Page 339 of Under Her Skin

“There will be bad days, too Blaine. Don’t think every day will be so happy,” shesays.

I pull back and look at her, then give her a wink. “Baby, even a bad day with you beats a day without you. I’ll take the bad with the good. I get it now. Things happen, both good and bad. There are times in everyone’s life where the bad outweighs the good and vice versa. I’ll take them all with you by myside.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Her voice is shaky, and I can hear the tears that are about to spring forthagain.

So I kiss her cheek. “Shh. No more tears for the rest of the night.” I move off her and lie on my side, wiggling the pillow out from under her. “Tonight is all about you and me starting our lives together, for real. So let’s decide some things. The first thing I want to decide, so we can tell everyone tomorrow when they come, is what day we will get marriedon.”

“I’d like to get married on a date that has importance to you. Say, your mother’s or father’s birthday, perhaps.” Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at me and runs her fingertip over the bow of my toplip.

Taking her finger, I kiss it, then say, “I’d like to get married on New Year’s Eve in LasVegas.”

“That’s a week from today,” she says as she shakes her head. “That’s too soon. There’s no time to make any plans. How about in thespring?”

“No,” I say and pull her to me, then turn over with her on top of me. “I want you to carry my name when the new year begins. I want that belly big by the spring, and I don’t want our first kid thinking we weren’t married when we started makinghim.”

“Or her,” she says with a giggle. “I thought I’d have a churchwedding.”

“They have chapels inVegas.”

“You know where else they have a chapel,Blaine?”

“Everywhere,” I say. then tug her close so I can kiss her. “So what do you say to Vegas for New Year’s Eve? I’ll bring the whole family if you want, or it can be just you and me,alone.”

“I say no to that. But I have an idea. It can still be on New Year’s Eve, but it will be at the hospital, so the kids can be there. They were there when this whole thing began. I’d like them to be there when we say our vowstoo.”

Her idea sounds good. But there most likely won’t be one very special little girl there, and that empty place would dampen myspirit.

I wonder how Delaney will take being told no to where she wants to have our wedding. Badly, Ibet!

TheGift

BookSeven

Chapter1

DELANEY

December25th:

Oranges and pinks seemingly stain Blaine’s skin from the reflection of the embers of what’s left of the fire that was raging in the fireplace when we first settled into the evening in the den. The lights on the tree went out with the timer they were set on, telling me it’s pastmidnight.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Blaine whispers in my ear as he holds me loosely in his arms. The blanket on the floor isn’t enough to keep us warm any longer, as the fire nearly dies out. “Ready to head up tobed?”

“Iam.”

Effortlessly, he picks me up, wrapped in the blanket, and carries my satiated body to the bedroom we share. We’re now an engaged couple with no way to agree on where to getmarried.

I want to be married at the chapel in the hospital, and he’s against it. He won’t say exactly why he would rather fly out to Vegas instead of having something a little more traditional, but I have a strong hunch little Meagan has everything to do withit.

Not wanting to argue right after our engagement, I’ve closed my mouth about the wedding destination for now, anyway. I have a feeling I’ll have everyone’s vote on my idea when our families get here.If mine iscoming.

Kicking the door closed behind us, Blaine pads over to the bed and places me on it gently. “Here you go, baby. Climb in under those covers, and I’ll join you in just aminute.”

He heads toward the bathroom while I get under the blankets and snuggle down, already feeling sleep coming for me. Pulling my hand out from under the blanket, I take one last look at the gorgeous ring he gave me to make sure this is allreal.

Blaine not only wants to get married ASAP, but start our family as well. He’s a man on a mission. I think it’s safe to assume that he will pursue me tenaciously until a little stick lets him know I’m carrying hischild.

The light of the full moon that’s peeking through the sheer curtains reflects off the ring. It glimmers and glows with the light, and my heart skips a beat as I think about thefuture.