I Choose Us: Book 3 in the Crossing Midian Series - A Christian Romance

Untitled Part 1

Lottie

The overly cheery voice of Decatur's local weather reporter filled the room as he gave the weather report from the tv that sat on one end of the long dresser, "Good Monday morning. I'm News Channel 12's Chief Meteorologist, Caleb Paxton. The weather certainly has turned colder this morning, hitting nearly record lows for our area..."

Lottie paused and listened. It would certainly be nice to have some colder weather for a change. She turned back to the bed and stretched the fitted sheet out, tucking it under the corner. All at once, it occurred to Lottie how 'mundane' everything was in this moment.

Her four-year-old daughter, Cassie played quietly on the floor in the middle of several throw pillows Lottie hadn't gotten around to putting back on the bed yet, and Emmett Cooper — or Coop, as everyone else called him — Lottie's husband of five years, was in their adjoining bathroom getting ready for work.

Duke, the family's Blue Tick hound dog, was there, too, though he was currently asleep in his bed on the other side of the room.

She wanted to savor the moment, knowing that she wouldn't have many more mornings like this after today. Once she took the next step that would change everything, there would be no going back. Lottie would wake up each morning to find no one sleeping on the other side of the bed. She would have only herself and Cassie to get ready. She would most likely spend every other weekend alone without Cassie to take care of.

Lottie let out a quiet sigh as she took in her bedroom. In the early planning stages of the house, Emmett had thought that cream-colored walls sounded boring for a bedroom, but Lottie had insisted. She wanted a room that was bright and she knew with the large widows that took up most of the far wall, it would be exactly what they needed.

She had been right. Every morning, the sheer curtains allowed the sun to bathe their bedroom in warmth and light; perfect for snuggling and quiet talks beneath the thick comforter, before they had to get up and get ready for the day.

But there hadn't been many of those sorts of mornings in quite a while.

Lately, it seemed rare if they even said good morning with a quick kiss before one of them was up and on their way. They were both so busy between their jobs, Cassie, and taking care of all the other little things, they were constantly rushing around to get out the door in time.

"With temperatures dropping this early in the year, I wouldn't be surprised if we had a white Thanksgiving, as well as a white Christmas," the meteorologist continued, catching Lottie's attention.

She glanced up at the tv and frowned. Snow? In this area? Lottie couldn't remember the last time they had gotten snow that lasted past mid-afternoon.

"While Doppler radar shows that the chances of there being much accumulation at this point are slim, it's always a good idea to be prepared. We recommend stocking up on essentials; batteries, flashlights, candles, and propane. It's going to be a cold one, East Tennessee. Back to you, Kate."

The camera cut to Kate, the pretty, young anchorwoman with softly curled brown hair. She smiled at the camera. "And of course, don't forget the milk and bread," she added jokingly.

"I'm late," Coop said as he walked into the bedroom, pulling Lottie's focus away from the tv.

Lottie eyed the way he limped even while he was rushing, favoring the leg that bore the prosthetic he'd had since he was ten years old.

He stood in front of the vanity mirror on the opposite side of the room and adjusted a navy blue tie. The sunlight coming in through the window caught in his auburn hair, making the red stand out. "And I hate this tie," he grumbled. "I hate all ties, actually. I'm glad I don't work somewhere where I have to wear one every day."