What Matters Most (6 page)

“Sierra, I can hear your brain thinking. Stop it,” Evan whispered into the silence of the room.

“How did you know I was awake?” She avoided the real issue, but knowing Evan, he wouldn’t let it slide.

“Because I know you. When there’s something on your mind, you take shallow, slow breaths so you can calm yourself and not give anything away.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him, sharing the warmth of his body with hers. “Give it up, baby. What are you thinking about?”

“You. Us. Dusty. How do we tell him things have changed?” While that wasn’t all that was on her mind, it was a good start.

“We tell him the truth. Give Dusty more credit. He’s a smart kid, and I can guarantee you he’ll be happy we’re together.” He squeezed her tight. “I know that’s not what this is about. Is it because I said I love you? I do, Sierra. I think I knew I loved you after that first night in the kitchen when you looked so sexy standing at the kitchen sink.”

Chuckling at such a silly statement, Sierra knew they were made for each other. “Oh, you did not, but if that’s your story, you go ahead and stick with that.” Grabbing hold of his arm, she pulled it more tightly around her body. “If you must know the truth, I’m worried about what will happen if you ever go back overseas. Don’t get me wrong--I will be here when you get home, and I will love you even more every day we’re together. But I worry about you. I want you to be safe, but I know that the Marines means everything to you.”

Evan lifted up and turned Sierra to face him. “No, baby, not everything. For the longest time, the Marines was the only thing I knew. It was my life, and I was damn good at what I did.” Kissing her lightly, he took one hand and began to rub it over her breasts. He slowly made a trail to her slightly curved stomach. “My life is so much more now. I want to build a stronger life, and a home, with you and Dusty. And if you’ll grace me with another child to call my own, I’ll be luckiest man in the world.” He smiled at her as he made that last statement.

“Evan, what are you saying?” Sierra didn’t want to mess this up and wasn’t taking any chances.

“I’m asking you to marry me, Sierra. It may seem quick to some, but we’ve been building to this point since I started writing to you and Dusty all those months ago. You and he are what kept me going all those months.” He paused as he closed his eyes. “When I’m with you, the nightmares go away and I feel at peace.”

“Marry you?”

“Yes, white picket fence, two and one-half kids and a dog named Duke. I love you, Sierra, and I want to build a life with you.”

Eyes glistening with tears, Sierra finally answered, “Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!” Wrapping her arms around her lover, she knew life couldn’t be any better than this. “We’ll have to tell Dusty first thing in the morning and celebrate.”

She noticed the twinkle in his eye as his dimple came out to play. “Well, we have about seven more hours until we have to pick up Dusty. How about we have our own private celebration first?” The rough pads of his fingers snaked around her moist folds, and she knew exactly what kind of celebrating he wanted to do.

“Yes, I think that’s a great idea. But this time, it’s my turn to drive you crazy with my special kisses. On your back, baby, it’s time for me to play with my new toy.”

Life had never better. Evan could not have imagined things turning out the way they had. Standing beside Sierra as they welcomed family and friends for their honeymoon/Independence Day celebration, his gaze took in the scene around him and he smiled. He was filled with so much joy as he looked at all the family and friends surrounding him. After the many years of feeling alone, he was now surrounded by a loving woman and a son that he could call his own.

After Sierra accepted his proposal, Evan made a point to call on Dusty’s biological father to make sure they both understood the situation. While Joe might be the person who helped Sierra create Dusty, Evan had every intention of being the man who helped Dusty grow into a man and would be taking the full-time, leading role of father figure to his new son. Joe, being the smart man he was, reluctantly agreed to Evan’s terms, even to the one caveat that was non-negotiable. At least once a year, as long as Evan was in his life—which would be forever—Dusty and Evan would spend one week with Joe at the location of Joe’s choosing, so his little boy would know where he came from. While Evan would be his dad in the truest sense of the word, he wanted Dusty to get to know Joe so he kept that connection to his other half.

No, this wasn’t the standard honeymoon, but it was what they both wanted. Their wedding had been small, but perfect. Only a handful of friends and family were invited to the small event that had been held in the local botanical gardens, but his mother and sister had made certain they were standing front and center. There were crying and tears all around, including Sierra, and that only made Evan smile that much more.

Not once had Evan been concerned about whether or not his family would accept Sierra and Dusty. He loved them, and therefore his family would love them as well. In a matter of a few short days, Dusty had already taken to calling Evan’s mother MeeMaw. Then again, his mother had arrived like a hurricane and practically demanded to see “her new handsome grandson” who she had heard so much about. His sister Monica had arrived two days later with her family in tow and had holed up with Sierra for days prior to the wedding. Yes, life was good.

Evan felt a tug on his shirt. “Hey, Dad, can I go to the front yard with Xavier and Adrian and play?”

The feeling caught him off guard, and his throat closed with emotion at the name Dusty called him for the first time. That one moment made everything feel real, and he almost didn’t know how to respond. It took Evan a moment to come up with an answer. “Sure, buddy. Just make sure to stay within yelling distance in case your mom or I need you.”

Dusty smiled as he yelled out to his friends, “My dad said we can go to the front!” His little feet scampered off through the house with his group of friends close behind.

Evan felt Sierra’s hand on his shoulder. “Hey, babe. Everything okay?” Turning to look at her, he still could not believe this beautiful woman was his wife. Waking up next to her each morning was the most amazing feeling in the world. Hearing Dusty call him Dad made him want to shout his love for them from the highest mountaintop.

“Sierra—he called me Dad.” The emotion strained his voice as he told Sierra what had just occurred.

There was an initial look of concern on her face as she took in his words. “Yes, I imagine he would. Is that okay?” Her brow furrowed as she waited for his response.

He grabbed her in his arms, squeezing her tight as he tried to express all the joy and happiness he felt at this moment. “Oh, yes, it’s more than okay. I love that little boy, and you have no idea how happy it made me to hear those words.” Eyes closed, he held his woman close as he regained his composure. “Your love for me means everything, and when I asked you to marry me, I knew you and Dusty were a package deal. Having a family of my own has shown me exactly what I was fighting for over in that desert.” Pulling back, he looked into her eyes as the noise around them faded away. “I am so happy to be here, with you.”

Sierra smiled at him in that special way he loved so much as she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. “You are everything to us, Evan, and when you came into our lives, it was one of the best things that ever happened to us. Our family is what matters most in the world, and all our friends and loved ones are here celebrating with us.” Kissing him lightly, she turned and laid her head on his chest as she heard laughter from the crowd. “Come on, handsome. It’s time to celebrate our new life.”

The End