“It’s time to learn,” he says as he heads over to his truck. No…
I watch in part excitement, part panic as he opens the back door and pulls out a shiny red bike. It’s brand new with a big white bow on the handlebars. So, that’s why he insisted on meeting me here instead of driving together…
“You didn’t!”
“I did,” he says with a big grin as he places it in front of me.
“Where are the handlebar streamers?” I tease.
He laughs. “I can get some put on if you want, but you do have a bell right here.”
Tara and I both giggle as he clangs it.
“You’re twenty-four-years-old,” he says with a grin. “It’s time to learn how to ride a bike.”
“What do you think, Tara?” I ask my baby girl. She kicks her legs and laughs. “Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side.”
Aunt Tracy takes Tara from Malcolm and before I know it, I have a helmet on my head and I’m straddling a bike in the middle of the road.
My husband’s strong hand is on my back, keeping me steady as I gather up the courage to go.
“You’ll be fine,” he whispers in that deep voice that always makes me feel like everything will be alright. “Just peddle and keep looking straight.”
I gulp as I put my feet on the peddles. “Okay. I can do this.”
He gives me a little push and I frantically peddle…
…right into the stop sign.
I flip over the handlebars and land in the grass with a thud.
I’m staring up at the sky, laughing as Malcolm rushes over and pops his worried face in front of me. “Charlotte! Are you okay?”
I grin as I gaze up at him, loving that I can count on him for everything. Loving that he’s always got my back.
“That was fun,” I say as he helps me up. “Let’s do it again!”
EPILOGUE
Malcolm
* * *
Twenty-five years later…
* * *
All over the country, people are walking into their local Pie In The Sky Bakery and buying all sorts of Valentine’s Day goodies for their loves.
My girl and I have been busy. We franchised the bakery once we took ownership and now we have sixty-eight locations in twenty-nine states. They’re all doing well and each one funnels money into our bank accounts every month.
We’re multi-millionaires and I’m able to spoil my girl in every way possible. A few years ago, I was able to fulfill my wedding promise to Charlotte of buying her that luxurious New York City penthouse condo she lost.
I was so surprised when she kissed me on the cheek and told me ‘no thanks.’ She didn’t want it.
She told me that Bridgeworth Pines is her home now and I was thrilled because I didn’t want to leave either.
It’s been a wonderful life with the girl of my dreams.
We have five incredible kids—three girls and two boys. Only Jeremy and Alice are left though. The other three are in college.
“Hello, Valentine!” I call out as I walk into the house. It’s a Thursday afternoon, so Jeremy and Alice are still at school. We have the house to ourselves. “Where’s my naughty girl?”
Charlotte walks down the stairs with a grin on her face. She’s still as stunning as the day I met her and even seeing her like this—yoga pants, loose white shirt, hair tied up in a messy bun—drives me crazy. I feel my heart pick up like it always does when I look at my girl.
“Are those for me?” she asks as I hold out the dozen red roses and cherry pie that I grabbed from the bakery on the way home.
“A sweet for my sweet,” I say as she kisses my cheek and takes them.
She’s smiling and checking out the roses as I follow her into the kitchen. My hungry eyes are glued to her ass. They look phenomenal in those tight yoga pants that sadly might not survive the afternoon.
“I was just thinking of our first Valentine’s Day together,” she says as she places the pie and flowers on the huge island in our kitchen.
“Oh, yeah?” I ask in a throaty voice as I go to her.
She smiles warmly as I place my big greedy hands on her hips. “And what part were you remembering?”
Her adorable cheeks turn pink. I love that I can still make her blush after all these years.
“You know…” she says shyly.
I slide my hands into her pants and underwear and grab her gorgeous ass. She whimpers.
“Were you thinking about when I fucked you hard in the bakery?” I ask with a heated grin. “When I took this sweet pussy for the first time?”
Her sexy hazel eyes look at me innocently as she slowly nods her head.
“You want me to fuck you again?”
She nods some more.