Empty Net
Page 154
Not looking at her, he said, “Mom, Dad, Matilda, this is my love, Audrey Parker.”
He looked back at her and she smiled as he said, “She is my world, my everything and she is pregnant with our first child, we call her Chicken right now because we cannot decide on a name.”
Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes, “It will come to us,” she said before looking at the tombs and reading each name. “It’s nice to meet y’all.” She looked up at the sky and smiled before looking back at the tombs and re-reading their names. When she came to Matilda’s, she paused.
Matilda Penelope Odder.
What a beautiful name, she thought as she read it again.
“Penelope Rayne Odder.”
She hadn’t realized she had said it out loud until Tate looked over at her and said, “What?”
“Penelope Rayne Odder. Both our sisters’ middle names! They go together fantastically! I love it. We could call her Penny!”
“Penelope Rayne,” he said testing the words. When he flashed her a bright happy grin, she about screamed as she wrapped her arms around him, falling on top of him and kissing him senseless.
“Told you it would come to us!” she exclaimed against his lips.
Tate smiled, holding her close to him as he dusted her jaw with kisses, “You were right, I should have known.”
“You should have,” she teased, kissing him again before laying back in the fresh grass. She looked up into the clouds, as a wide grin sat on her lips. She was deliriously happy and it was all because of the man who held her close. He would do anything for her, and she would do the same for him. Not only had he found them the perfect house, right across the street from her sister, but he was building her the biggest closet imaginable.
And yes, he was doing it shirtless.
She couldn’t believe after wishing for so long for her Prince Charming, she finally had him. She finally had her Happily Ever After. She had to go through hell and back to get it, but she had it and there was no way she was ever letting it go. Snuggling close to her prince, she whispered, “I’m so happy you brought me here.”
“I am too,” he whispered back, kissing her temple. Looking over at him, he smiled before running his nose along hers. “I love you, Audrey Jane soon to be Odder.”
“Could August get here fast enough?” she asked with a grin, “I’m getting sick of being soon to be Odder, I want to be Audrey Jane Oooooodder now.”
“Which reminds me,” he said, digging into his pocket, “Mom would want me to do this here,” he said, taking her hand and holding it out in front of them. He then slid on her finger the most gorgeous ring Audrey had ever seen, taking her breath away. It looked like a bloomed tulip with diamonds incrusting the sides. In the middle of the tulip was a large diamond that sparkled in the bright sun. “It was my mom’s,” he whispered.
“Oh my God, it’s gorgeous. Thank you, I love it.”
“Good, because I love you.”
Looking over at him, tears spilled over her cheeks as she whispered back, “I love you more.”
Taking her face in his, he kissed her deeply, raking his teeth along her bottom lip before moving his tongue along hers. Audrey moved her hand up into his hair and was starting to feel really dirty about making out in a graveyard when, luckily, her phone went off signaling an email.
“Ah, you and that damn phone,” he laughed as they parted and she started pressing buttons on her phone to get to her email.
“Hey, it’s an email, it could be from someone about the cupcakery, oh, no, it’s Piper,” she said with a grin as she opened the email, but her grin soon fell.
Dear Audrey,
I know that you are busy off in Sweden, doing the whole Swedish thing, but I needed to tell you something before you got home and found out from everyone else. When you get back, I won’t be home. I’ll be in Sweetbriar, living in Elli’s old house. I never got to tell you because you have been recovering and I didn’t want to burden you with my problems, but Audrey, I’m pregnant and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. I have been a mess and Elli thinks I need to get away and concentrate on my illustrations without any distractions. I’m telling the dad today, and when you find out who he is, you’re probably gonna flip but you have to understand I never planned this. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I was supposed to find love, then marriage and then roll on out with my baby carriage, but it seems I’ve started ass backwards. I’m terribly sorry if this ruins your trip, but know that I love you and please don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I’ll make it. I will talk to you soon.
Love you,
Piper.
Holy shit.
“What?” Tate asked.
Audrey looked over at him, her eyes wide as she said, “Piper’s pregnant.”
He looked back at her and she smiled as he said, “She is my world, my everything and she is pregnant with our first child, we call her Chicken right now because we cannot decide on a name.”
Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes, “It will come to us,” she said before looking at the tombs and reading each name. “It’s nice to meet y’all.” She looked up at the sky and smiled before looking back at the tombs and re-reading their names. When she came to Matilda’s, she paused.
Matilda Penelope Odder.
What a beautiful name, she thought as she read it again.
“Penelope Rayne Odder.”
She hadn’t realized she had said it out loud until Tate looked over at her and said, “What?”
“Penelope Rayne Odder. Both our sisters’ middle names! They go together fantastically! I love it. We could call her Penny!”
“Penelope Rayne,” he said testing the words. When he flashed her a bright happy grin, she about screamed as she wrapped her arms around him, falling on top of him and kissing him senseless.
“Told you it would come to us!” she exclaimed against his lips.
Tate smiled, holding her close to him as he dusted her jaw with kisses, “You were right, I should have known.”
“You should have,” she teased, kissing him again before laying back in the fresh grass. She looked up into the clouds, as a wide grin sat on her lips. She was deliriously happy and it was all because of the man who held her close. He would do anything for her, and she would do the same for him. Not only had he found them the perfect house, right across the street from her sister, but he was building her the biggest closet imaginable.
And yes, he was doing it shirtless.
She couldn’t believe after wishing for so long for her Prince Charming, she finally had him. She finally had her Happily Ever After. She had to go through hell and back to get it, but she had it and there was no way she was ever letting it go. Snuggling close to her prince, she whispered, “I’m so happy you brought me here.”
“I am too,” he whispered back, kissing her temple. Looking over at him, he smiled before running his nose along hers. “I love you, Audrey Jane soon to be Odder.”
“Could August get here fast enough?” she asked with a grin, “I’m getting sick of being soon to be Odder, I want to be Audrey Jane Oooooodder now.”
“Which reminds me,” he said, digging into his pocket, “Mom would want me to do this here,” he said, taking her hand and holding it out in front of them. He then slid on her finger the most gorgeous ring Audrey had ever seen, taking her breath away. It looked like a bloomed tulip with diamonds incrusting the sides. In the middle of the tulip was a large diamond that sparkled in the bright sun. “It was my mom’s,” he whispered.
“Oh my God, it’s gorgeous. Thank you, I love it.”
“Good, because I love you.”
Looking over at him, tears spilled over her cheeks as she whispered back, “I love you more.”
Taking her face in his, he kissed her deeply, raking his teeth along her bottom lip before moving his tongue along hers. Audrey moved her hand up into his hair and was starting to feel really dirty about making out in a graveyard when, luckily, her phone went off signaling an email.
“Ah, you and that damn phone,” he laughed as they parted and she started pressing buttons on her phone to get to her email.
“Hey, it’s an email, it could be from someone about the cupcakery, oh, no, it’s Piper,” she said with a grin as she opened the email, but her grin soon fell.
Dear Audrey,
I know that you are busy off in Sweden, doing the whole Swedish thing, but I needed to tell you something before you got home and found out from everyone else. When you get back, I won’t be home. I’ll be in Sweetbriar, living in Elli’s old house. I never got to tell you because you have been recovering and I didn’t want to burden you with my problems, but Audrey, I’m pregnant and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. I have been a mess and Elli thinks I need to get away and concentrate on my illustrations without any distractions. I’m telling the dad today, and when you find out who he is, you’re probably gonna flip but you have to understand I never planned this. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I was supposed to find love, then marriage and then roll on out with my baby carriage, but it seems I’ve started ass backwards. I’m terribly sorry if this ruins your trip, but know that I love you and please don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I’ll make it. I will talk to you soon.
Love you,
Piper.
Holy shit.
“What?” Tate asked.
Audrey looked over at him, her eyes wide as she said, “Piper’s pregnant.”
