“Of course I’ll be there,” I gasped. “I want to meet them too.”
“Thanks,” he smiled. He reached over and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him. His lips brushed against the top of my head. “God,” his voice lowered, “I fucking hated not having you by my side.”
“I felt the same,” I agreed. “You’ll never know how sorry I am for pushing you away and not believing you.”
“Well,” he grinned playfully, “you have our whole lives to make it up to me. I accept payment in—”
“Sexual favors, I know, I know,” I chanted with a laugh. I stood up and stretched my legs. “You’ll have to catch me first before that happens.”
Before he could respond I took off running.
I didn’t know where I was going and I didn’t care.
I let myself smile and laugh as I ran through the field of tall grass and flowers. Jude’s laughter sounded behind me as his footsteps grew closer.
I closed my eyes as I ran, the setting sun warming my face.
I spread my arms out wide like I was flying.
His arm came around my waist and we tumbled to the ground. I ended up on top of him and his hands gripped my waist. My hips dug into his as I lowered my head to kiss him.
As the heat of the kiss grew to scorching temperatures our clothes melted away and we made love there in our meadow.
The sun disappeared beneath the line of trees and the stars soon shimmered above us.
My body curled against his, molding to the shape of him.
Never again would I ever leave this man’s side, because I’d found the one, and he would always be worth fighting for.
Chapter Twenty Nine
“Ahhhhh!” Rowan screamed when Jude and I showed up to the Memorial Day party hand in hand. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She fist-pumped. Sobering, she added, “You two had me worried there for a little while that you weren’t going to work it out.”
Jude chuckled, keeping his arm around me so I couldn’t leave his side. “This one had me worried too.” Looking down at me, he added, “If you hadn’t come to me in a few more days I think I would’ve finally caved and gone after you. I wanted to come to you every day we were apart, but I knew you needed time, so I was giving you that.”
“You’re too perfect for me sometimes,” I replied, trying to keep the dreamy sigh from my voice. I was young and in love, so sometimes it was hard not to act like a lovesick fool.
“Bleh,” Rowan gagged. “Stop with the lovey dovey looks. You’re making me ill.”
Jude and I laughed. Smiling at my best friend, I said, “You wear the same look around Trent all the time and if I recall, you’re marrying him in two weeks.”
Rowan smiled widely, looking around for Trent. “Yeah, I guess I do.” With a gasp, she cried, “You will never believe what he did the other night!”
“What?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t something that was going to gross me out and make me picture Trent naked, because that would be fucking weird.
A blush stained her cheeks as she spoke. “So, we were talking about our honeymoon, and then he started talking again about wanting another kid. I want to wait, he doesn’t, blah, blah, blah. Anyway,” she guided us over to a private side of the yard where there weren’t so many guests—and let me tell you, since it was a Wentworth party there were at least a hundred people in attendance, “he got so mad at me for saying that I wasn’t ready that he took all of the condoms and threw them out the window.” Jude snickered. “Oh, that’s not the best part,” Rowan crossed her arms over her chest. “He refused to go outside and get them, so I wouldn’t either. The next morning one of the neighbors is walking their dog, and the little hairy beast tries to eat one of the wrappers. The neighbor then finds all the condoms on the driveway, picks them up, and brings them to the door.” She threw her hands in the air. “I’ve never been more embarrassed in all my life.”
Jude and I dissolved into fits of laughter. “Oh my God,” I wiped tears away, “that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”
She shook her head. “If I didn’t love him so much, I’d kill him for that stunt.”
“So,” Jude started, “does this mean we should expect a bouncing baby boy or girl in nine months?”
Rowan sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Looks like it.”
“Yes!” Jude cried. “I’m going to be an uncle again!”
Rowan laughed. “Don’t get too excited just yet.”