“Caught me,” he murmured against her lips. “I lied – it’s a bit more than a little.”
“I might have lied too…” she admitted as he dropped the softest kiss against her lips - brief, faint, gentle, and teasing. It was these moments that made everything else fade away. Any other time, losing her job or having to move had been an emotional tidal wave of distress and worry – but Drake was right here, catching her, holding her, waiting beside her… and offering her the world. As she glanced up from his lips to his hooded eyes, she saw his knowing smile, and melted at the emotion and longing that felt so perfect, so right. He was the haven she didn’t know she needed – a home for her soul to hide and a place for her heart to rest knowing it was treasured.
“I know, love.”
14
DRAKE
Driving toward the justice of the peace, Drake called his brother from the car – almost in an apology. He hadn’t texted, hadn’t said anything else, but marrying Steffi this morning would be surprising to all of them.
Three brothers, three different relationships, and his poor mother hadn’t had a wedding to celebrate with any of them. Tommy and Jamie had married in Las Vegas at an impromptu ceremony before moving to Detroit, where she worked. Pete and Sunny had married in Yonder, tattooed each other’s names on their fingers as wedding rings, and now lived in Mississippi, where he was stationed with the Air Force. And he was in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Hearing the line pick up, he was greeted in the only way possible.
“Somebody better be dead because I’m still in bed, bro…”
“Hi, Sunny,” Drake chuckled. “Is Pete already at work?”
“You called his cell phone, so you know it’s practically attached to his hip…” Sunny grumbled, and you could hear Pete in the background almost immediately.
“Hey now…”
“Hush, Petey-the-Sweetie,” his sister-in-law crooned in the most nauseating way. “You like me being feisty in the morning, remember? Oh, and would you look at this – my hand is empty…”
Drake exchanged a look with Steffi, both of them smiling.
“Coffeeeee…” Sunny whined, “Could you please get me a cup of coffee - and then I’ll give you the phone.”
“Babe, give me the phone, and you know I don’t want you moving from the bed. I love seeing you snuggled with Hope – and Drake never calls this early.”
“Buttcrack of dawn – oh, I know it!”
Drake winced. It was eight in the morning and he hadn’t thought about how early it was because he was in such a hurry to get out the front door. He heard a bunch of rustling, a grunt, a high-pitched giggle that couldn’t be missed, before the baby made a cooing sound in the background.
“Drake?” Pete began in a deep voice that sounded so much like their father that he felt a pang in his chest. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied hoarsely and reached for Steffi’s left hand with his right one that was free for a moment as they sat at a traffic light. “I wanted to call and tell you that I’m getting married this morning. I was thinking, that maybe, you know – perhaps we could all surprise Mama and get everyone together at Christmastime?”
“I love that idea – and appreciate the heads-up.”
“I know you have to put in for leave…”
“Yep, but it’s far enough out that I should be good, plus Hope will be a little older, and it might be easier to travel with her. Right now, we’re both kind of hanging around the house a lot.”
“I can imagine…”
“No, you can’t,” Pete taunted, laughing. “But give it time – you’ll have your own little hellions running around before long. Oh, and Steffi, if you’re in the car and listening…”
“Yes?” Steffi said beside him, shooting Drake a nervous look. He just shrugged. There was no telling what Pete was about to say.
“Drake is the shortest Walker. Not all of us are shrimps, so I hope your children get the dominant Walker genes - and not Drake’s recessive ones… hairline, short stature, weak chin…”
“Why did I even call you?” Drake moaned in horror, rolling his eyes as the light changed colors in the distance. “You know, you were the shortest for a while – and if I lop you off at the knees, then you will be again. And I do not have a receding hairline or a weak chin.”
“Oh, I can see what you mean about the hairline,” Steffi teased – causing him to look at her sharply in alarm as Pete laughed on the phone. “Kidding!”
“I love you, brother – and I’m happy for you both. Congratulations – and welcome to the family, Steffi. We can’t wait to meet you.”