My heart starts to race. This is what I want more than anything. But I need her to be happy about it too. “Are you sure?”
She nods and slides her hands up the front of my chest. “I’m sure I love you and want to be Mrs. Josh Chambers. I don’t want to wait. I love you and want the world to know you’re mine.”
I embrace her tightly. “I am yours, baby. I love you, always and forever.”
She blushes. “I love you too.”
Epilogue 2
Violet
“Are you still mad at me?” I ask my big brother.
Tate swallows the big piece of whiskey apple cake he just bit off. “I should be.” He grunts.
I laugh because I can’t help it. “It’s not like it was planned. I found out that day that I was going to the game. If I had any kind of notice, I would have gotten you a ticket.” When he found out I went to Josh’s big game without him, he was more than just a little bit upset. But when I told him that I was getting married and that he was going to be an uncle, he finally forgave me. At least he said he did.
He shrugs. “I’m not worried about it. I’ve already talked to my new brother-in-law about it, and I’m the proud new owner of a Jasper Eagles Season Ticket package.”
I tilt my head side to side. “Well, la di da, aren’t you special?”
“Yeah, yeah, he mumbled something about keeping you happy and all that, and I assured him you’d be happy if I had tickets to his games.”
I stare at him, and we both bust out laughing at the same time. My brother is almost ten years older than me. We weren’t really close growing up, but now that we’re older, he’s one of my best friends.
“What else can I get you to eat? You can’t live on cake alone.”
He rubs his flat stomach. “I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat another bite.”
I rub my ever-growing belly, and something flashes in his eyes. Before I can ask him about it, he says, “I’m surprised your husband is letting you work.”
“Letting me work?” I snap.
He holds his hands up defensively. “Don’t get mad. I mean, your husband doesn’t want you walking most of the time by the way he’s always carrying you around. I just meant I figured he’d be watching you around the corner or something.”
“I’ll have you know I can do what I want...” The words no sooner come out of my mouth and my husband walks in the front door of Red’s bigger than life. “Violet Chambers, you snuck out of the house. You are about to have our baby any day now. What part of rest do you not understand?”
My brother laughs and snorts. He loves seeing my husband get the upper hand. “Busted!”
I give him a shove. “Whatever, big brother.”
Josh puts his hands on my shoulders, kisses my neck, and whispers, “What am I going to do with you?”
I let him lead me to the other side of the counter and seat me next to my big brother. He gently pushes me down into the seat and kisses me again. “All right, tell me what needs done.”
I start to shake my head. “I can’t...”
He smiles at me. “You can. Just tell me what needs done, and I’ll take care of it.”
I sigh loudly, even though I’m secretly thrilled to have my husband dote on me the way he does. I give him a few things that need to be done and he walks away to do them only after I promise I’ll stay seated.
My eyes follow him, and man it’s fun to watch my tall, muscular husband roll up his sleeves and work.
“Ugh, quit looking at him like that. I’m pretty sure I just threw up in my mouth.”
I jab my elbow into Tate’s side. “Whatever, big brother.” I turn in my seat. “So what about you? When are you going to settle down? Make me an aunt?”
He stands up and stretches, avoiding my eyes. “Probably never. Women aren’t really into being touched with these hands.” He says it jokingly, but I can tell there’s some meaning behind the words.
He holds them up and I stare at his big hands and long fingers that are stained after years of working as a mechanic. He owns the only car repair shop in Whiskey Run and stays busy year around. And yeah, he definitely has working man’s hands, but women don’t care about that. Not all of them do, anyway.
“You’re crazy. Some woman would be lucky to have you as her husband.”
He laughs. “Forget it, sis. Don’t get any crazy matchmaking ideas. I know you, and it’s not going to work with me.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” I tell him, trying to hide the smirk on my face.