Chapter Forty-five
Carter
When Kenna bites into the butter-drenched lobster and moans, it sends zingers straight to my dick.
“Babe, you can’t make sounds like that in public.”
She giggles and licks her lips. Damn, she shouldn’t do that either.
“Has lobster always tasted this good?” she asks.
I shrug. “Don’t know. I haven’t eaten much of it.”
We’ve gone out on several dates over the past month.
But none like this. An exclusive restaurant offering intimate, elegant ambiance with meticulous attention to detail in everything from table settings to food presentation.
True fine dining. And the most expensive place I’ve ever eaten.
It even puts Lloyd’s—the swankiest restaurant in Calloway Creek—to shame.
In the five weeks since ‘the big reveal,’ Kenna hasn’t so much as spent a dime on herself, apart from paying the application fee to Cal Creek University.
She bought clothes for the kids. Started fixing up my house.
And donated money not only to the CP Foundation, but local charities such as a nearby battered women’s shelter and an animal rescue organization.
I wanted her to book a massage. A spa day. A manicure. But she refused. The woman feels guilty spending money on the one person who deserves it the most: her.
Ironically, I’m the one who’ll be paying for tonight’s meal.
With no more loan payments on the business, not to mention business has picked up a bit after the initial wane, I find my own bank account has grown enough to start Christian’s college fund and have some leftover for ‘frivolous’ nights such as this one.
She’ll protest when the check comes. But this is one night I’m going to get my way. And if my luck holds out, everything about this night will go my way.
She looks around at the other patrons pensively. “What do you think all these people do to be able to afford this place? Do you think anyone else here won the lottery?”
I laugh. “Considering the odds of winning are about one in three hundred million, I seriously doubt it.”
She puts down her fork, suddenly looking sad. “Why me, Carter? Why was I the one in three hundred million? There are so many other people who deserve it. Who need it.”
“Sweetheart, one of the things I love about you is how altruistic you are. Instead of asking ‘why me’ because of all the bad things in your life, you’re asking it about the one incredible thing.”
Her smile returns. “There are way more incredible things that have happened to me, Carter.”
“Really?” I prod. “Such as…?”
She giggles, sinking another piece of lobster into drawn butter. “Well let’s see, there’s Amelia.”
“Of course,” I reply.
“And there’s Calloway Creek.”
I nod. “Yup.”
“Your son is pretty darn incredible.”
“Agreed.” I stare her down as I take a sip of wine. “Is that all?”
Just to make me suffer, she takes her time chewing her food, and… damn it… moaning.
“Oops,” she says playfully as I feel her bare foot graze the general area of my crotch. “I did it again.”
“Quoting Britney Spears songs?” I chuckle.
“Says the man who quotes Dr. Seuss books like they’re the Bible.”
I trap her foot with my hand and squeeze it. “Answer the question, Kenna. Is that all?”
“Men.” She rolls her eyes. “Always having to be coddled and assured.”
“So put me out of my misery and coddle me, woman.”
She smiles and wiggles her toes. “Babe.” My heart melts. “You are the very best thing that has happened to me since the day Amelia was born. And that’s saying a lot considering you’re in competition with a considerable amount of zeroes.”
“Now you’re talking.” I lean across the table and put my hand over hers. “You are deserving, you know. As much as anyone else is. Maybe more than anyone else. Because not many people would give half their money away and refuse to spend the rest on themselves.”
“That doesn’t make me deserving, Carter. Practical maybe. Charitable. But not deserving.”
I gobble down my last bite. “So you’d take it all back if you could? Not buy the ticket?”
“In a heartbeat.” She goes silent after saying it, studying my eyes, my hair, my lips. Her head shakes. “Actually, no. I wouldn’t. But not because of the money. Because no matter what I had to go through to get here, I’m here. With you. If I hadn’t bought the ticket, I’d have never met you.”
“You just turned me into the Grinch, Babe,” I say with a wry grin.
She’s utterly confused, so I explain, “My heart just grew three sizes.”
She laughs and rolls her eyes.
“And on that note.” I motion for our check. The waiter comes over with it and my pre-ordered dessert to go.
Kenna eyes the to-go bag. “Impatient are we?”
“Oh, we sure as hell are.”
“What’s inside?” she asks curiously.
“Mmmm,” I mumble. “Cheesecake.”
She doesn’t say anything. Just licks her lips. Yup—she remembers.
And miraculously, she lets me pay without even putting up a fight.
Back in the car, when I exit the lot and turn in the opposite direction of home, Kenna says, “Wrong way.”
“No. It’s not.”
She turns and stares. “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch her growing smile. It gets even bigger when, twenty minutes later, we pass Bart’s Market. “We’re going to the cabin?”
I shrug. “Where else would we eat cheesecake?”
She’s practically squirming in her seat when we pull up. It’s getting dark out, and when she notices the light coming from the front window, her eyes narrow. “You planned this? Wait, is that what you were doing this afternoon when you said you were working on Trevor’s car with him?”
I don’t answer. I just hop out, circle around, and open her door.
It’s a relatively cool evening, but I’m sweating as we make our way to the door. When I open it and she sees inside, her hand flies to her mouth. “Carter, it’s amazing.”
Jaw hanging open, she takes in the room.
With Mia’s help, I transformed the entire living room into a wonderland.
Fairy lights line the ceiling and are strung across almost every surface.
Flowers—dozens and dozens of them—sit in various-size vases.
A bottle of champagne is chilled and sitting atop mostly melted ice.
And in the smack-dab center of the room, right in front of the fireplace, is the air mattress.
I stride over and light the fire I built earlier.
She goes into the center of the room and turns around and around. “I have to admit, it kind of classes up the place.”
I come up behind her and snake my arms around her waist. “You’re what classes up the place.”
She glances at me over her shoulder. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
“Not to change the subject or anything, but I was thinking you should have your name on the sign at the shop. You know, considering technically you own part of the business.”
“As in Cruz-in and Bennett Auto Repair Shop?” She shakes in a silent chuckle. “Not a chance. It just doesn’t have the same ring to it. But I appreciate the thought.”
“Okay then, we’ll have to add your name some other way.”
“Not necessary. But out of curiosity, what were you thinking?”
I pull away, step back, say a little prayer, then do what I came here to do.
Her eyes immediately tear up when she turns around and sees me down on a knee, ring in hand.
“You’ll just have to become a Cruz then. That way your name will be on the sign.”
For the second time since we walked through the door, her hand covers her gasp.
“Kenna, I know it’s only been two-and-a-half months.
But it only took me about two-and-a-half days to fall for you.
I love you. I love Amelia. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know everything there is to know about both of you.
And I want the rest of my life to start right now, this very minute, with you in my arms. My bed.
My heart.” I take her hand in mine. “I’ve never asked anyone to marry me.
This is it. You’re it. My one and only. My forever. ”
“Carter…” Tears stream down her cheeks.
“Say yes, Kenna. You want to know why? Because…” I exhale a deep sigh and try to hold it together. “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
“That’s beautiful.”
I shrug. “Can’t take credit for it. It’s a Dr. Seuss quote. I had to google that one, though. I really wanted this to be romantic, and I’m not so good with words.”
“Are you kidding me? Believe me, Carter, you are romantic. You don’t need Dr. Seuss—or anyone—to help you.” She falls to her knees and clears her throat. “Ask me again.”
I swallow a huge lump and hold the ring up.
“Kenna Bennett, will you marry me? Will you raise our kids with me? Will you let me be the father Amelia deserves to have? Will you be the mother Christian has always needed? Will you grow old with me in Calloway Creek, where we’ll watch our children and grandchildren flourish?
Will you say yes and make me luckier than anyone who’s won any lottery ever? ”
Through her continued tears, now she’s the one shrugging. She sighs flippantly. “I suppose it’ll be cheaper than re-branding the whole shop.”
“Is that a yes?”
She throws her arms around my neck. “That’s a hell yes.”
My heart thunders. My eyes close. I thank God, the universe, the lottery. I might even thank Cyrus Kelly—but only a little bit.
The champagne doesn’t get touched for hours.
I have far better things to do with my fiancée.
~ ~ ~
“Who’s going to tell them?” I ask as we pull up to the house the next morning.
Kenna laughs. “You’re like a kid on Christmas, Carter. You do it.”
Excitedly, I jump out of the car and retrieve the overnight bag I’d secretly packed for us. Mia was the only person who was in on it. She helped me set up the cabin, gave me advice about picking a ring, and stayed with Christian and Amelia last night.
“Hey guys,” I say when we enter.
Three pairs of eyes turn our way. Mia’s eyes immediately dart to Kenna’s left hand, and then a huge smile crosses her face. She gives me a big thumbs up.
“How was the sleepover with Mia?” Kenna asks.
Amelia takes Kenna’s hand and pulls her into the living room. “Look, Mommy!”
The room looks like a tornado came through. Sheets and blankets are everywhere. They made another fort, and it’s a complete and total mess.
Kenna shakes her head and laughs.
I bend down, check out the fort, and crawl inside. “Hey, guys, why don’t you all come on in?”
Amelia’s the first one in. Christian crawls in next to her. And Kenna comes after. Mia doesn’t follow. I guess she’s giving us a moment.
“We need to tell you something,” I say.
Christian, as smart and intuitive as he is, instantly looks at Kenna’s hand. “Yes!” He pumps his fist. His smile is miles wide, but he doesn’t ruin the surprise for Amelia.
I grip his shoulder and nod. Then I hoist Amelia onto my lap. “Hey, pumpkin. Remember what you asked me a few times about being your daddy?”
She nods.
“Well, I was wondering if it’s something you still want.”
Her eyes go wide. “You want to be my daddy?”
“More than anything. Last night, I asked your mom to marry me, and she said yes. That means we’re going to be a family.”
Amelia looks to her mom for confirmation.
Kenna smiles. “It’s true. Carter and I are getting married. He’s going to be your daddy, and Christian will be your brother.” She leans over and puts a hand on Christian’s arm. “And if he’ll let me, I’d love to be his mom.”
For the first time since Christian was a little kid, I see tears well in his eyes. He’s trying to seem all mature about it, but I know I’m not the only one here living my dream. He’s never come out and said it, but I know how badly he’s wanted a mother. A sibling. A family.
Amelia looks utterly surprised. “You can be my brother?”
“Yeah…” Christian looks away and blinks. “Pretty cool, huh, squirt?”
Amelia, being the only one short enough to stand inside the fort, springs off my lap and dances around. She hugs me. Then Christian. Then her mom. Then she makes the rounds a second time.
Kenna holds out her ring, and Amelia stops dancing long enough to fawn over it for a few seconds. Christian studies it and jokes, “I expected it to be bigger.”
I elbow him playfully then pull him against me into a hug.
Kenna snatches her hand back. “It’s perfect. I’m never taking it off.”
Amelia is still dancing. She sings, “I have a daddy! I have a brother! I have a daddy! I have a brother!”
I think she’s the only one of the four of us who isn’t crying. And if I’m not mistaken, I think I hear sniffles coming from outside the fort as well.
Amelia stops suddenly and plops down on the floor right in front of Kenna. “Mommy? Can we live upstairs now?”
Kenna smiles. “Absolutely.”
“It’ll be the first thing we do,” I add, then I think about it. “Wait, no… the second thing.” I pull out my phone, tap around on it, and hit play.
“Dancing Queen” blares through the Bluetooth speaker. I scoot out of the fort and hold my hand out for Kenna and Amelia, then help Christian back to his feet.
And then… then we have our very first dance party as a family.