My Spy 6: Private Eye

Moving On

"This is it," Ryan says in shock after we get done with our third tour of the same house. "We get the porch, the more open layout downstairs. The baby's room will be close but there are further rooms they can move to when they don't want to be so near us. We have land, a shed, a balcony so you don't have to sit on the roof. We are close enough to both Austin and your mother yet far enough so we're still close to the town center."

I've heard this checklist before. It's the same one I told him after we saw the two-story Victorian home the first time. I loved the space and he loved the character. He mulled it over for a few days and called Tim whenever another question came to mind, so I knew this is the only house he's truly thought about. I wouldn't be able to bring Maybelle over or have any horses on the amount of land, but we could still get a dog and have plenty of space to roam around. Ryan got excited about a massive tree off to the side of the house that would be "just perfect" for a tree house. I was more excited that the previous owner had turned one of the downstairs rooms into a library with floor-to-wall shelving and added a massive walk-in closet to the upstairs master bedroom. It seemed we finally agreed on a house and Ryan was excited to start on the minor renovations.

"Margot has warmed me to the farmhouse style but we need more color," I tell him as we stand inside the outdated kitchen. He nods, "We'd have to paint most of the downstairs."

"And change some of the light fixtures," I add and our eyes scan the space while we imagine what our home will look like. I tug on his hand and pull him over to the wide kitchen island. I hop onto it and flirtatiously say, "And did you notice this?" He looks at me while trying to figure out what I am aiming for and I add, "This is perfect hip-to-hip height." I stretch my legs out and use my heels to pull him into me. I wrap my legs around him as he replies, "I can't say I noticed." He smirks and I drop my arms onto his shoulder as I ask, "You mean you didn't map out every love makin' spot?"

His sexy as-all-hell devilish grin meets my eyes as he says, "Oh I noticed both the spacious shower and tub." I laugh before placing a quick kiss on his lips. I pull away before I am unable to stop myself and say, "I also want new countertops."

"Oh I can give that to you too darlin'," he mutters before he steps away from me, both knowing we have to stop ourselves before we defile the kitchen. "I bet we can make it move-in ready in about a month," he calls out to me while he moves into the living room.

"We'll knock out the downstairs and then put all our effort into the nursery," I tell him as I hop off the counter and he looks to me with that glow he's had about him lately. Austin was right when he said Ryan was going to become even more protective. He's been pestering me about my diet, worries over my morning sickness and handles me like I require bubble wrap. It makes me worry that he is going to go completely bat shit crazy when I meet with a lawyer. But he seems genuinely elated and has been sickly sweet to me since the doctor's office.

"Shall we call Tim and put in an offer?" He asks me and I nod. He reaches for my hand and we walk to the wooden wrap around out back to make the call. I look to my right and say, "And definitely add a porch swing."

"I want one on the side too so we can look at the treehouse," he says like he's already planned it all out. I glance up at him while his phone is to his ear and wonder if it's possible to love him more than I already thought I did. He quickly tells Tim that we want the house and Tim lets us know he should have an answer by the time we see him at LulaBelle's. After Ryan ends the call he looks to me and says, "I wasn't planning on attending that circus."

I frown, "You were going to leave me to the wild animals?"

"I have a tee-time with Austin already," he tells me but I shake my head.

"Oh no, by now word has gotten around that we are married, I think that would be the perfect place to go show off our happiness."

"You just want to piss off LulaBelle," Ryan mutters with a frown.

"Yes...but if that's really the only time my mother will be begrudgingly in the same place as me, I might have to tell her the news after. And after her reaction to you staying in the car, you will be with me when I deliver this blow." I tell him, glaring at him to challenge me on this. "Or we can go to chruch on Sunday and ambush her there?" He sighs, drops his head back in annoyance and then shows his defeat by dropping his shoulders. I smile to him and then say, "It might be the first time I see Annabeth too." But I quickly find out I will be seeing Annabeth much sooner when my phone rings and I see that it's Gus.

******

Ryan refused to speed with me in the car but I yelled at him to put his foot to the floor the entire way to the hospital. He tried to keep me calm by reminding me that labor can take hours, but I still dared him to drive faster.

After arriving at the hospital, we quickly found the Blackwoods and the Matthews huddled together in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting word from Gus. Mrs. Blackwood greets me warmly and immediately reaches for my left hand as she gushes, "I am so happy for you." She gawks over my ring and then looks to me with soft eyes, "I knew you had found the one that day at the auction. The way y'all looked at each other when he bid on a date with you, ugh I told Angus," she looks back to her husband, "Didn't I?" then quickly back to me, "I said, oooh I think Sawyer has found her match." I smile to Ryan and then Mrs. Blackwood surprisingly says, "Even though Gussy was a bit depressed about it, I'm glad y'all ended up together."

I let out an awkward laugh, still holding onto her warm hands and reply, "And now I'm here married to Ryan and Gus is here having a baby!" Trying to steer the conversation away from Gus's old dreams.

"Yes, his wedding is hopefully next," Mrs. Blackwood says with a sigh and Mrs. Matthews finally chimes in, "Hopefully the baby will make them see sense. Ain't no reason to not be wed now that they have a baby involved." Mrs. Blackwood nods and I can't help but notice how "mom" they both look right now, both with thick bangs, matching cardigan sets and light Levi jeans. Mrs. Matthews's glasses are dated by a decade and Mrs. Blackwood has worn the same blown-out bob since we were in elementary school. Their other halves are both dressed in flannel and I realize the most humble folk in Hollis are sitting before me. I worry that Ryan wishes these were his in-laws as opposed to the uppity ones he was stuck with.

"I'm sure Annabeth will want the baby to have plenty of attention before shifting the focus back to her," I tell the frowning mothers, hoping to buy Gus and Annabeth some time before they start bickering over their wedding plans again.

"And what about you two? Any babies on the brain now that you got that ring there on your finger?" Mrs. Blackwood asks me and I immediately feel my face burn red. Ryan lets out a breath of a laugh and then says, "Maybe."

"Well I'm sure Annabeth will let you have lots of practice by babysittin'. You'll get an idea real quick if y'all are ready or not," Mrs. Blackwood says with nod of her head and Ryan eyes me with a look that says, "Should have driven slower huh?" I try to pivot the conversation again and ask, "So do you think it's gonna be a boy or a girl?" And at that, both families start tossing out guesses and the conversation remains on the parents-to-be.