Page 16 of September's Kiss (Loving the Curvy Girl)

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But I knew from the first time I ever saw you that you were my future. And I want that future to start right now.”

The truth was…I did, too. I loved him. He was the only man I’d ever loved, but there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was right. We were meant to be together, so why bother to fight to the inevitable.

“Okay,” I agreed, smiling over at him. “I guess I can marry you.”

Epilogue

~Joshua~

Ten Years Later…

“Mr. Crane,” my assistant, Tonya, called through the intercom. “Mrs. Crane is here to see you.”

The door opened and my wife walked in, her smile still making my heart clench after all these years. She closed the door behind her and rushed up to the desk, throwing herself into my arms and giggling as I swung her around.

“What a nice surprise!” I told her, gently setting her back on her feet and kissing her softly. “What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t wait for you to get home to tell you,” she said. “And I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

“Tell me what?”

From her expression I could only assume it was good news, but she rarely came to the office unannounced, and I couldn’t stop the thread of worry that was crawling up my spine.

“I’m pregnant!” she said, actually clapping her hands in joy at her news.

“What!” I stared at her, stunned. “Really? This better not be a joke, Ember.”

“Why the hell would I joke about this?” she asked, a laugh in her tone. “I just left the doctor’s office and came straight here.” She beamed up at me, but the smile slipped a little at whatever she saw on my face. “You’re happy, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” I assured her. “I’m just…stunned.”

I sank down into my chair and scrubbed my hand over my face with a sigh.

Ember climbed into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Talk to me,” she insisted. “Don’t hold back, just tell me what you’re thinking.”

“We have to move again,” I said, unable to keep the dread out of my voice. “Five kids? Five!”

“Five,” she agreed with a wry smile. “And you hate our house anyway. It’s been too small for us since the twins were born.”

I looked up at her sharply, my heart hammering in my chest.

“How many babies are in there?” I asked.

“Just one, I made her double check.” She laughed and reached into her purse, pulling out an ultrasound picture. “One, tiny, little beanie baby.” She pointed to a bright spec on the grainy photo. “One heartbeat.”

“You’re pregnant,” I said, grinning at her.

“I know,” she said. “You’re okay?”

“I’m ecstatic,” I promised her. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Neither was I,” she said. “That’s why I didn’t tell you until the doctor confirmed.”

“We’re gonna have a baby!” I roared, loud enough that everyone outside my office probably heard me, but I didn’t care. I wrapped my arms around Ember and kissed her deeply. “Let’s go home.”

“It’s ten a.m.,” she teased. “Don’t you have work to do?”

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