“Just give me a minute. I need to tell you a story.” I dramatically clear my throat. “So back in February, I met this amazing woman, and even though I had no idea what to do with it, I fell in love with her damn near the minute I laid eyes on her. She was beautiful, but what really surprised me was the fact that she was smart and funny as hell.”
“Caleb, are you cheating me with this other woman? Because I’m not sure I could blame you—she sounds fabulous,” she says teasingly.
I ignore her jokes but pull her against my chest, tracing my hands down her back and over her ass. “A few days after I met her, I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I tried so fucking hard because I had absolutely zero business being with her. So I began building a table that I had been plotting in my head for years. I used the finest Bubinga wood I could find on short notice. I spent every waking hour trying to forget her, all while building my dream table.
“Emma, this table killed me. Even the simplest of tasks turned out like crap. It had a million flaws, and no matter how hard I tried, I just made it worse every time I tried to go back and fix them.
“Then one night, just as I was finishing this annoying table, I got a phone call from that spellbinding woman, and when I picked up the phone, she was crying. It scared the ever-loving shit out of me. With that fear, I realized that there was no point fighting it. It wasn’t the smartest decision to pursue her, but it was definitely the best one I’ve ever made.
“The next day, as I looked around my workshop, I realized that stubborn, flawed table that I finished, the night I decided that you were mine, really was us. I moved it into my house the minute the polish dried.”
“What happened to it? I haven’t seen it since I’ve been back.” She blinks up at me while fighting back tears.
“I tore it apart it the night you sent back Manda’s ring.”
“Oh,” she breathes in disappointment.
“See, Emmy, that wood was never meant to be a table. Our relationship is not simple or straightforward. It’s not perfect the way young couples dream about. It’s rough and flawed, but it’s ours. And sometimes, if you get really lucky, something truly beautiful can come from the imperfections.”
I release her and swing open the door to my workshop, revealing the crib I have spent hours upon hours working on over the last two months.
“Oh my God,” she breathes, and tears immediately flood her eyes. She walks over to it, dragging her hands over the smooth curves and rounded edges. “Is this the table?” she manages to squeak out.
“Most of it. I had to add to it, but I used as much of the table as possible. And look.” I walk across the room to my workbench. “I made shelves to hang on his wall from the extra pieces.” I smile, and she covers her mouth and continues to cry.
“This is… I just… This is perfect. I love it. I don’t even know what to say. I’m probably going to cry every time I look at this now. It’s beautiful.”
“Don’t cry. I’m sure little Gavin will be doing enough of that for you pretty soon.”
“You mean Collin, and he and I can cry together then.” She wipes away the tears and heads over to wrap her arms around my shoulders. “When did you have time to do this?”
“You know all those bookshelves that I told you my buddy asked me to build?”
“You lied to me!” she shouts, but her smile never falters.
“It wasn’t a total lie. He did ask me to build a bookshelf, but it was only one, and I told him I couldn’t do it until I finished this project first.” I smirk, and as usual, she immediately softens.
“Thank you for this, and for yesterday, and for including Sarah. Seriously, Caleb, it was better than any wedding we ever could have planned.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. You ready to go inside now and take a nap?”
“Suddenly, I’m very awake. See, I met this guy back in February. He is so freaking hot. And when he isn’t acting like an ass, he does the sweetest, most romantic things for me. I kind of love him.”
“Kind of?” I question with a raised eyebrow. “Because he sounds like a definite keeper.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I think I’ll keep him,” she says just before pressing her lips to mine in a sensual kiss.
THE DAYS have been flying by since Caleb and I got married. It’s been calm and peaceful and completely unnerving. Last weekend, Sarah came home for the very first time. True to his word, Caleb gave me a kiss on Friday and didn’t give me one bit of grief about spending the weekend with her. He didn’t exactly pack my bag or anything, but he didn’t pout and complain either.