Page 12 of Something More

Chapter Ten

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Ford

Tonight is Payton's bachelorette party. I know I should give her some space, let her have her night with her sisters. But that wouldn't be how we do things. And my girl likes the way I do things. For the past couple of nights I've noticed something is...different about Payton. It makes me worry she might be getting cold feet or doubting my love and devotion for her again.

I have no problem taking her little ass back to the 'Payton Apartment', as she calls it, and showing her just how much I really do love her and how deep my devotion goes. She likes when I do that too. I look over at where my girl is getting ready for the night in front of the vanity I bought for her shortly after I all but kidnapped her and told her she was moving in with me.

She has a far-away look that scares the hell out of me. It's almost like...she's in love. But she isn't looking at me with that look. "Payton, is everything alright, baby?"

She gives me a big smile and her eyes focus on me this time. "Everything is wonderful."

"Are you excited to see Willa?" She is the sister that moved away and models.

"Hm, oh yeah, I'm very excited!"

She's distracted again. Something is definitely up and I'm not letting her out of this house until I find out what it is. Especially not in that dress.

"Payton," I use my sternest voice on her, "something is wrong and you are going to tell me what it is so we can fix it or you won't leave this room until it's time to say 'I do'."

Dirk would be proud of the whole Daddy vibe I got going on right now. I think I sound like I mean business. But when I look at Payton she is fighting back a laugh. It kind of kills the badass factor when someone is giggling at you.

She stands and walks toward me. When she reaches for me she puts her arms up around my neck and stretches that killer body of hers along mine. Her smile makes me weak in the knees but I need to focus what is going on. She must be able to see the worry in my eyes because she finally breaks and pulls me down until her lips are right next to my ear. I wait with held breath.

"Do you remember the story of the first woman here on the island?" I nod. Everybody who lives here knows how the island got its name.

A long time ago a woman was supposed to marry some rich jerk because her parents were total douchebags - I can kind of relate - but she was in love with someone else. Her sister couldn't stand watching her give up her chance for a happy ever after so she switched places with her. She put on the clothes of a bride, walked down the aisle in her sister's place, and married the man everyone was supposed to be afraid of. But in a real-life plot twist, the two fell in love for real.

I can't be sure if he raised the veil for the first time and realized that his future was standing in front of him or if it took him longer but every story told about the two say they fell in love with each other. In fact, he sent for her sister and the man the sister ran away with to marry so they could be close to his love because he knew how close the two sisters were.

I can't say if it was the sisters' love for one another, the ones sacrifice for the other, or the love the two found together with their men but something changed the island, the very soil the ground is made of. Legend has it if you get married on this island you never divorce or separate. You never fall out of love or have the passion cool. When you fall in love here, it's forever. Just like the love I have for my little sweetheart all those years ago and now.

"Legend says it wasn't long after they said I do that they had their first of many babies."

Again, I can relate. I want many babies with Payton.

"But where that's concerned, I think we have them beat." Wait, what? "By about ten weeks."

I pull back so I can look in her eyes. Is she telling me...? She gives me the most beautiful smile in the world and nods her head. "We're...you're...?"

"I am."

I pick her up and swing her around. She laughs and hugs me hard. I finally stop spinning us and sit her down gently. Oh fuck! I shouldn't have spun her like that.

"Oh no!" she can read it in my face, "Oh no, no, no. You can not be this protective and crazy with me now."

"The hell I can't." I sit on the bed and pull her into my lap. "You're carrying our baby. You bet your sweet little ass I'm going to be protective and concerned and worried and...," I search for the right word, "overbearing."

She laughs.

"Are you sick? Have you had any symptoms? How did you find out? Wait...I told you I thought your boobs looked bigger last Monday."

"Slow down there, Tiger. You're going to make yourself sick worrying about me and our little nugget."

Isn't that supposed to be my line?

"Oh shit, the wedding!" Her eyebrows go sky high at my comment. "It's too much stress. It could hurt the baby...or you...or both! We'll have to put it off until after the baby gets here."

She bounces off my lap faster than jumping beans. Her hands come to her hips. "Oh hell no! Don't think this baby is going to be why you don't end up marrying me, Ford Langston! If I have to drag you to the damned church myself you are going to marry me on Sunday and you are going to like it! And trust me you do not want to see a pissed-off momma not get her way!"

She does want to marry me. I can't fight the grin that forms on my face. Unfortunately, it is the wrong thing to do when your girl is hormonal and thinks you aren't going to play ball. I spend the next thirty minutes convincing Payton with my mouth that I very much want the wedding to happen, but I also don't want her stressing out about anything.

Thank God she has sisters; and her mom. They can all help take the stress off of her, share the load and make sure my girl gets her special day and that I get to make sure she isn't overtaxing herself. She straightens her dress, her cheeks flushed with her orgasm.

"I'll give you two hours, baby. Two hours and then me and you are coming home to properly celebrate."

God, I'm a dog for taking this from her. She gives me that same smile she did when she told me we were having a baby and sashays over to look up at me while running her finger over my chest. "Make it an hour." She winks at me and walks away.

Yeah, my girl likes the way we do things! And so the hell do I!