Chapter 10
Rune
Five Years Later…
“Happy anniversary, man!” Camden says as soon as I answer his call.
“Thanks, Cam.”
“You have big plans for tonight?”
I grin as I think about my plans for my little shortcake and me tonight. “Yeah, Rowan and Heath are babysitting for us, and I’m taking Jem out for dinner.”
“Well, have fun, buddy. I’ve got to get back to work, but let’s grab a beer this week.”
“Sounds good. Talk to you later.”
“Later.”
We hang up, and I finish up with the last file, then push to my feet. Time to head home to my girls.
My little cabin has changed over the years. It used to be quiet and clean, almost sterile. Now there’s color everywhere, laughter or music in every room. Toys are scattered all over the place most days, and drawings are taped to the walls.
All because an angel approached me in the grocery store and asked me to be her fake-date at a wedding. Fern and Jackson’s wedding was an amazing occasion and a fantastic day—second only to Jem agreeing to be my wife and the birth of our two precious daughters.
I pull up out front and laugh when I see Abigail and Selena drawing with sidewalk chalk on the front walkway. They look just like their mom with their strawberry-blonde hair and big green eyes.
They both jump up, beaming as they race over to my truck. “Daddy! Daddy!”
I chuckle as I hop out and pick them up in my arms. “I missed you two,” I tell them, kissing each of their cheeks as I carry them up the front porch steps and inside.
“We missed you too!” Selena says.
“We made you something!” Abigail adds.
“Yeah! Close your eyes!” Selena commands.
I do as she says, though I keep them cracked so I can see where I’m going as I walk into the living room.
“Are we giving Daddy his surprise now?” Jem asks.
“Yeah!” both girls cry.
I laugh. “Can I open my eyes now?”
“No, just a second,” Jem says.
Both girls wiggle in my arms, and I crouch, setting them back on their feet. I hear them run into the kitchen. They return a minute later, giggling loudly.
“Okay, now look!” Abigail says.
I blink my eyes open. “Oh, wow! You guys made this?” I ask as I crouch down to their eye level to look at the cake they’re holding.
“Uh-huh,” Selena says, beaming proudly.
“Do you like it?” Abigail asks.
“I love it,” I tell them, kissing their foreheads. “Thanks, girls.”
“It’s for you and Mommy,” Selena says.
I stand, wrapping my arm around Jem’s waist.
The cake is a disaster, with clumpy frosting everywhere. It looks like someone dumped a bottle of sprinkles in one corner, then tried to spread them out with no luck. When I peek past them to the kitchen, I can see even more sprinkles and frosting covering half the counter and cabinets.
“We’ll have to try this after dinner, huh?” I ask Jem.
She nods. “Of course! Now, you two need to get ready to go to Aunt Rowan and Uncle Heath’s house, okay?”
“Yay!” they shout, taking off for their room.
“They burned the cake,” Jem whispers to me.
I smother a laugh. “I can smell that.”
“They were so proud. They wouldn’t let me help except to take it in and out of the oven.”
“They’re so sweet. Just like their mama.”
Jem turns, wrapping her arms around my waist and grinning up at me. “How was work?”
“Good. How about you?”
“I checked on some things this morning. All good. I might have to go in a little early tomorrow to answer some messages, though.”
“I can take the girls to school.”
“Thanks.”
“Come on, the two of us need to get ready for tonight, too.”
Jem heads down the hallway to our bedroom while I carry the cake into the kitchen and clean up the frosting and sprinkles. By the time I’m done, the girls are running around the living room.
I put on a show for them, then head to our bedroom to shower and get dressed. Jem is walking out of the closet as I enter, and I grin when I see she’s all dressed.
“You look great,” I say, changing direction to grab her and pull her flush against me.
“Thank you,” she says sweetly. “Are you getting ready now?”
“Yeah, I’ll be done in a few.”
I kiss her quickly before going to the bathroom. I shower quickly and get dressed. We’re going to Palmer’s Steakhouse for dinner, then coming back here for some alone time before we go to Heath and Rowan’s to pick up the kids.
I’m excited for dinner, but what I’m really looking forward to is making love to my wife without worrying about anyone hearing. It’s been too long since I’ve heard Jem scream my name.
With that in mind, I hurry to dry off and get dressed. I tug on my only button-up shirt and grab my only tie. I slip it around my neck, then see my reflection and decide against it. Grabbing my suit coat and dress shoes, I go to the living room.
“All set?” I ask the girls.
“Yeah!” Abigail and Selena shout.
They grab their backpacks filled with stuffed animals and race to the front door. Picking up Selena, I carry her out to Jem’s minivan and settle her in her car seat. I buckle her up as she chatters to me about what they’re going to do at Aunt Rowan’s place.
I walk around to open Jem’s door as she finishes buckling Abigail into her seat. She smiles up at me, and I lean down, stealing a kiss as she gets into the car. I climb behind the wheel, and then we’re off.
Rowan and Heath’s place is only a few miles away, and we pull into the driveway five minutes later. Rowan is on the front porch with their kids, and she smiles, waving as we all climb out.
“Thanks again for babysitting!” Jem says, walking up the porch steps and hugging her best friend.
“Of course. Hi, girls!” Rowan greets our daughters. “Go on in.”
The kids race inside, and I wave at Heath as he corrals them into the living room.
“Happy anniversary!” he calls.
The two of us have grown close. He became my partner and helped me buy the lumberyard all those years ago. He lets me handle everything since I know more, and the two of us have gotten quite rich in the last few years.
“Thanks!” I call back, then turn to Rowan and Jem.
“Go on, you two! Have fun,” Rowan says, shooing us back to our car.
“Thanks. We’ll be back in a few hours!” Jem calls as I open her door for her.
We both wave as we back out of the driveway, and I take Jem’s hand in mine as I turn onto the road.
“Oh, shoot! I forgot my sweater at home,” Jem says.
I hit the blinker. “No worries, we have time. We’ll head home and grab it.”
She squirms in her seat as we turn back toward home. When we pull into the driveway, she turns to me with a mischievous smirk.
“Okay, so I lied. I didn’t forget my sweater. I did change our plans, however.”
I grin. “Oh, yeah?”
“Uh-huh. I ordered us tacos. They’ll be here in an hour, and I thought that while we wait, we could…”
I’m already climbing out of the car and racing to open her door. She giggles as I grab her and throw her over my shoulder.
“Fuck, I love you, Shortcake,” I groan as I carry her inside and straight to the bedroom.
“Happy anniversary, Rune. I love you. So much.”
I set her on the bed and come down over her. “Not as much as I love you.” I kiss her. “Happy anniversary, Jem.”
She smiles as I press my lips against hers. Then neither of us talks much for the rest of the night.
Best wife. Best anniversary ever.