“Ta-da—dinner!” I pointed out to the terrace where the chafing dishes kept the food warm near the small linen-covered table of fine china and silver flatware, as Jack took in everything. The evening was warm. Balmy. I smoothed my damp palms down the hips of the fitted navy dress I’d worn to work. “Well, it’s been five years since we said our first ‘I do…’”
Those ice-gray eyes I loved flickered back to me. “Tomorrow.”
“True, but I thought why not start the celebration today? It’s Friday, and we have the entire weekend.”
A smile tugged his mouth. “I know.”
No, Jack didn’t forget. Not our first or second anniversary—actually, he remembered all the momentous times in our lives. And we’d made a deal, no expensive presents.
“Happy anniversary for tomorrow, my love-bug.” He pulled me close into a tender kiss before he eased back. “Here. You might as well have this, then.” He pulled out a small box packaged in a metallic blue wrapper from his pants’ pocket and handed it over.
It looked a little too big for a ring or earrings—a bracelet? I frowned. “Jack, we said—”
“Open it.”
Expelling a wary breath, I tore off the cover, and at the pink cell phone charger in there, I huffed out a laugh.
“You’re always losing yours. I figured this color would be easily spotted. Well?” He slipped his hands into his pants’ pocket and rocked on his heels. Waiting to see what I got him.
“I cooked.”
His jaw dropped.
Yup, he’d tasted my efforts once and begged me to leave the cooking to Marcy. I wrinkled my nose, dropped my present onto the bed, grabbed his hand, and tugged him outside. “You’ll like this.”
Out on the patio, he glanced at the covered rolls in a basket on the table. Letting go of my hand, he opened the first server. At the steaming hot dogs, deep laughter rumbled out of him, and my heart expanded with immense love for this man who’d loved me first.
“And you thought I couldn’t make a meal tosave our lives,” I teased, my tummy tensing. “Go, sit down.” I waved to his seat. “I got this.”
I covered the dish again. A chair dragged, my heart pounded, and I wiped my clammy palms down my dress again.
“If we’re having fast food for dinner, why the fancy place setting?” he drawled. “Fast food is get-your-hands-messy food.”
I pivoted. Seated now, Jack removed the silver dome covering his plate. He frowned. Then stared. The lid crashed to the floor in a clatter, his features paling beneath his tan.
My stomach heaved.
He snatched up the white plastic stick, then stared some more.
My heart in my throat, I took a step forward. “Jack?”
“Th-this…?” He looked at me, then back at the twin pink lines on the tester. I’d never seen him at a loss for words before.
I crouched next to him, bracing my hands on his thighs.
“You—how?” he rasped, still staring at the tester.
“Well…” I stroked his hard, muscled quadriceps. “It’s like this. When your sperm enters my—”
He shot me a dazed stare. “I meant when.”
I lost the teasing. “About six weeks ago. A doc could give us a more accurate date. Are you happy?” I asked. “I know we wanted to wait…”
He shot up, hauled me to my feet, and crushed me to his chest, his voice muffled in my hair. “Ray, I’m so goddamn happy. You were only twenty-one when we married. I wanted you to enjoy life, do what you wanted, but this—” He pulled back and put his palm on my flat stomach, eyes gleaming with tears. “A baby,” he whispered. “I’m going to be a father…me—a father.”
Jack didn’t have a happy childhood, and at his incredible joy, my throat hurt even as my heart expanded with my love for him. I swallowed my tears. “Y-you’ll be a wonderful father, my love.”
He drew me to him again, his voice husky. “I love you, so damn much.” He kissed my brow. His chest heaved as he exhaled, then he eased back, seeming a little more in control of himself. “Now I understand those bags of cherry candies.”
