Epilogue

~Caleb~

I pour some cream in Bryn’s coffee and carry it out onto the patio. She’s lounging in one of the many plush lounge chairs that sit on the massive space just outside my brother, Dominic’s home in Tuscany.

This is the last day of our honeymoon, and I’m determined that she relaxes and I make love to her at least a hundred times today before we head back to real life tomorrow.

Although, I admit, I’m excited to see our girls. Two weeks away from them has been too much.

“Thank you, babe,” she mutters and sips her coffee as I sit in the chair beside her. It’s very early morning. There are rows and rows of grape vines, for as far as the eye can see, covering green and brown hills that are just waking up under the soft light of the morning sun.

“It’s beautiful here,” I murmur.

“Mmm,” she agrees and concentrates on her phone.

“It was nice of the family to pitch in and charter the plane for us to come here. I had no idea when Dom said he has a house in Italy that it’s this huge mansion with a few thousand acres of vines.”

“Mmm,” she agrees again, not looking up from her phone.

“What are you doing?” I ask with a laugh.

She lowers her phone to her lap, tucks her hair behind her ear and takes a sip of coffee, then looks over at me. “I’m late.”

“We’re on vacation, Legs. We’re not late for anything.”

“No,” she shakes her head and giggles and then gives me a pointed look with those big brown eyes. “I’m late.”

I stare at her for a long moment and then it hits me.

She’s late!

“You mean…?”

“I think so,” she smirks and nods. “I went off the pill a month ago, and here we are.” She shakes her head and shrugs. “Crazy.”

“We need a test!” I jump up out of the chair and pat my body down. “Where’s my wallet?”

“In your pocket,” she replies dryly.

“I’ll be back!” I race out of the house and drive the short distance between Dom’s estate and the nearest village. After I find a drug store and buy one of each kind of pregnancy test they have, I race back to my hopefully pregnant wife.

“That was fast,” she murmurs with a grin. She’s still sitting in the lounge chair, sipping her coffee.

“Should you be drinking coffee?” I ask.

“Let’s not get crazy,” she responds. “I need coffee.”

“I got one of each kind,” I announce and upend the bag, sending small white and blue boxes scattering.

“Uh, Caleb, we only need one.”

“What if we can’t figure them out?” I ask and pick one up to examine it. “All of the instructions are in Italian.”

She laughs hysterically and then stands, wiping her eyes.

“It’s not funny.”

“Yes, it is. Pregnancy tests are pretty universal, Caleb. You pee on it and a line either appears or it doesn’t.” She rubs my arm sweetly and kisses my shoulder before plucking the box out of my fingers. “I’ll be back.”

“I’m coming with you.” I begin to follow her but she turns quickly with her hand out to stop me.

“Oh no, you aren’t. You are not going to watch me pee on this stick.”

I scowl down at her and cross my arms over my chest. “I’ve helped you bathe and dress and every other damn thing when you were hurt. I can handle watching you pee.”

“Absolutely not.” She shakes her head but then leans in and kisses my chin. “But thank you for helping me when I was hurt.”

She turns and runs for the bathroom and it feels like an eternity before she comes back out, white stick in hand.

“Well?” I ask.

“It takes about three minutes, babe.” She sits in the lounge chair and stares out over the vineyard. “Are you sure about this whole having another baby thing?”

I lean down and pick her up, sit in her chair and settle her on my lap.

“I want more babies,” I whisper and kiss her cheek.

“Okay,” she whispers back and smiles shyly. God, she can destroy me with just a look. I’ve faced horrors that no man or woman should have to see and faced them without qualms, but this woman and her two daughters bring me to my knees.

“I love you, Legs.”

“I love you, too, sailor.” She grins and kisses me, wraps her arms around my neck and turns her body until she’s straddling my lap.

“Hold up. Check the stick,” I interrupt before we’re both naked and sweaty and the stick is a distant memory.

She glances down. “It’s not ready yet.”

“Go pee on another one,” I instruct her. “This one is taking too long.”

“I don’t have to pee anymore!” She laughs. “You pee on one! They say we’re pregnant, so it should work just fine.”

“Smart ass,” I mutter and pull her face to mine so I can kiss the fuck out of her. God, she’s so amazing.

Finally, she pulls back and offers me a lazy smile.

“Look again,” I whisper and lean my forehead against hers.

“Its positive, babe.”

My heart stops as I gaze into her deep chocolate eyes.

We’re having a baby.

“Really?” I ask.

She nods as tears gather in her eyes.

“Oh, baby,” I sigh and gather her to me, rocking us back and forth and clinging to her. “Thank you.”

“You’re such a good daddy,” she murmurs.

I grin and tip her chin back so I can see her face.

“I’m so honored to be your husband, my love. To be the father of our kids. When I left the Navy, I thought I was losing everything that mattered to me, but now I know that it was leading me to you. I wouldn’t change anything. I love you.”

She grins and pulls my face down to hers, presses her body closer to mine and nuzzles my nose. “I love you too.”

The End