Page 50 of Choosing Happily Ever After

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 wastheirplace. 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—”

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