. The center had an eye-catching darker metal making a solid strip around the entire band. It had a strikingly dominant edge to its design.
“As soon as I saw it, I knew it was for you,” I added.
His eyes, full of emotion, flitted to mine. “It fits me perfectly,” he said after he placed it on his finger.
It looked just as I had imagined on his ring finger, but I wanted to clarify that I didn’t expect him to have it before our vows. “You don’t have to wear it until the wedding,” I said softly.
“You already gave it to me, beautiful.” He shook his head with certainty. “There’s no way I’m going to let you have it back for a whole week,” he said with a possessive tone and a light smirk.
“Okay,” I replied, laughing inwardly at his stubbornness. I should have known better than to expect him to only look at it.
His face suddenly went serious again. “Thank you,” he breathed before capturing my lips.
I melted against him. I was relieved that he liked it, and I was happy beyond words.
We sat on his four-wheeler, surrounded by pine trees and the open sky, for what felt like endless time, kissing one another with love and affection here and there. The thought of him being my husband in one short week sent my heart soaring.
Coming up for air, he lowered his forehead against mine. “You know, this is the exact spot where I originally planned to propose to you.” He smiled fondly as he paused. “I wanted it to be romantic with me getting down on one knee and giving you this whole speech on why I wanted you to be my wife forever, but when you woke me up that night, I just had to ask you. I could not go another minute without making you mine,” he said while the soft breeze blew around us.
I lifted my hands and placed them on either side of his jaw, caressing his skin. “I love that you couldn’t wait to ask me. It was romantic…and steamy.” I grinned. “I would not change any part of it.”
“Steamy?” he asked with humor while bringing my body closer to his.
“Very steamy,” I answered with a nod.
“I love steamy,” he said, unveiling a gorgeous smirk.
“Me, too,” I agreed without any doubt in my mind.
I had a feeling his thoughts mirrored mine. I wanted to stay out here forever, but it was time to start heading back to the house. I repositioned myself behind him once more.
His hands came to rest on my legs as he tilted his head back at me. “With your hands wrapped around my waist and you pressing your thighs around me like that,” he said, shaking his head, “I might never let you ride your own four-wheeler again.”
I loved holding his body against me, too, but if I admitted that right now, he would probably find a new home for my four-wheeler.
“In your dreams, buddy. Now, let’s ride.” I laughed.
With that, he took off in the direction from where we had come. He made a quick detour, so he could show me his nearest neighbor’s house, which was not that close at all. In fact, it was at least fifteen or twenty miles away. I loved all the wide-open spaces of fields. I planned to spend a lot of time exploring the area in the future.
We strolled in the door, and I made us a late lunch since it was nearly half past two. My thighs felt like Jell-O from squeezing them against Kyle so hard, but I had a wonderful time riding together. It was a nice change of pace to be able to really take in the scenery instead of focusing on driving. I would definitely do it again.
After lunch, I baked a ham in the oven for dinner later, knowing it took a while to cook. Thankfully, Kyle had a double oven, so I made him a chocolate cake, too. A birthday was simply not one without a cake. I even layered a thick coating of milk chocolate frosting on top.
Kyle put in Fast and Furious 6, and we nestled together on the couch. We had both watched it before, but I would never tire of seeing great actors and hot cars combined on one screen. The series was one of my all-time favorites. I even made Kyle pause it while I took the cake out of the oven when it was done baking.
After the movie, we finished cooking dinner, side by side, while making small talk about Kyle’s upcoming work. I was amazed at how many projects he had going on at one time. He said that Abbey was the one who kept him on track.
Once we finished eating, Kyle walked over to the couch and sat back. I could tell he was ready to settle in for the evening and just relax. I strode into the bedroom and pulled his last gift out from the bottom of the closet.
As I made my way back into the living room, Kyle’s eyes caught on to the small wrapped box.
“Another one?” He smiled.
“Yep, last one.” I beamed with excitement as I took my seat next to him and handed it to him.
His eyes shined brightly at the package as he pulled back the wrapper. He opened the small box, revealing the silver Rolex that had caught my attention at the jewelry store yesterday. I had no idea if he even liked watches since I had never seen him wear one before.
“Since you always dress up for work, I thought that you might like a watch,” I said anxiously.
His eyes lifted to meet mine, and they were glowing fondly. “Thank you, Lily,” he said, pulling the watch out of its packaging. He bent forward to kiss me tenderly. “Mine actually broke last spring, and I never replaced it.”
I let out a deep breath that I didn’t realize I had been holding. I wasn’t sure why I was so worked up over him liking his last gift. “I’m happy you like it.”
“I do,” he said reassuringly while slipping it over his wrist.
I lifted my hands to close the clasp. “Here, let me help you.”
His eyes noticed his initials, KM, inscribed on one of the lower links. “You had this engraved, too?”
I nodded shyly. “Yes.”
“You’re welcome,” I breathed.
After a moment of silence, he placed my hand in his and affectionately caressed the top. “Are you sure you don’t have another surprise for me, beautiful?” He paused, searching the depths of my eyes.
“Huh?” I racked my mind as I counted the presents I had given him. I was pretty sure that I’d stuffed them all in the same spot unless I’d overlooked one.
“I don’t think you’re catching my meaning,” he said with love and a hint of humor. “Let me rephrase. You’ve been sick for the past four days…at only certain times of the day…with no fever. On Thursday night, you threw up as soon as you smelled milk…and on Friday, you had to lie on the bed to get your skirt on,” he added in a quiet tone.
My eyes were bulging so wide that it was painful. I had to force my brain to make my lungs drag in deep pulls of air and then release it as I caught on to his suggestion. Could I be…
Kyle’s chuckle was low and deep.
He’s laughing? Right now?
“By your loss of words, I take it that you understand my meaning this time?”
My mind swarmed with nervousness, and my fingers felt tingly. “You think I’m…” I murmured, my thoughts running rampant.
Part of me was overwhelmingly excited by the thought while the other was still processing this very new idea of expanding our family so soon. My hands came to my stomach, cupping it, while I wondered if I could be…
“Pregnant?” I finally finished, reeling as I let the possibility sink in. Oh my…how could I have ignored so many signs?
Kyle leaned forward, steadying me, and then he gently pulled me into his arms to sit on his lap. He lifted his thumb and forefinger to cup my jaw, bringing my gaze to meet his. “Lily…” he said in a sweet, gentle tone. His eyes burned with sincerity. “Whatever it is, it’s going to be alright.”
“I know,” I said honestly, “but I never expected it to happen so fast.”
He lowered his head and kissed me tenderly before drawing back. “Me neither, but this anticipation of not knowing for sure is going to drive me mad.” He hesitated. “How about we go to the closest store, so we can buy one of those tests?” he asked in an upbeat tone.