High School Sweetheart (Sweetheart, Colorado) Read online

  "Oh my God!” I exclaim as Baxter looks up at me, his lips smeared with my wetness.

  "What is it?" he asks.

  "I think my water just broke," I blurt out. Can this really be happening right now? Surely not. Surely not... But I feel a twinge in my belly, and I know that this is actually happening. My heart skips several beats inside of my chest as I try to wrap my head around it, but there is no getting away from the truth.

  "You really think so?" Baxter asks. A grin spreads across his face. I know he can hardly wait for this, but I still feel a little nervous.

  "Yeah, I do," I reply, and he moves up to plant a kiss on my forehead, cupping his hand around my belly as he does so. And, as soon as he touches me, I feel any doubts that might have been clinging to me finally sliding away.

  "This is really happening," he murmurs, and I trace my fingers over his cheek and nod.

  "It really is," I agree, and I feel his excitement pass through me. Yes, this is really happening, I am really going to have this baby. And I am really going to do it with my husband by my side, with the man I love there to support me every step of the way.

  "You ready?" he asks, and I take a deep breath and nod.

  "As I’ll ever be," I agree, and he kisses me again, and helps me get to my feet. I have no idea what is going to come next, but I know that, as long as he is there to help me through it, I will be able to survive.

  For everything that life has thrown at me, it has thrown him at me, too. And I can’t ask for much more in the world than that.

  Epilogue 2

  Baxter

  Nine years later…

  "Are you nearly ready?" she asks me, hooking her head over my shoulder and smiling at me in the mirror.

  "I think so," I reply, and I glance around to check her out. Hard not to, when she looks that good. She grins and does a little spin for me on the spot.

  "You like what you see?" she asks, and I nod.

  "Hell, yes," I agree, and I reach out to pull her close to me for a moment. She’s picked out the most perfect dress for this reunion, a dark red number that caresses all the curves in her body, shows off her gorgeous figure, and brings out the bright blonde in her hair.

  "I can’t believe it’s already been ten years since we did this last," she remarks as she winds her arms around my neck and looks into my eyes.

  "Ten whole years," I muse out loud in agreement, though, in truth, I am more than a little distracted by her.

  "I can’t believe how much has changed since then," she continues, shaking her head, and I smile.

  "For the better though, right?" I ask, and she nods.

  "Of course," she assures me, and I lift her hand to my lips and press a kiss against the wedding ring that she wears on her finger. A reminder of the commitment that we have made to each other – to our family, to our future, to all of it.

  In fact, this will be the first night that we have spent apart from our family in a heck of a long time. The kids – Ava, Laura, and Jake – are staying with Liv and Trevor’s little ones, hanging out with their honorary cousins while we go off to spend a night with all the people we grew up with.

  And this time, I will be walking into the reunion with no doubt in my mind that I will leave with the woman I love. I am the one who insisted on coming back to Sweetheart again, to spend time with all our friends. A few years ago, we moved out to Denver, where Bailey had finally gotten herself a studio to work on her art on her own terms while I spent my days with the kids. My wife is already getting some buzz from the art community at large, and I know it’s not going to be long till they see her for the talent that she is and she breaks in big, bigger than anyone else who has ever gotten out of this town ever has before.

  And I can’t wait to be there by her side when she does. I have basically retired from working at this point – I do a little writing on the side, trying to make sense of my life by putting all the pieces together in a story, but that’s slow work. I’m in no rush to get it done. I’m not even sure that I’ll put it out there when I’m done, given how personal it is. Bailey is always encouraging me to share it, but truthfully, I’m writing it for me. Writing it to wrap my head around the man I used to be, and the one that I am now.

  Because the one that I am now is the one that I always wanted to be. The one that I dreamed of being when I first fell in love with her, almost two decades ago now. That is the man I know I am best at being – a husband, a father, part of a family who cares for one another and is willing to do everything they can to look out for each other.

  "You ready to get going?" she asks me. The event starts in a few minutes, but frankly, I am in no rush to get down there.

  "I think we can spare a little more time yet," I murmur, and I close my eyes and lean in towards her. She smiles against my kiss and I pull her in close, and, in that moment, I know that I could spend the rest of the night with her and only her, and I would be happy.

  Because she is all I need. She is all I have ever needed. And all that matters is that I never forget it.

  More from Sweetheart!

  There is plenty of love in Sweetheart, Colorado!

  Follow the link to check the entire series out:

  Sweetheart, Colorado

  Enjoy!

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  About the Author

  Frankie Love writes filthy-sweet stories about bad boys and mountain men.

  As a thirty-something mom who is ridiculously in love with her own bearded hottie, she believes in love-at-first-sight and happily-ever-afters.

  She also believes in the power of a quickie.

  Join Frankie Love’s Mailing List for a free book … plus never miss a new release:

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