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  “Are you trying to piss me off?”

  “Not trying. I think I’m succeeding.”

  “How do people even like you?”

  She shrugged. “I’m adorable when I need to be.”

  “I still can’t believe that David married your ass.” He glanced at her swollen stomach. “And that you’re about to be a mother.”

  Summer smiled. “I love you, too, Carter. I love David. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and besides, I had to do something right. You and Autumn already had a kid out of wedlock.”

  He looked toward the little carrier where his son lay. The past year had been completely crazy. Even though Autumn had been on the pill, she’d had to have antibiotics after she got an infection. Carter remembered the week, and he’d been with her, taking care of her. A poorly Autumn had been very cute. She hated the fact he saw her throwing up, and had to clean up after her.

  Of course, once she was better, they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other, and so nine months later, she had given birth to Sean, their son.

  “Hilary said she left, and she wants to be here, to see you show off your year’s worth of work. What do you do again?”

  “I handle the advertisement for companies. I have a huge account, and I have Autumn and Hilary to thank for everything.”

  With Autumn’s baking, and Hilary’s shop, they’d been able to find a gap in the market on baking products, and so with their help, the company had approached Summer to help them expand their brand. For Summer, it had started her own company, for Autumn it had given her more confidence, and for Hilary, it had been free advertising for her shop.

  “Ah, right.”

  “Come on, stop changing the subject. What are you doing to say?”

  He glanced over at his son, and let out a breath. “You’ll find out.”

  “Go over it with me, and I can help you with any shaky lines. Come on, proposing is not going to be easy, and you’re doing it during my party with the parents there. David took me to Vegas.”

  “Yeah, that is totally romantic.”

  “For me it was. I’m impatient, and I don’t like the thought of having to handle wedding arrangements.”

  “Autumn would love a white wedding. She wants everything to be traditional, and while I’d love to take her to a city, and just marry her, I want her to have a day to remember.”

  Summer rolled her eyes. “No wonder she loves you. There, you’re perfect. I’ll take Sean. I’m going to need the practice.”

  He watched his future sister-in-law carry out his son, and he turned toward the mirror, staring at himself.

  “Autumn Fowler, the love of my life, the mother of my child. I love you. I love you more than life itself. The only place I’m happy is when I’m with you, and I hope you feel the same. Lame, fucking lame.” He’d been practicing this speech for months, and he couldn’t seem to get it right. What words were perfect to express how much you love someone?

  “Autumn, I love you. There are no words to describe how much I love you.” Again, he stopped, bowing his head. The suit he wore reminded him of a freaking penguin.

  “Autumn, be my wife.”

  “Marry me, beautiful.”

  “Autumn, you’ll never find a man who loves you as much as me.”

  Over and over, he tried to think of the right thing to say.

  “Stop overthinking it,” Bill said, startling him.

  “Shit, you scared me.”

  “And I don’t even have my shotgun on me.”

  Carter ran his hands down his jacket, and looked at the man who’d finally accepted him into the Fowler family with open arms.

  “I want this to be perfect. I want to give her everything her heart desires.”

  “Autumn is one of those girls who doesn’t need material things. She’s always happy with love, and a few kind words. You dress up nicely. A proposal comes from the heart. You have a child together, and I’ve seen how happy the two of you are together. You don’t need to overthink this. Just go out there, and propose.”

  “Has she arrived?”

  “Yes, she’s been looking for you.”

  “Shit, fuck,” Carter said, moving out of the room. The party was already in full swing, and he saw Summer and David standing together, talking.

  Carter turned around, looking for his woman, and he couldn’t find her. Finally, after a few minutes a large group moved, and there his woman was, talking with Denny. She held their son on her hip, and he just knew.

  Crossing the floor, he was in front of her within seconds. Staring into her eyes, he saw she was smiling, and looked happy.

  “Hello.”

  “Marry me?” he asked.

  “Yes.” The smile she gave him lit up her face, and made him melt. Cupping the back of her head, he crushed his lips against hers. Denny was quick, grabbing Sean so that Carter could give her a decent kiss. “I love you, Autumn.”

  “I love you, too.” She chuckled. “Summer said you were working on something, and making it seem difficult.”

  “I wanted you to remember this moment.”

  “Carter, when it comes to you, I’ll remember everything.”

  Cheers filled the air, and Summer made sure they were the focus of the evening. Carter thanked Summer, hoping against hope that he could give Autumn everything her heart desired.

  ****

  Their wedding took place in the summer, in the same church that both of their parents were in. Even though Carter’s parents weren’t there, in a way they were. All the preparations leading up to the main event were stressful, but the day itself was perfect. Hilary took care of the wedding cake, and Summer handled the flowers and guests. Autumn and Carter dealt with everything else. They had to take classes with the priest to make sure they were ready for that next step together.

  With Sean held by her mom, and Summer’s baby girl, Tina, in her own arms, her father gave her away to the man she loved.

  In a white wedding dress, with lace, and thin straps, she held Carter’s hand, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that she wasn’t making a mistake. She promised to love, honor, and cherish him, and he gave her the same promises. When the time came to kiss, tears filled her eyes.

  “You shouldn’t be crying. This is not a sad day.”

  “They’re happy tears.”

  He wiped them away just like he’d wiped them away many times during their relationship. She had cried when she discovered she was pregnant, at each stage of her pregnancy, then finding out she was having a son. She’d cried at the birth, and when Carter proposed. They were not bad tears though. Her tears were filled with happiness and love.

  They left the church, and Carter didn’t release her. The photographer took several pictures of them together, with their son, and with their family and friends. Denny was Carter’s best man, while Summer and Hilary were her bridesmaids.

  Carter held Sean as the cameraman took as many shots as possible marking the special occasion. When it came time to get into their cars, and head toward the reception, her mother took Sean.

  “Today is your day.” Mary kissed her cheek, followed by her father. Carter held the door open, waiting for her to climb inside.

  Once inside, she turned in her seat to look at him. “Any regrets, Mr. Blue?”

  “Not at all. I’ve got what I wanted. You’re mine, and I can promise you that there is no way I’m letting you go. Not a chance.” His hand cupped her cheek, and he ran his thumb back and forward. Closing her eyes, she basked in his touch.

  “I hope I’m a good wife.”

  “You don’t know how to be anything but perfect.” The driver pulled away from the church, and they made their way toward the reception. Carter took her lips in a searing kiss that made her wish they were heading toward their honeymoon rather than going to a roomful of people for another few hours.

  “What about you, Autumn? You’ve not really had much choice in the matter. Are you happy marrying a lowly mechanic?”
/>   “Do I need to slap you? I don’t care what you do. I hope I get a discount when I want to get my car fixed, as otherwise what was the point?” She winked at him, chuckling. “I had a choice in everything, Carter. I didn’t have to stay with you, nor did I have to move in with you. I could have said no to marrying you. I love you. I love our son, and I look forward to our future together. I know it’s going to be awesome.” She dropped a kiss to his lips. “Lowly mechanic. What about me? I just bake.”

  “I’m the one that has been spoilt.”

  “And so have I. You’re my dirty bad boy.”

  He kissed her again, and she sighed, loving every second of being surrounded by him.

  “There’s something I wanted to give you,” he said.

  She frowned. “You’ve already given me enough.”

  He’d given her a family, love, passion, everything.

  Carter pulled out a locket from his pocket, and she knew it belonged to his mother. “I want you to have this.”

  “Carter, no.”

  “I want you to have this.” He flicked open the catch, revealing a picture of his parents on one side, and then on the other, a picture of the three of them. “Our family. This means everything to me. I tried to get another made, but I could never find the right one.”

  “I can’t take that.”

  “You’re my wife, Autumn, you can take it. I want you to have it.”

  He gave her those big eyes that she found impossible to turn down. Leaning forward, she lifted her hair up, exposing her neck. Carter secured the clasp, and placed the locket back around her neck.

  “Beautiful.”

  Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes, basking in the joy of being in his arms.

  The drive went by so fast, almost too fast for Autumn. The moment they entered the reception they were surrounded by people, talking to them. Carter didn’t release her, and she was thankful for that. The night went back in a fuzzy haze. She was so happy, and so in love that she couldn’t stop smiling.

  ****

  Mary and Bill took care of Sean while he took Autumn to a hotel for the night. They were going to have a night together, and then for their honeymoon they were taking their son with them. Her parents and even Summer and David had offered to take Sean so they could have some time together.

  Carter couldn’t do it. He couldn’t leave his son behind, no matter how much he wanted Autumn to himself.

  “May I have this dance?” he asked, offering his hand.

  She placed her palm in his, and he walked her out onto the dancefloor.

  Autumn wrapped her arms around his neck, and smiled up at him. “I never thought we’d get here.”

  “You didn’t think we’d make it a couple of months, let alone a year and a half.”

  “How long do you think we’ll make?”

  “Years, baby. Do you think you’re ever going to get bored of this? Of me?”

  “When you put it like that, no.” She chuckled.

  “The vows I made today, I meant every single word. I’m going to love you every single day for the rest of my life. I’m going to honor you, and I’m going to cherish you.”

  “You’re losing your bad boy image right now.”

  “I believe I lost that image months ago. I can be naughty and dirty, but when it comes to you, I can never be bad.”

  Her gaze moved to his lips. “Kiss me, Carter.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Pressing his lips against hers, he released a little moan, loving the feel of her. Tonight he was going to have him beneath her where he was determined to make love to her well into the night.

  Later that night as he was helping Autumn into the car, he shook several hands, including that of his father-in-law.

  Before he rounded the car to climb behind the wheel, Bill Fowler pulled him in close. “Take care of Autumn for us. Cherish her the way we do.”

  “I will, sir.”

  Climbing behind the wheel, he leaned over, and pulled her in for a kiss, before heading toward their hotel.

  “What did my dad want?”

  “He was being a father, Autumn. Telling me in no uncertain terms to take care of you.” Carter had been given a couple of warnings from Bill. He accepted them. The man was only looking out for his daughter, and he was a guy. “If he didn’t give me hell, I wouldn’t think he was a very good father.”

  She chuckled.

  Holding her hand, Carter traveled toward the hotel, knowing in his heart that his future was with his wife, the love of his life, and there would never be another like her.

  Epilogue

  Ten years later

  “Dad, please stop singing, you sound crazy,” Sean said.

  Carter didn’t stop singing to the Halloween song. He got louder and shook his hips as he wriggled around the back yard. Several of his son’s friends were laughing, and he just knew that Sean was going to want to kick his ass. His little girl Bethany was giggling and dancing with him, shaking her little princess butt with him. Through the crowd he saw his wife, the woman who owned his heart, even after ten years.

  He loved her more now than ever before. Her stomach was still slightly rounded, and he loved her curves. She’d given him three children, and ten years worth of memories.

  Beside her was a heavily pregnant Summer, who was on her fifth child with David.

  “Come on, Sean, boogie with me.” He held his hands up in the air, shaking his ass and hands.

  Sean dropped his head into his hands. “Mom!”

  Autumn, his sexy little witch, walked toward him. He was dressed as a zombie, and he stayed still, watching the swing of her hips. She came toward Sean, grabbed his face, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “What’s the matter, sweetie pie?”

  “Mom! You’re embarrassing me.”

  What Sean didn’t see was that all of his friends were copying the same dance. Taking his son’s hand, Carter watched as Bethany, Ryan, and Autumn joined hands, and they all started dancing in a circle.

  “Own it, Sean.”

  At ten years old, his son was struggling with his identity, but Carter was determined to help him. After all, this was his family, and like he’d told Billy, he would take care of it.

  After a few seconds, Sean finally caved and did the dance along with them, swinging his arms, and finally letting loose.

  For several minutes, they all just danced along to the music, and when the song came to an end, everyone laughed, clapping. Sean hugged him. “I’m sorry.”

  “Never forget who you are, son. No matter how much it scares you.”

  Sean nodded, and left to go and find some of his friends.

  Autumn moved up to him, taking hold of his hands, and dancing. “That was nice,” she said.

  Their son had been having a few troubles with his anger. It was strange, watching his son go through something similar to what he did growing up.

  “I think we got through to him.”

  “He’s lucky to have you as a father. You understand him.”

  Locking their hands together, he spun her around, and tugged her close so that his cock nestled against his ass. “I’m the lucky one having a woman who has given me three precious gifts.”

  “It’ll be four.”

  He froze. His cock thickened as he ran his lips across her ear.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I’m about to give you another precious gift.” She kissed his cheek. “Do you think you can handle another?”

  He held her hand as he pulled her away from the main party in his home, and toward a secluded tree. Pressing her up against the bark, he took possession of her lips, feeling her body melt beneath his touch.

  “Does it feel like I’ve got a problem with another?” he asked, rubbing his cock against her stomach.

  “I was worried. Sean having troubles—”

  He held his hand up. “I don’t care what troubles we have to face, Autumn. We’ll face them together, as a family.” He put his hand
on her rounded stomach, and smiled. “No matter what they throw at us, we’ll do it together, as one.” Tears filled her eyes, and he sighed. “Babe, what have I told you about crying?”

  “These are not bad tears. They’re good tears. Always good tears.”

  Carter had been right the moment he saw Autumn again. She belonged to him, body, heart, and soul. She was his soul mate, the other half of him, and he was never going to let her get away from him.

  Eight months later, his third son came into the world, and for the rest of their life, he kept his promise. The faced the world, united together, as a family.

  www.samcrescent.wordpress.com

  Other Books by Sam Crescent:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/sam-crescent

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  www.evernightpublishing.com