He had just asked her to marry him thirteen and a half hours ago, and now they already had their license. Both of them agreed that they didn’t want to wait much longer. Sitting on her porch swing, she had said, “We either do it now, or we wait until the baby comes. I don’t want to be waddling on my wedding day.”
Ken had kissed her with passion and promise and said, “Not waiting is good for me.”
She thought about that conversation as she chuckled and blushed at the same time. When he got into the truck cab with her, he asked, “Penny?”
Heat flooded her face, and she fanned herself with her hand. She couldn’t possibly share those thoughts with him, not even for a penny, so she said, “When you say move fast, you move fast.”
“There’s things I don’t want to rush, but we aren’t there yet.” He started the truck while Daisy felt her entire body tingle. Immediately, cool air conditioning broke the heat. He half-grinned and said, “As long as you’re not waddling.”
About twenty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of her office. She stared at the words Gálatas Seis on the glass door. Ken started to turn the engine off, but she put her hand on his to stop him.
“Wait.”
He took his hand off of the key and looked at her. “Okay.”
Her mind whirled with all the plans they had made last night and today. They had talked and planned and talked, and now that the time had come, she suddenly didn’t want to do it anymore. “Could we wait?”
He raised both eyebrows. “Wait? What for? ‘Weight’ is what broke the bridge down.”
She chuckled at the pun. “It was a good idea to have Bev marry us using her notary. But I really want to wear my grandmother’s veil and have my father perform the ceremony.”
He stared at her for several long seconds and finally said, “Okay. Just tell me what to do.”
She put her hands on either side of his cheeks and leaned in and kissed him. “I’ll call my mom. You call your mom. We’ll get married Thursday. That gives us enough time.”
He smiled and ran a finger along her jaw. “How about we give it till Friday. That way, my mom won’t completely lose her mind.”
She smiled. “Deal. Can you take me to the house now? I want to see it.”
He put the truck in reverse and backed out. She watched the scenery go by as they left the shopping center and headed to the new neighborhood. It didn’t take long to drive the seven short miles there. As he turned onto the street, he gestured at a street sign and said, “Jon’s new house is down that road.” Barely a quarter of a mile later, he put on his blinker to turn into a drive and pointed at another street sign. “Brad’s house is down that street.”
He turned onto the drive, and she watched as the Tudor style house came into view. Angled roofs and arched windows with gray and tan brick mixed with dark shutters made her feel like she had completely come home. A large porch wrapped around the entire house. She could barely wait for him to walk around the front of the truck and open her door.
She stepped onto the porch and looked up, seeing rings already in the ceiling, waiting for her porch swing. The grin that covered her face grew wider as he unlocked the front door.
In a graceful move, much like a choreographed dance step, Ken picked Daisy up beneath her arms and set her feet across the threshold inside the house. She remembered that Ken held several black belts in the martial arts. Even so, the casual naked display of raw strength and perfect control surprised her.
Then, it occurred to her that he had carried her across the threshold. This wasn’t his house. This was her house. This was their house. His strong, calloused hands built this house for a future that included her. Daisy scanned Ken’s face for any trace of emotion but found nothing except the usual silent half-grin.
Before Daisy could even speak, he said, “Furniture comes next week, but you can get a good idea. Still have to finish the back room. Been living in there while I finished the rest of the house.”
They walked into a foyer area, and she smelled fresh paint, clean wood, and varnish. She looked up at the skylight that lit up the room. The main room had a fireplace with a mantle that just waited for family pictures. The dining room cabinetry looked so beautiful, and she couldn’t wait to choose a china pattern that would complete this room. The kitchen opened into a large breakfast area with a glass wall that looked out onto the backyard. Brushed nickel appliances gleamed in the recessed lighting. An island separated the kitchen from the dining area, and its black granite countertop added a richness to the room. She walked to the pantry that could easily measure almost as big as her current bedroom.
Through the kitchen, she found the unfinished room. It had bare drywall walls and plywood floors. A single bed sat against the wall, and two folding chairs pulled up to a card table.
Ken said, “I haven’t quite decided what this room needs to be yet. Maybe a family room or a game room.”
The room had enough square footage to turn it into anything they wanted. She pushed open the back door and stepped out onto the back porch. Ken pointed at the trees tied with red tape. “Those are coming down. Pool goes there.” He gestured at the stakes in the ground. “Not sure about the pool. Was gonna leave that up to you, what with a little one on the way. But we have it staked out, so it’s ready just in case.”
He took her upstairs, and her feet sank in the plush carpet in the master bedroom. She exclaimed over the sunken bathtub and the walk-in closet. She ran her fingers over the fireplace’s mantle and opened the doors that took her out onto a balcony terrace.
He showed her three more bedrooms. “Didn’t know which one you would want as the nursery. This one has its own bathroom. The other two share the main bathroom.”
She ran her hands over her slightly rounded belly and said, “I don’t know that it’s important to decide right now. Let’s get moved in and see how the house feels first.”
His smile made her heart skip a beat. “Reckon the baby will sleep in our room for a while anyway. Plenty of time.”
She held her arms out and spun, laughing as the joy inside of her just burst out. “I cannot wait to live here with you.”
