Page 153 of Now and Then

The tension that had been sitting between us all morning finally dissolves. The kitchen is warm and quiet, and for a moment, we sit there enjoying the quiet. Then my eyes drift toward the back door. “So . . .” I say carefully, “does this new, emotionally mature version of Sutton get to see the backyard?”

Hunter doesn’t even hesitate. “Not a chance, babe.” He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to my lips. “Be patient,” he says, amusement threading through his voice. “It’ll be worth it.”

34

Hunter

It’s ten in the morning, and I’m on the back porch listening to the love of my life run through her checklist for the forty-seventh time. The view in the distance is one I’m excited to share with her very soon.

I glance back, the small opening in the curtains giving me a glimpse of her standing in the kitchen—hair thrown up into a messy bun, fluffy socks covering her feet, and my favorite hoodie hanging down to her knees. She sways back and forth to the song playing through the speaker. She sips her ice tea with one hand and flips through the papers on the table.

If someone would have told me three months ago I’d get the girl, I’m not sure I would have believed them.

Sometimes, you pray for something for so long you start to wonder if it’s ever going to happen. You want to keep believing it will, but after a while the What if it never does creeps in.

But Sutton Bradley was always worth the wait.

I was made to love that woman.

And I’m damn glad I never gave up hope that someday we’d get our chance.

“Baby, I think we’re ready,” she shouts.

I swallow past the lump in my throat and step inside before she can see the stupid grin on my face. I wrap my hands around her waist and bring her into the warmth of my body, burying my nose in the curve of her neck.

Sutton leans against my chest and covers my hands with hers. “Do you know how much I love you?”

I press a kiss on the side of her neck. “I do.”

I pull her into the kitchen and sit her down at the new table Luke brought over yesterday. It might be my favorite thing in the house—big enough to fit all the people we love, plus some.

“Alright.” She pauses, sipping her ice tea. “I’ve got most of the food ready to go. The only thing I need to do today is get the drinks on ice.”

“Luke and Greer have that taken care of, remember?”

Her brows furrow. “Yes. Forgot about that.”

“I can’t believe you made all the food for the party.”

She huffs out a laugh. “Don’t remind me.”

“What happened with the caterer again?”

“They’ve been giving me the runaround for weeks,” she says, shaking her head. “And they called me Monday with another excuse, and I snapped.”

“So you fired them?”

“Fired sounds so harsh, but yes.” She lifts her chin. “I decided I’d cook everything myself.”

“Sutton, you’re a good cook but—”

“I know, which is why Greer and Navy took it over.”

“Of course they did.”

“We planned, shopped, and prepared food in less than forty-eight hours.”

I glance around the kitchen. “That’s insane.”