“I love my house, so I’m glad we’ll be living there, but it was never a home, and now I know why. It was missing you.”
Her smile went crooked. “You’re deliberately confusing me.”
No, he was finally understanding. “A house is just a building. Different shapes, different sizes, but still, just structures. I could fill my house with nice furniture. Put on great music. Have the best entertainment center around.”
“An immaculate yard,” she added. “A trendy pool.”
Now she was getting it, he thought. “They were just things to complement the structure.”
“But a dog,” she said. “Living and breathing, sharing and caring, that brought meaning?”
“Not just any dog, but the best dog. Maybelline is an enormous love-mutt.” Her size was overshadowed only by her big heart and unending love. “She’s been hurt.”
Sad, Skye whispered, “It’s unbearable if I dwell on it.”
“Me, too. But she’ll still accept any friendly hand. Someone treated her badly, and she’s still so gentle.”
“I’m glad she has us.”
Us. The two of them together. “It’s not just Maybelline that makes my house feel like a home, now. It’s you. In ways I never imagined, you’re my perfect counterpart. Beautiful and intelligent, understanding, friendly.” His heart felt too big for his chest. “You know things about me that I’ve never told another soul.”
Her lips quivered into a smile. “I love you.”
He would never tire of hearing it. “We’re going to have the very best life together.”
“With Maybelline and Tank.”
“And your sister next door.”
She laughed.
“Will you marry me?” He touched his mouth to hers. “Today, or next month, or a year from now. Whenever you want, however you want.”
“I want you.” She hugged him. “When and where and how doesn’t matter to me either, as long as we’re together.”
From the kitchen, Laylee shouted, “Then leave it all to me! I’ll make it the best wedding ever!”
Together—all three of them, with barking dogs joining in—they laughed.
Two Months Later
“My sister is brilliant.”
Ford couldn’t disagree. For weeks, Laylee had grilled them both on things they liked so that she could put together an ideal wedding—for them. He had to say, it suited them perfectly.
Casual and relaxed—just as Skye had requested—the ceremony had taken place in the combined backyards where his friends,his family, could gather and all their animals could safely play.
And his wife . . . her guests included fifty or so of her and Laylee’s relatives, who were every bit as nice as his wife and sister-in-law. It took both properties to hold them all, but he couldn’t have been happier.
Skye was now his wife, and God, he loved her. “You’re stunning,” he whispered, carefully gathering her close again. The material of her dress seemed fragile to him, all white froth magically drifting around her ankles, but leaving her shoulders and back bare.
Laylee flitted by, going from one house to the next, seeing to their guests and the dogs with equal attention.
Knox, Bray and Marcus strode up, all of them smiling at him. While they chatted, Knox tracked Laylee’s every move.
Ford nudged him. “As the best man, you could offer the maid of honor some help.”
Without taking his gaze off Laylee, he said, “Already did, but she refused. Says she has everything in hand.”
