Dinner was simple.
For once, neither of us wanted anything complicated.
Leyton cooked while I sat at the kitchen island, watching him move around the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up.
"You know," I said, "you're surprisingly good at this."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Cooking?"
"Being domestic."
He laughed.
"I own a company. I can make pasta."
"That's not exactly a qualification."
"I'll have you know, this is homemade sauce."
I smiled.
"Impressive."
He brought two plates over and sat beside me.
For a while, we simply ate.
Then Leyton reached across the table and took my hand.
"Have you thought about what you want after the wedding?"
I looked at him.
"After?"
"Yeah."
He rubbed his thumb across my engagement ring.
"Where we live. The baby. Your career. Everything."
I smiled softly.
"I've thought about it."
"And?"
"I want a home."
His expression softened.
"Okay."
"Not just somewhere we live."
I squeezed his hand.
"I want somewhere that feels like ours."
He nodded.
"I want that too."
"And I want to return to my nursing job"
"Absolutely."
He didn't hesitate.
"I want you to have whatever future you want."
My heart tightened.
"Even if it means I'm busy?"
"April."
He leaned closer.
"I don't want a wife who gives up everything for me."
I stared at him.
"I want you to have your own dreams."
I smiled.
He brought my hand to his lips.
"And I want another thing."
"What?"
He smiled.
"More children."
I laughed.
"Leyton!"
"What?"
"We haven't even had this one yet."
"I know."
"You're already planning more?"
He shrugged.
"I'm ambitious."
I laughed so hard that my stomach tightened.
"Careful," he said immediately.
"I'm fine."
He stood and came around beside me.
"Still?"
I nodded.
He crouched beside my chair and placed his hand over my bump.
"Sorry, little one. Daddy's getting ahead of himself."
I smiled down at him.
"You really want a big family?"
He looked up at me.
"I want whatever makes you happy."
My eyes softened.
"I think I'd like that."
His smile grew.
"Yeah?"
"Maybe."
He kissed my stomach.
"That's a start."
I ran my fingers through his hair.
"But one thing at a time."
"Agreed."
He stood and kissed me gently.
Then he looked toward the pile of wedding magazines on the counter.
"We haven't finished choosing the invitations."
I groaned.
"Don't remind me."
He laughed.
"Come on, future Mrs. Stevens."
I smiled.
"That still sounds strange."
"Get used to it."
He took my hand.
"You're going to be my wife."
I looked at him.
"And you're going to be my husband."
He smiled.
"Forever."
I rested my head against his shoulder.
"Forever."
And somehow, sitting there in our quiet kitchen, surrounded by half-finished wedding plans and dreams of our unborn baby, forever didn't seem scary anymore.
It felt like the easiest decision we'd ever made.
YOU ARE READING
Only his surrogate
Aksi"I applied to be his nanny. Instead, he offered to make me the mother of his child. At twenty-two, April Rhodes is broke, exhausted, and one unpaid bill away from losing everything. Between nursing school, hospital placements, and trying to survive...
