45. Trace
TRACE
I burst through the door of Enchanted Pages, looking for my wife. Even though she's come back home, we both decided she would keep her job, it gives her time off the ranch, and makes us miss one another at the same time. In our case absence does make the heart grow fonder. I never thought that would be a thing I would prescribe to, yet here I am.
"Marissa," I shout to her as I see her working the register. "Where's Katie?"
"In the back, she was doing a live, but I think she's done now. Is everything okay?"
"Perfect!" I yell, racing to the back of the store. She doesn't notice me, because she's got air pods in her ears. It gives me a moment to do nothing but look at her. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. To gaze at her when she doesn't know I'm paying attention. She's beautiful all the time, but especially when she doesn't realize everyone is staring at her.
I debate on whether to sneak up on her, but my excitement wins out. I scoop her up, and spin her around as she shrieks and laughs all in the same breath. She grabs my hands. "Trace what are you doing?"
"I have great news," I put her down and turn her to face me. My hands go up to her cheeks, cupping them as I gaze into her eyes. "Every cow we inseminated is pregnant. Can you believe it? The first part of what we needed to do in order to put our plan into place is done."
She screams loudly, throwing her arms around my neck and hoisting herself up around my waist. Together we celebrate in the back room of Enchanted Pages, and I can't imagine it being anymore perfect than it is right now.
"I'm so excited! What does this mean? I've never been involved in this part of the cow business before," she grabs hold of my chin and pulls me down for a kiss.
This kiss claims me in front of all twenty people shopping for their weekly meals. There are loud whistles and cat calls. Before this woman I would never have allowed anything like this to happen in public. It isn't the right thing to do, or the way my parents would want me to behave. But Katie? She's proving to make me a rebel in the best possible of ways. When we pull apart, we're both smiling.
"Do you want to go get lunch?" I ask her. "My treat."
She rolls her eyes. "It's always your treat."
"Because I'm a man who knows how to treat a woman," I smack her on the ass when she turns around.
She shrieks. "Don't act like you have the right to touch me any which way you please."
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I yank her back to me. Leaning down, I put my mouth to her ear. "I have the right, as long as you say it's okay, and you've definitely been saying okay more often than not lately."
Katie giggles, resting her head back against my chest. "You're right, I have been, but still. At least act like I make you work for it."
I grab her hand, pulling her into me. Putting my arm around her neck, I direct her out of the store, waving to Barry as we leave. She shouts back. "Barry, I'm taking lunch."
He laughs. "Take all the time you need."
We make our way across the street and into the diner. As it seems to happen whenever we go somewhere, all the noise stops, and the patrons look our way. I give them a wave, but nothing more. I refuse to play into the gossip surrounding us. This life is ours and no one else's. I won't let them dictate how we treat each other and how we respond to everything surrounding us.
"Trace, I got you a table over here."
I smile gratefully to the waitress. I went to high school with her, and she knows what it's like for me to be the person I am in Azure Ridge. "Thanks," I escort Katie over to the booth, and we slide in with very little fanfare.
"Do you want cheese sticks?" She questions.
"Of course," I answer. "If that's okay with you," I raise an eyebrow at Katie.
"It's good with me. Can I get a water?"
The waitress nods. "I'll be back with the cheese sticks and waters for both of you."
"It's weird to be here with you in the middle of the day by ourselves," Katie whispers as if it's some big secret. "We hardly ever get time away from the ranch together, and when we do people are milling around everywhere. I like it just being the two of us."
"I do too," I reach across the table, taking her fingers between mine. "If it makes you feel any better, you're the only person I wanted to talk to today when I found out all the cows are pregnant. I didn't want to call you though, I wanted to see you. It isn't like I'll be able to come see you every day, but I hope to be able to make time when I really want to."
"This is good for us, though," she shrugs. "Sometimes it's better to have to go to the trouble of having to see one another, than just assuming we're going to be there exactly when we want to see each other. Having to plan and things like that, sometimes that makes seeing each other sweeter."
"Are you giving me more credit than I deserve?" I tease her. "Is this the type of shit women have wanted my entire life?"
She laughs. "I don't know about all women, but it's what I want, and as long as you're going to give me what I want, I will always go to bat for you. This ring," she holds up her hand. "Means I will be in your corner until you do something that makes me want to give up on you, and it'll have to be a lot for me to do that. I pray that even if we feel that way, we'll find our way back to one another."
"I do too," I rub the back of her hand with my thumb. "Life isn't always going to be perfect, but maybe between the two of us, we can make it the best life it's going to be. I'm willing to do that with you, and as long as you're willing to do it with me, we'll show the rest of these people how serious we are."
She smiles, the kind of smile that goes to her eyes and makes them shine bright like diamonds. They're so clear, I can almost see myself in them. I'm a little cloudy, but the future I see? It's clear as the sky, because my future is with her and whatever life we build.