“I’m hugely pregnant,” I pointed out, staring at the flowers, smelling their sweet scent.
“Yeah. Freaking bombshell pregnant,” he muttered before kissing my forehead.
“Guys! We’re never going to get there at this rate,” Del whined.
But we did get there, my car actually making it. It wasn’t fancy—just like any other courthouse. There was absolutely no time to doubt, even though I did sweat a bit.
A female judge with bright red hair and freckles across her nose married us. She congratulated us on the marriage and the babies when it was all said and done. Del cheered and clapped next to us while Kai kissed me hard enough to steal the breath from me. I was married to this caring, kickass, hot man, who I would get to spend the rest of my life with.
“Let’s go celebrate, Mrs. Hart,” he murmured against my lips before we hopped in the car, racing—as much as my car could, anyway—back to Del’s house.
They’d strung up lights and streamers and a giant banner that said “Just Married” in the yard. Her entire family roamed about with drinks and food while loud music played. It was an old-fashioned Creole shindig. We ate crawfish and gumbo, I drank lots of water, and Kai had a beer. He and I danced until I started having contractions.
We watched her family having a good old time while he talked to me about what it was going to be like when I moved to Ohio in the fall. That seemed too far away, though. Mia still wanted to come stay with me to help out, which I was excited about, but also nervous. Hopefully she wasn’t too mad at me for the lies, the fake identity.
Del found us sitting on the short wall that lined part of their yard. “You gave us one hell of a reason to party.” She beamed, breathing hard from the last dance.
“You made it memorable,” I told her, standing to hug her. My heart wrenched, tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m going to miss you, Del. I’m so glad I got to see you.”
“It won’t be so long this time,” she told me, pulling back to study me. “I’ll come when those babes are here. They have to meet Aunt Del.”
“I would love that.”
“You go on now and enjoy some time with your husband.”
Kai stood, wrapping his arm around my waist. “It was amazing to meet you, Delia,” he told her.
“And you, Kai. Take care of our girl.” She side-hugged him.
“I will.”
We said goodbye to Rose and the rest of her family before he led me to the car, helping me in. My heart squeezed at the sight of them waving us off. If only I’d ended up with them as my family. But then I wouldn’t be me. What I’d gone through, both the good and the bad, shaped some integral pieces of me.
Kai laced his fingers with mine, and I met his gaze. “Where to, Mrs. Hart?”
The sound of that, the ring of it, made my heart skip a beat. “Somewhere with a bed,” I told him around a huge yawn. “Your pregnant wife is going to sleep awesome tonight.”
He chuckled. “Wife. I like the sound of that. And your wish, toots, is my command.”
When he got us to a decent hotel and in the room, he helped me out of my dress that had a cami under it with my sexy pump attached to it. He rested his hands on my giant belly. “You really are the most beautiful pregnant woman, Chloe,” he told me before crushing his mouth to mine, lips moving, tongues tangling while his hands roamed over me, all kinds of feelings tingling through me.
My hands traveled under his shirt, along his abs and that delicious V. When he pulled back too soon, he murmured, “And if you weren’t almost seven months pregnant, this night would go a whole lot different.”
I smirked, trailing my fingers along the elastic of his boxers. He swore under his breath before kissing me again. He would stop me before we went too far, but I reveled in him, letting my emotions and hormones run wild.
He did stop me, making me growl and curse a little, which had him laughing, but he promised to make up for it on a real honeymoon after the twins were born. By God, I would hold him to that.
He held me through the night, reminding me how much I missed him, how much I didn’t want to be separated from him again.
“I don’t want to leave my car,” I grumped as the cab dropped us off at the airport.
“It was on its last leg, love. It won’t make it to Tennessee.”
“Fine,” I huffed, crossing my arms when he went to grab my hand.
The night had been amazing, but then my hormones went haywire, reminding me he hadn’t done what I wanted to do. Then my car started smoking on the way to the airport. All before I had any coffee in my system. He found the closest junkyard and sold my car to the greasy old guy on the spot. It was junk, sure, but I needed something to grumble about since I couldn’t give him a hard time for not having sex with me on our wedding night.
“Chloe.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me to a stop. His intense gaze pierced through me, heating me up all over again. “Last night sucked just as much for me as it did you. Believe me. But I still love you, and I’m excited to meet those babies when the time is right. Not a second sooner.”
He totally knew my horrible attitude had nothing to do with my stupid car. “Okaaay,” I drew out with a pout, making him growl before kissing my forehead.
We boarded the plane, leaving my hometown behind with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Ditching my horrible family felt amazing, especially now that I wasn’t running away but leaving with my real name and my husband. It was sad leaving my best friend, who I’d missed too much time with. But now that it wasn’t a secret, that I wasn’t running, I would be able to see her whenever I wanted.
Ava and Cade were going to pick us up from the airport, and then Kai was taking me to pick out a car. Something I wasn’t ecstatic about. Cars were cars. Then he would be flying back to Ohio. I would stay in Tennessee, away from my husband for three months. I knew military wife life wasn’t the easiest, but this wasn’t even because of him. It was because I was being stubborn and trying to cram a little more school in when in reality, I could just transfer my credits to a less prestigious school in Ohio. Being away from him for such a silly reason didn’t sit well.
“I don’t want to stay in Tennessee,” I stated, still looking out the window.
His fingers stopped twirling my ring, his posture going rigid. “Uh… you want to stay here?” he asked, sounding so vulnerable, so scared.
I finally glanced sideways at him “No, goofball.” He released a breath, fingers moving again while he listened. “Can I come to Ohio when my finals are done?” I asked in a small voice, my hands sweating.
His eyes shifted back and forth. “You want to move next week? Are you sure?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure I want to live with my husband. Especially when these babies come. I’m yours, Kai. I don’t want to be apart.”
“We’ll see if Ava and Cade can help you move when school is over, in case I can’t leave.” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “I picked a place. One I thought you would like and that we’ll all fit in.” Even when he thought the worst of me, when I wouldn’t talk to him at all, he was thinking of me, planning for me to be in his life.