She looked at me with tear-filled eyes and smiled. “You’re already a great person, Austin. You don’t need me for that.” She kissed me, pressing her body against me as our lips parted and tongues met in a slow, sweet kiss.
I’d never tire of kissing this woman or waking up with her in the morning. It took me a few years to find out what life was all about, and I certainly made a few mistakes along the way, but now I was sure about everything.
I pulled away from her and smiled as she stared at me. “How about trying this ring on, Rebecca?”
She laughed and grabbed the box. I watched her pull the ring out and hold it to the light. Then, she slid it on her perfect finger and stared at it with awe in her eyes. “I love it, Austin. It’s beautiful.”
“So are you,” I told her before I claimed her lips again.
EPILOGUE
Three years later
Rebecca
I was in the office, looking for an email that I printed out ear
lier in the week while I listened carefully to the rest of the house. I could hear small giggles and then the sound of something hitting the floor. I grimaced and just grabbed the entire folder. This was going to be much easier if I could work and keep an eye on AJ at the same time.
I walked into the living room and smiled at my son, just two years old with dark curly hair and his daddy’s eyes. Next to Austin, AJ was my world. He looked up at me and held up one of the wooden blocks he was playing with.
I took it with a big smile. “Thank you, baby boy,” I said and sat on the couch behind him.
He kept playing with his toys on the blanket. A cool breeze blew through the open windows. The farmhouse was beautiful, and everything Austin did to it made it that much more perfect for us. We had hardwood floors in the living room and kitchen, with a lot of colorful rugs to add some pizazz, as well as to cushion AJ’s falls when he got a little too wild. The bedrooms all had pretty carpeting.
AJ’s falls were often. I had my hands full with this boy, and even though I missed working at Grayson’s, I did love being home to raise my baby. It isn’t like I wasn’t working at all. Austin had started an organization here and named it the Harris Charitable Foundation, right after we moved into the house. I agreed to be his assistant as long as I wouldn’t have to travel more than two weeks a year for business. There were plenty of people to babysit for us, but I loved North Reed that much more now. I did let Austin take the family on some vacations to the beach and other states from time-to-time, but we mostly stayed in town.
Why not? It was a perfect town to raise a family in, and our family was here. There was no reason to leave for too long.
I returned to the folder, needing proof of an email for a school that we were donating money to soon. I was organized, and it only took me about five minutes to find it as I read over the paper. I could send that along to our accountant in a quick email and then start fixing the sides for dinner.
I picked AJ up with one of his rings and carried him into the office, where I scanned the paper and sent it to Preston. He’d quit acting as anyone’s personal assistant and decided on being an accountant, right around the time that Austin got this idea. Preston was quite good with numbers and helped both of us extensively with the foundation.
The computer dinged, and I clicked on the email.
“Rebecca, this is perfect. I am going to add it to your tax papers for the year, and you’ll be all set. I can’t wait to come back and see AJ soon.”
Preston was visiting his mother for an extended holiday, but he had moved here as well. He still had a place in New York, but Preston often joked about needing his country fix.
I wrote back a quick note.
“We can’t wait. Tell your mom hi for us, and we’ll see you soon.”
I stood and carried AJ back to his blanket, then headed into the kitchen to get the corn ready to grill. I glanced at my son and then outside where Austin stood with his father by the grill. Mel had recovered completely from the heart attacks, and he took excellent care of himself. He was cautious about his food intake and activity.
I smiled as I brushed on some butter and seasoned the corn before wrapping it in foil for Austin. He already had the steaks outside, and I was also serving a fruit salad and some baked beans that I’d started on the stove this morning.
Sally was heading here from the store, fussing about not having enough food. We were having some of the neighbors over, so I understood her restlessness today.
I glanced at AJ again and debated if I should wait until someone else got here before I took the corn out. I could toss the two huge salads that I’d made and get the dressing on them, since dinner was soon.
I heard the door open and glanced up to see Kim and Wade walking inside of the house. She giggled when she saw AJ, picking him up on the way to give me a hug. I was careful with the embrace since she was five months pregnant with her own baby. Then I hugged Wade, and he kissed me on the cheek. They’d been married for a year and a half now and lived just down the street.
“Would you mind keeping him alive while I take this out to Austin?” I asked her as I held up the foil packet.
“Not at all, Becs. I don’t see this little man enough.” That made me roll my eyes. Though Kim still worked at the new and improved library, she was here plenty to see her nephew and just visit with me. Marriage didn’t change that at all.
“I’ll be back,” I said as I headed towards the door that led to the backyard. I slid the screen open and stepped onto the soft grass in my sandals. I thought about what day it was and smiled to myself as I watched Mel walk over to some of the neighbors to say hello as they arrived. “Hey, baby.” I smiled at Austin as he glanced up at me with a loving gaze. “I brought you some corn for the grill. How’s it going out here?”