Page 73 of Saving Shepperd

Shepperd had spent the day with her sisters, and I had a big surprise planned for our six-month anniversary. Dinner was ready and on the table. Her twin, Maye, sent me a text when she left to head home, so the timing should’ve been perfect. I couldn’t predict the traffic she’d encounter, but that particular sister didn’t live too far from us, so traffic shouldn’t be too bad. My nerves were toying with me in a big way, and I jumped when I heard a car door slam.

One more peek out the window confirmed she was finally home. I took a deep breath and tried to calm the fuck down so I didn’t scare her when she walked in by looking like a maniac. The woman was so keenly aware of the people around her and their emotions that she would be able to take one look at me when she came through the door and know I was up to something.

The past six months had been a whirlwind. My stunning, vibrant, intelligent girlfriend had made so much progress with her mental health and eating disorder, I couldn’t wait to go through with my plans. No one deserved happiness more than Shepperd, and I planned on being a part of hers forever.

After a gentle suggestion from her oldest sister, Hannah, and heaps of support from me, Shepperd started working with a therapist to deal with her childhood trauma. I was so proud of her.

That’s not to say we didn’t still have bad days—or nights—or ridiculous disagreements, but we were finding our way as a couple as much as she was getting in touch with herself.

And what a funny thing for me to be ecstatic about. There was a time, and it wasn’t even that long ago, that I seriously doubted I’d ever find the right woman. Someone who would inspire me to want to settle down and commit to one partner. Someone I’d eventually want to create a family with.

Then the universe brought me Shepperd Farsay. From the moment I saw her—even across the expanse of a gym—I knew she was different. So special and beautiful, inside and out.

Her key turned in the front door, and when the heavy wood swung open, I was right there to greet her. I took her purse off her shoulder and dropped it on the table just inside the door that served as the catch-all space for our home.

“Hello,” I said, my voice low and resonating against the silky, smooth skin of her neck where I pressed my lips.

“Hello to you too,” she said in that damn throaty, sexy laugh of hers, and I considered retooling my plans on the fly and starting our evening in the bedroom instead of ending it there.

“Dinner’s on the table,” I told her with a quick wink. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Mmm, I am. Something smells delicious. What did you make?” she asked and stepped out of my embrace and shrugged out of her coat.

“Let me take that for you,” I offered while holding my hand out for the jacket.

With a suspicious glance, she stepped out of the way of the guest closet where we kept our outerwear. “You’re awfully attentive this evening, Mr. Masterson. What’s going on?”

“What do you mean? Can’t a guy miss his girl when she’s been gone all day?” I asked and hung the jacket up and closed the closet door. I offered her a bent elbow to usher her to the dining table.

“Of course he can.” She smiled up at me while we strolled through to the kitchen.

We had a small square table in the breakfast nook that we teasingly called our dining room table. The furniture was nothing like the massive masterpiece my parents had in their formal dining room, but it was the first thing we picked out together. It held more sentimental value now than anything else. Instead of sixteen, ours could accommodate four and was absolutely perfect.

The top was set with service for two. I bought a beautiful bouquet of her favorite flowers—bromeliads—in all the vibrant fabulous colors I could find. Bright pink, red, orange, and yellow, as bright as the summer sun, spikey flowers made a stunning arrangement against their brilliant green leaves. Shepperd’s eyes landed on the arrangement the moment we stepped into the room, and she looked up at me as tears filled her eyes.

“Hey, hey,” I said and pulled her against my chest. “Don’t be sad.”

“I’m not sad, Law. I’m so overwhelmed with happiness I can’t hold it in. These flowers are so thoughtful. I can’t believe you remembered they were my favorite.”

I scoffed. “Of course I remembered.”

She held on tighter and sighed. “You’re just too much.”

“Darling, you haven’t seen anything yet,” I promised and meant it more than she could imagine. The surprise I had planned for her was so over-the-top, even my sister tried talking me out of it, and she was the most diehard romantic I knew.

Dinner was fantastic. I wasn’t above patting myself on the back about it, either. Shepperd worked for months with a therapist regarding her relationship with food, and we put the practices into action every time we sat down for a meal.

Viewing food as nutrition instead of a bargaining tool was the original roadblock, but my amazing woman was doing so much better with the concept now. There were times I still witnessed small backslides, but we addressed the root cause as soon as she was ready to talk about it, and if it was something I couldn’t help her work through, she spoke with her doctor as soon as she could get some time with her.

I was so proud of her. My heart felt like it had expanded to at least ten times the size it was before she was a part of my life.

Actually, shewasmy entire life.

And that didn’t terrify me like it once would have. It didn’t even scare me a little. It thrilled me. I wanted to spend the rest of my life watching her blossom and grow. Supporting her through every challenge and celebrating every accomplishment.

“Did you save room for dessert?” I asked.

My girl had the biggest sweet tooth I’d ever seen, so I made sure to have a decadent, chocolate mousse chilling in the refrigerator.

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