“What are you doing to that book?”
“I’m signing it. I’m owning it. I’m Fletch Hughson, Kat. I wrote it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I really wanted you to like it because of the words not because I wrote it. I wanted to be graded using the same rubric I do with you. Love it because it speaks of passion to your soul, not because the hands that bring you pleasure penned it.”
I look down at the inscription. “You own all of me, Kat. Can I own you too?”
“Professor Fletcher, I’d like you to take me to bed and show me how talented those fingers are.”
“Is that right? Are you trying to get extra credit again?”
“Would I do that?”
“Come here you.” Hugh picks me up and carries me to our bed. “I’ve got a big extra credit project for you.”
I laugh because I know what he’s talking about, and it is big. “You’re so naughty.”
He tosses me to the bed and walks to the closet. He comes out with a bouquet and something palmed in his hand.
“Love, I wasn’t talking about my cock.” He pulls me to a sitting position at the end of the bed and kneels in front of me. I lift one of my favorite colored yellow roses to my nose.
“What are you doing?” His eyes are soft and full of passion and he looks at me with such depth of emotion.
“I need more, love. I need it all.”
I cup his cheek. “What can I give you?” I’d give this man anything. He took me from a miserable college senior who couldn’t see the gold at the end of the rainbow and showed me that he is the gold, and every day with him is the rainbow.
“I want you, Katherine Trent. I want you forever. Be my life. Be my love. Be my wife. Be my everything. Hug me. Hold me. Love me. Never let go. I’ll love you. Honor you. Worship you. I’ll be everything I can be to help you be the best you. If you say yes to marrying me, I’ll be the best me.” He opens his palm and in the center is a beautiful ring.
He slides the solitaire onto my finger and sits back on his heels waiting for my answer.
It’s not the ring that makes my decision but his words delivered with love.
“Hugh Fletcher, how can I say no when you use such passion and persuasion in your words. I feel each of those words in my heart. How did I get so damn lucky?”
He stands and presses me to the bed with his body. “You were reckless.”
Epilogue Two
Hugh - Two Years Later
When Katy stands on that stage and accepts her master’s degree in Molecular Biology, I’m the proudest professor in attendance. Not because she’s amazing. She is, but because she’s my wife and when she turns to smile at me I’m lost in love.
I help her down the stairs worried that she’ll take a tumble and instead of celebrating with a nice dinner out, we’ll spend the evening in labor and delivery.
“Kat, I’m so proud of you.”
She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes. “I did it.”
“Of course you did. I never doubted you.”
She shakes her head and laughs. “No, I mean I made it through graduation. I’ve been in labor for at least an hour.”
“What?” I’d like to throttle my wife, but I can’t because I love her so much. “Kat, we have to get you to the hospital.”
“No way, buddy. I hear they’re worse than a stubborn English professor. It’s early and my contractions are coming every ten minutes or so. I think we have time for food.”