Choosing Happily Ever After - Elena Aitken Page 0,55

moment when she said I do and kissed her groom for the first time.

A cheer rose from the crowd before they turned to dance their way down the aisle. “That was absolutely perfect,” she said to her new husband the moment they were out of earshot.

“I hope you don’t really think that’s it?”

Hope gave him a look. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, Hope. You’re a wedding planner. Surely you should know that there’s more to a wedding than the vows.” He winked at her and took her hand as he led her to the golf cart. “We have a reception to get to.”

“You didn’t?”

She stared at him and shook her head in wonder as he moved to the driver’s seat. How had he pulled off an entire wedding and she hadn’t even noticed? It was impossible. She noticed everything that went on at the ranch.

Except in the last week or so.

Even she had to admit that she’d been distracted by her life lately.

“Of course I did.”

But instead of taking her directly to the barn for the reception he’d promised her, Levi whisked her through the woods in the opposite direction. Hope didn’t ask where they were going, because she didn’t care. As long as she was with Levi, she was perfectly happy.

And she was.

For the first time since that first trip to the doctor. Probably even longer. Hope glanced over at Levi sitting next to her. Her husband.

Husband.

Even thinking the word made her smile.

Yes, it had been a very long time since she’d been so happy.

Levi drove them across the property to a quiet, treed spot with a perfect grassy clearing on the riverbank.

“Remember this place?” Levi took her hand and helped her out of the golf cart.

“Of course.”

It was their place. When they were teenagers, madly in love and desperate to be alone in a small town that didn’t leave many places to sneak away, they’d gone to the river. Hope hadn’t told anyone about their secret spot. Not even Faith. Whenever they could, Levi and Hope would sneak away to lay under the stars, talk about the future—their hopes and dreams—and clumsily, but enthusiastically, make love.

It was a special place and one Hope had avoided for many years.

Levi led her to the clearing and turned to take both her hands in his. “How do you feel?”

“About…all of this?”

He nodded.

“So good.” It was the truth. “So happy, Levi. Really.”

“Good.” He kissed her gently. “I always want you to feel good. I vow to you to spend the rest of our lives, making you happy.”

She smiled, but at the same time, she couldn’t ignore the little twinge of sadness deep inside. It had been such a whirlwind day that they hadn’t really had a chance to discuss a lot of the things that they needed to. Hope dropped her gaze to her feet. Was she being naive? Had she been so swept up in the romance of the moment that she’d completely lost sight of the situation?

“Levi, I…” She looked up into the eyes of the man she loved. “We should talk.”

“About the honeymoon?” He was trying for humor and as much as Hope didn’t want to ruin the moment by bringing reality into it, she had to.

“About everything.”

“We do,” Levi said, his voice dropping the humor. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I have another proposal for you.”

She couldn’t help but laugh this time. “Two in one day? I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“You can.” He winked. “I’m sure of it.”

“Okay, hit me.” She squeezed her eyes shut and grinned. “What’s your proposal?”

“Let’s make a baby and travel the world.”

Whatever she’d been expecting him to say, that wasn’t it. Her eyes opened wide at the same moment her mouth fell open. “What? You want to…what?”

Levi cupped her cheek and looked straight into her eyes. “You want a baby,” he said. “I want a baby. And if the doctors agree that it’s safe, then let’s do it.”

“But you want—”

“You.” He cut her off. “Remember? I want you. And I want everything with you. A baby, travel, settling down—a life, Hope. That’s what I want. I need you to be able to understand that, okay? No more deciding what I want for me, okay?”

She nodded. “So you think…”

“I think we should have it all.” He smiled. “Let’s get on a plane and see the world, while we make a baby. There’ll be plenty of time to come home and settle in before the baby comes.” His eyes