Page 41 of Prairie Nights

“Let’s get your luggage and go home,” he said with a coy grin. “I have plans for us.”

She wrapped her arms around him and looked up through her long lashes as she asked. “Sexy plans?”

He stopped cupping her face and gave her a sensual kiss right there in the crowd of onlookers. “Is there any other kind?”

* * *

Hayden and Whitney lay naked, tangled in their sheets, their bodies covered in a sheen of sweat.

“Now that's what I call a homecoming.” She commented lazily, tracing figure eights on his chest.

Hayden’s hand caressed down her back and over her backside, lifting her leg to curl over him. “I missed you,” he confessed, kissing her head.

Whitney propped her chin up on his chest, looking up at him with a contented gaze. “I missed you too.” Hayden overwhelmed her, in the best possible way and laying here, naked and satiated she knew that she never wanted to spend another day without him. He was hers and she was his, mind, body, and soul. “I can’t imagine my life without you,” she confessed, meeting his admiring gaze.

Hayden’s lips curved into a sweet smile, and he flipped himself over and on top of her. Hovering over her, he dropped his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly, their love drowning them both and neither wanting to come up for air.

CHAPTER 14

Hayden let himself into the Prairie Sky Farmhouse and closed the door behind him.

“Anyone home?” he called out.

“Up here!” he heard Ben reply. “In the nursery!”

Hayden climbed the stairs and turned the corner, making his way down the hallway. What was once Ever’s room was now being transformed into a nursery. Entering the room, he saw Ben wearing an old pair of paint splattered sweatpants, had no shirt on and held a roller brush in his hand. Ever sat in a plush rocking chair, her feet up on an ottoman in the corner, a glass of ice water in her hand, admiring her husband and his handiwork. She was perfectly round, her enormous belly peeking out of her too small t-shirt that read, “Pregnant as a Motha.” and a coy smile was painted on her lips.

Hayden chuckled at the scene in front of him. “Am I interrupting anything here?” he asked, looking from Ever to Ben and back to Ever, still eyeing up her husband.

“Yes, you’re interrupting my sexy painter fantasies.” Ever replied, biting the corner of her lip and giving Ben a coquettish wink.

Hayden let out a huge guffaw and looked at Ben, who waggled his eyebrows at his wife and continued to roll the cheerful yellow paint onto the wall.

“How are you doing, Ever?” Hayden asked, returning his gaze to her.

“I’m good, still cooking these little turkeys. The longer they stay in the oven, the better. So tired of being huge, though,” she confessed, rubbing her giant belly. “Only three more weeks.”

“That’s really good!” Hayden exclaimed. “Don’t twins usually come early?”

“Could be any day now,” Ben replied, flashing him an excited smile.

“Good, because I think it is time to give you your baby gifts.”

“The cribs?” Ever asked, clapping her hands together in excitement.

“Yes, they’re on the truck now,” he answered, giving Ever a sweet smile. “Ben, can you help me carry them in?”

Ben put down the roller brush and grabbed his T-shirt.

“You stay here, okay,” he said to Ever, leaning down to kiss her softly.

Fifteen minutes later, Hayden and Ben had two handmade cribs inside and up the stairs. Ever’s eyes widened at the sight of them, and Ben offered her his hand, helping her out of her chair to take a closer look. Waddling over, she ran her hands over the intricate carvings on the headboards and smiled, pure joy on her face. “Hayden, these are incredible.”

Hayden glanced down at his handiwork. Carved into both headboards were cute farm animals, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep. Each headboard had a spray of daisies carved into the peak. “When Ben told me you were going to eventually paint a farm scene in the nursery and you don’t know if you are having boys or girls, I thought farm animals carved into the headboards would be appropriate.”

“Hayden, the detail is amazing.” Ben complimented, taking it all in. “Brother, you’re seriously talented.”

“You’re an artist, Hayden.” Ever added, giving him a side hug as she continued to inspect them. “Thank you so much.”

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