Epilogue
A few months later…
The sun was shining, and even with the nip of cold in the air that threatened an early winter, Mother Nature had cooperated with them for their moving day.
Her family had insisted that there was no need to hire movers and they would all be happy to get it done for them. Kat was pretty sure they were regretting that decision by the time they were done, but for now, she was happy for the help.
“Kat. Put that down. You shouldn’t be lifting anything in your condition.”
Okay. She was mostly happy for the help.
She rolled her eyes when Asher wasn’t looking before totally ignoring him. “I’m pregnant, Asher. Not an invalid. I’m sure this box of pillows won’t hurt. ”
“You know I’m just looking out for you, sis.” Asher walked past her into their new living room, carrying two lamps. “I’m not trying to be overprotective.”
“Sure you’re not.” She laughed and blew him a kiss so he knew she wasn’t upset. Some habits died hard, and although her brothers had been making an effort not to be so overbearing, once she and Andy announced they were pregnant, most of those efforts had gone out the window.
“Which room should we put this in?” Chase and Craig appeared, each holding the end of a mattress. “Oh, Kat. You probably shouldn’t be carrying that,” Craig added when he saw her holding the box.
“You’re right.” She sighed and tossed the very light box that only contained a few throw pillows in it to the ground. “In fact, I should probably just sit with my feet up while someone feeds me grapes.”
All three of her brothers stared at her, but no one disagreed.
“She’s fine.” Andy appeared. He set his stack of boxes down and kissed her on the cheek. “Kat knows her body, and she knows just how much it can handle.”
He winked at her, and Kat worked not to laugh because earlier that day she’d used those exact words with him when he, too, expressed concern with her helping.
“Thank you.” Kat put her hands on her hips and turned to Chase and Craig, who were still holding the mattress. “You can put that one in the primary bedroom.”
“Ha!” Asher laughed. “You’re carrying their bed. ”
Kat stared at her brother, who’d apparently turned into a teenager in the last few moments. “It’s just a?—”
“Oh, hell no.” Craig dropped his end of the mattress, causing Chase to do the same.
“Hey!” Andy jumped to grab the mattress before it fell over. “What are you?—”
“Look.” Craig held his hands up. “I’m good with you two, but it’s still weird and come on…that’s my sister. I can’t be carrying around the bed where you two—nope. Not doing it.”
“You are being ridiculous.” Kat crossed her arms and swallowed back a laugh. “Chase?”
Her eldest, and most reasonable, brother shook his head, too. “You know what? He’s got a point.”
“Fine.” She looked at Andy. “I guess I’ll have to do it.”
“No!”
“Kat!”
She burst into laughter and just to further make her point, rubbed her hands over her barely swollen belly and said, “How did you guys think your little niece or nephew?—”
“Enough.” Craig put his hands over his ears and stepped forward. “Let’s just get it in the bedroom so I can stop thinking about it.”
She laughed while everyone got back to work.
In the kitchen, her sister and sisters-in-law were making short work of unpacking—all except Lucy, who was almost ready to burst, sitting with her very swollen feet up on a chair .
“Wow. It’s really looking good in here, you guys. Thank you so much.”
“You know we’re happy to help,” Lucy said. “Not that I’m much help. But I’m getting pretty good at pointing out empty cupboards and drawers.”
Kat laughed. “I feel like I should be feeding you grapes.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Just something I mentioned to the guys, who all think I’m doing too much.”
“You know they mean well.” Charli aimed a smile in her direction. “We all do.”
“I know it. And I love you all for it. I really don’t think there’s going to be much for me to do once you leave.”
“Oh, I’m sure there will be one or two things for you to take care of.”
“There always is.”
“True. But some things can wait.” Kat let her gaze travel to the backyard and the exact spot where she wanted the swing set to go. “At least for a few more months.”
“There’s still so much to do.” Kat plopped down on the couch next to him. “Moving is so much work.”
“But we don’t have to do any of it right now.” Andy pulled her down so her head was resting in his lap. “Today has been a huge day.”
Moving always was. Even with the entire Carlson family helping all day, it had been a massive undertaking getting them from Kat’s apartment, and the storage unit where he’d been keeping his own apartment’s worth of things, into their new house.
But it was work worth doing. The house was perfect.
As if Kat had just read his mind, she looked up into his eyes. “I love our house.”
“I love you.” He kissed his finger and pressed it to her lips.
“Obviously I love you, too.”
“I don’t get tired of hearing it.”
She flipped over on the couch and crawled up so she was in his lap. “I love you, Andy Fisher.”
He closed his eyes and grinned. “Oh yeah. That’s what I love to hear.”
“I love you and this house that we’re going to raise our kids in.”
“Kids?” His eyes popped open. “Plural?” He raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Kat laughed. “It’s not twins. Not that I know of, anyway. I was just thinking that now we have all these bedrooms to fill.”
Andy blew out the breath he’d been holding. “Why don’t we just focus on one at a time?” He wrapped his arms around her. “We’re already doing everything totally out of order.”
She shrugged. “I like our way of doing things.”
“I like you.” He kissed her. “And do you know what else I’d like? A lot?”
“What’s that? ”
Andy reached behind him in the couch cushions for the box he’d stashed there earlier. “Kat Carlson, I’d really like it if you’d be my wife.”
He held out the box and flipped open the lid to reveal his mother’s diamond and emerald ring.
“Andy.” Kat covered her mouth with both her hands.
“I’m sorry it’s not an elaborate, over-the-top romantic proposal, but I felt like it was fitting to spend the first official night in our new house as an engaged couple.” He lifted the ring from the box and hesitated. “That is, if you say yes.”
“Oh my God, yes.” She flitted her hands in the air. “A million times yes. I would love nothing more than to be your wife.”
He slipped the ring on her finger and cupped her cheek before kissing her on the lips.
“My brothers are going to?—”
“Be so excited that I finally asked you.”
She stared at him, open-mouthed. “What do you mean? Did they know?”
“Of course they knew,” he said. “I sat them all down ages ago and made sure they would give me their blessing. After everything we’ve already gone through, I wanted to be sure they were all on board.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “You know I’m my own strong and independent woman, right?”
He chuckled. “I sure do.”
“But I love that you asked them.”
“I know that too, Kitty Kat.” Andy pulled her close so her head was once more resting on his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and held his fiancée close. “I know.”