“What’s the truth?”
“These houses, they’re a gift, but they don’t bring people together. It’s the people in them who finally give themselves a chance to see and to be happy. I love you, Ann. I took a chance, and I saw you, and I loved every single part of you. Even the note-taking and keeping every little scrap of leftovers.”
“It’s the college student in me.”
“Yeah, well, I love it. I want you in my life, as my wife. I want to raise our kids together. To get a chance on everything I missed out on.” He lowered himself to one knee, opening up the box in his hands. She hadn’t even seen him get it out of his pocket.
“Ann Adams, please, do me the honor of becoming my wife,” he said.
She opened her mouth and closed it. “You’re sure? Like, really, one hundred percent sure?”
“Do you want me to go and tell every single one of our neighbors how sure I am?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He got to his feet, about to leave, and she grabbed his arm, laughing. “No, I don’t mean to go and talk to our neighbors. I was saying yes. As in, yes, I’ll marry you. Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because I do love you, Eli. Workaholic that you are, leaving the toilet seat up, and being just a little possessive.”
“But I will always love you. That I can promise you.” He pulled her close, kissing her.
This was meant to be, she knew it right deep in her soul.
****
One month later
“You have to check everywhere for bugs. They come down in their ships, but they don’t always do that. They have these cars and they can just plant them on the side of your house and they walk around, and it’s just scary, and you have to just live with it.”
Eli listened as Mr. Graves handed him a device for him to take wherever he wanted or needed to go. This was new to him.
He thanked him for it and watched as he took his seat in the garden.
He and Ann decided on a small wedding, in his back yard. She only had a couple of friends, as did he. He didn’t bring work to it, but his family was present, Mr. Graves, his parents, Elizabeth, and a few neighbors, but that was it.
His hands were sweaty and his dad stood beside him.
“What an interesting man,” his father said.
“Yeah, he often scans Ann as well whenever she’s been at the law firm. He says that’s where most of the bugs are.”
His father burst out laughing. “Now that I can believe. Are you ready for this, son?”
The music started up, and he looked toward his back door. Katie came through first, carrying a small basket with petals.
His little girl was so happy. She waved at him and walked slowly down the aisle, doing as she’d been asked.
“Yeah, I’m more than ready,” he said as he finally caught sight of his bride. She looked stunning, as he’d imagined he would. They hadn’t seen each other for the past three days.
He looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Her beauty made him gasp. The dress she wore hid the tiny bump that showed she was carrying his baby. He didn’t think it was possible to be this happy but now he knew it was really possible, and what was more, he wanted this.
He loved her.
She was his everything. There was a reason he’d never found love before. He was waiting for her. For the right woman to finally come to him.
His mother followed behind her, and then she was in his arms, finally. Their time apart was already too long.
“You look stunning,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek but stopping as the priest cleared his throat.
“After the vows, sir,” he said.
“Of course.”
He faced his woman, his life, as the priest began to speak the necessary words to bind them together.
Eli had offered Ann whatever wedding she wanted. A big, lavish affair, or something quick in Vegas, but instead, she wanted to marry where they met. Their homes, privately. Where it was just them and a few guests, of course.
Neither of them had written any vows other than to say they loved each other and promised their lives to one another. When it came to saying I do, he was fast losing his patience.
“I can now pronounce you man and wife,” the priest said.
Pulling Ann into his arms, he sealed the deal with a kiss. His ring on her finger, his kid inside her—this was what he’d been wanting and never really thought was possible.
After kissing her again to the round of applause, he pulled away. Her eyes were still closed, and he hugged her tight.
“I love you,” he said.
Her smile brightened his whole world. “I love you too.”
“I love you three,” Katie said, throwing her arms around the two of them.
They burst out laughing.
His father hugged Ann, followed by his mother. Elizabeth came to them then, holding them both and promising the power of the houses was to thank.
Music started up, and Eli wouldn’t let his wife go. He held her against him, even as people wanted them to cut the cake. He kept one arm around her and didn’t share her, not once.
“What do we do now?” she asked. “We’ve got two houses and I know you still have your doubts, but can we really stay in the two of them?”
“There’s a place I’ve found. It’s out of town, about twenty minutes away. Katie can still come to school here. You can still work for, Mr. Graves. I haven’t bought it, but I wanted you to see it.”
She leaned back in his arms. “Do you believe in the houses, Eli?”
“I believe in love, Ann Bruce. Not the houses, and I don’t want to think about you being a bedroom away from me, let alone a house away.”
“Okay, so now that you have me, what are you doing to do with me?” she asked.
He spun her away from their guests, sliding his hands down to cup her ass. “With Katie staying at my parents for the next couple of nights, I was thinking I would show you what being my woman, at my beck and call, wearing my ring, is really like. What do you say?” he asked.
He saw the heat in her eyes and smiled. Their passion hadn’t subsided, not even a speck.
“I say I can’t wait for us to finally be alone.”
“Right, everyone, out. I want time with my wife,” Eli said.
Ann gasped, pressing a hand to her face as he ordered everyone out of his house, because he was done waiting. He wanted to make love, fuck, and hold his wife, and he was willing to be rude to get what he wanted.
Epilogue
Ten months later
“I don’t see it myself,” Eli said.
Ann stood beside her husband, watching the new occupants of their homes. It hadn’t been an easy decision to put her house on the market, even though Eli paid for it, but keeping them felt selfish.
Holding their son in her arms, with Katie standing between them while Eli held the lead on their cocker spaniel pup, who was only a couple months old, but so boisterous, her little family, she watched as the heavily inked biker came out. His group of men was with him. She didn’t catch sight of the MC logo, but Eli wouldn’t let her be alone with him either.
Eli had taken care of the sale of their homes.
“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Ann asked, turning to her husband.