Finally Found (35 page)

Ring buying…was an experience.
He kept selecting these gorgeous rings, loads of diamonds, lots of style, and all she kept wanting was something simple. So they began their first experiment in a lifetime of compromising. Her ring was a 1.3 carat Tiffany Etoile because she refused to let him buy her anything bigger. The style had a matching band so he purchased that, too.

“What will you wear?” She asked while they stood in the flagship Tiffany’s.

“A simple band.” She raised her eyebrows at his response. “I know. You see me pushing you toward something big, but it’s just because I want you to have everything you want. I want spoil the hell out of you.”

“I don’t need much.” She shrugged.

“Just tell me you need me,” he said seriously. He grabbed her hands. “Tell me…because I can’t imagine my life without you.”

She stared at him. She looked at his hand holding hers. She pulled her hand away. “Would we be getting married if I wasn’t pregnant?”

“I wanted to be with you. I have ever since the Hamptons. Would I have already asked you to marry me if you weren’t pregnant? I had already asked you to live with me. That’s practically the same thing. That’s the direction I was heading. But, if you are asking if the baby has sped up my master plan…of course it has. It should.” He pulled her closer to him. “I know what you’ve thought of me for so long. I deserve your mistrust. I just hope that you can see beyond that to know that I am a good man. Even when I did bad things, I was honest about my intentions. You have to know that.”

She nodded quietly. Yet he knew that despite what she showed, she was still riddled with doubts. All he had was five days to make her believe.

After lunch at his favorite diner, he saw how worn out she seemed. “Let’s go take a nap,” he said. “We’ll get some rest before we take your family out to dinner.”

“Okay, no arguments here.” She smiled.

Before they even made it home, she had fallen asleep in the seat. He worried. Was this normal? Was she working too hard? He made a quick phone call. “Doctor, good to speak to you again. Do you still make house calls? Excellent. Can you be at my loft in two hours? Perfect.”

While she napped in what he was now thinking of as their bedroom, he paced around the living room. There had to be something he could do. There had to be some way he could lay all her doubts to rest. He started playing on the laptop. He brainstormed. Finally it came to him. Without a moment to waste, he went to work.

The doctor arrived just as he had finished his little project. Adam glanced at the clock and realized he would have to wake her up anyway, since it was getting later. “Just give me a moment, unless you want to examine her in the bedroom?”

The doctor shrugged. “Actually, it might be easier in there.” He followed Adam into the bedroom and stood off to the side while Cammie was woken up.

“Doll, the doctor is here to examine you. Can you please wake up?” He kissed her forehead a few times and was rewarded with another one of her stretches.

“Who’s here?” She asked sleepily. “Did you say something about a doctor?” Her eyes shot open. She made eye contact with the doctor, then with Adam, then with the doctor, and finally she spoke to Adam. “What the hell?”

“Okay, you can’t fault me for being concerned. So, the doctor is going to check you out, take some blood, and get you going with some vitamins that might perk you up.” He looked around. “Do you want me to stay or go?”

“GO,” she said angrily.

“Do you always wake up this pleasant?” He asked jokingly. He ducked out of the room just in time to avoid being hit with a pillow.

Half an hour later, he was pleased to see Cammie and the doctor walking out together, looking thick as thieves. “Is everything good?” He asked, concerned.

“Yes. Iron and smaller more frequent meals along with napping as needed should help her through this first trimester nicely. I’ll see her again in four weeks.” He came over to share Adam’s hand.

“And she’s able to travel?” He asked hopefully.

“Sure. I see no reason she can’t. Enjoy the wedding. I’ll let myself out.” Then he walked out of the room headed toward the door.

After she heard the door close, Cammie looked at Adam. “What possessed you to call a doctor for me?”

“I was worried and it was the smart thing to do.” He sighed. “Can we talk for a minute? I know we have to leave soon to meet your parents. Before I beg your father to allow me to marry you, I need to make sure you are all in.”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Adam. I have my reservations.” She frowned. “Now, as if having a relationship wasn’t hard enough, we’re starting off married with a family instead of dating?”

“Relationships are challenging. We both know that. Let me show you what I made for you.” He opened the laptop and turned it on. There was a PowerPoint presentation loaded. “I know how much you focus on logic. Give me a chance to prove to you how logical it is to be with me.”

The presentation started…graphs and charts about relationships and the benefits. There were loads of numbers to back up his claims. Then came the study that was most interesting. The amount of time people were together before they knew the person they were with was The One. Less than six weeks.

“See,” he said leaning into her. “You already know. In your heart, you know.”

Then the presentation moved away from numbers. It was a series of top ten lists. Top ten kisses…and theirs ranked number two, right behind the kiss made famous in The Notebook. The presentation ended with a clip from Ghost…the clay love scene.

“Do you know why I included this?” He asked.

She nodded and sniffled. Her eyes welled up with tears. “Stupid pregnancy hormones,” she complained.

“I am your lump of clay to mold, doll. I just want to be part of your fifty year plan.”

She hopped off the couch and grabbed his hand while she dragged him toward the bedroom. He dug in his heels for but a moment. “Putting up a fight already?” She asked playfully.

“What are we doing?” He asked.

“You said I could mold you. I have a lot of molding to do. No better time to start than the present.” She spoke in a seductive tone. “And there is at least one part of you that I want to mold right away.”

“I am in such good hands.” He followed her into the room with a smile on his face.

The next morning, Cammie woke Adam up at
7am. “Pinch me!” She shouted. He opened one eye, reached over, and pinched her upper arm. She squealed in delight. After hopping out of bed, she did a little dance before rushing to the bathroom.

She had slowed considerably when she returned, but little had dampened her spirits. “I’m looking forward to this part passing,” she commented. Then she nudged him once more, “Get up! We have so much to do and so little time to do it in.”

Heading to the shower, she rushed to get cleaned up and changed, only to find Adam just sitting up. “Where’s the fire?” He moaned.

“Look!” She held out her left hand. “You asked my dad and he said ‘yes!’” She gave him a big clumsy hug.

“I was more excited when you said ‘yes.’” He laughed. “It was the Demi Moore clip, right?”

“Nah. It was all of it. It reminded me why I love you. It made me forget why I was scared. And I knew that I had to give this a try.” She shrugged.

“A try?” He grabbed her and pulled her until she had rolled with him into bed. “I don’t know if we should start marriage on a try.” He smirked.

Just as the morning was getting more interesting, the phone rang. “I suppose you have to get that?” She asked with a smile.

“It’s Sam. You supposed right. He always has had the best timing.” He sighed and unplugged his phone from the charger on the nightstand. “So, what has you calling so early?” He listened for a moment. A huge smile broke out on his face. “Great. And when do you think you’ll be back? Okay, we’ll grab breakfast and wait for you.”

After ending the call he beamed at Cammie. He shook his head a few times as though trying to clear his thoughts. Finally, she yelled, “Spit it out!”

“We’re going to meet Sam and Haley for lunch. You ladies will go off and buy a wedding dress and anything else you need. I’ll wear whatever you pick out for me. Then we’ll meet up again later.” He waited for her reaction.

“And what will you be doing?” She asked curiously.

“Well, I have to get your apartment packed. And I have some last minute shopping to do. We leave day after tomorrow. Oh, and Sam and I are sending you and Haley to the spa tomorrow. Thought you might want massages and pedicures and all that jazz. I just want you to feel pretty and relaxed.” He held her close and kissed along her neck.

She shook her head.

“No kisses?” He asked concerned.

“Oh, no the kisses are perfect. The headshake was because I can’t believe this is my life. Thank you. Thank you for making my life a dream.” She leaned into him and burrowed her face in his neck.

He wanted to stay there in that moment forever. Unfortunately, he knew they had much to accomplish and he didn’t want to have to rush at all. He worried about wearing her out. So, he slowly pulled back and told her the one thing he had yet to tell her, the one thing she had yet to know. “Cammie, thank
you
. Thank you for challenging me. Thank you for loving me. Most of all…thank you for making all my dreams come true.”

She cocked her head to the side. “How did I do that, wild man? From the outside, you looked like you were pretty set already.” Her hand caressed his jawline.

“Ah, yes, but that’s because no one knows how lonely it is with no one to talk to, no one to laugh with, no one to dream with, no one to do things for. I need you. You came into my life at the perfect moment. And this baby is just further proof we should be together forever.” He kissed her lovingly and her body responded.