Chapter 28
I groan as harsh light reaches my eyes, burying my face into the solid warm body that chuckles at my reaction to the midday sun. Sometimes I feel more like a vampire with how much I hated the bright star when sleeping.
"Hey, beautiful, are you hungry?" Tate asks, one hand rubbing my back, the other in my hair.
"Yes," I mumble, snuggling closer to him and sighing happily, getting another chuckle.
"Well, we are going to have to get up to get food." He says, smoothing my hair away from my face and kissing the top of my head.
"Do we have to?" I ask quietly, blinking my blurry sleep-filled eyes at him with a yawn.
"You're adorable when tired, you know that?" He muses, sending another kiss to my forehead and pulling me closer into his arms.
"So I've been told," I mumble and smile at another deep chuckle rumbling from my mate. It felt good seeing Tate relaxed and a little rested with the dark circles less notable under his eyes.
"C'mon baby girl. Let's get dressed and make something to eat." He says encouragingly, moving out from under me and causing my body to lie in an uncomfortable position.
"Fine." I groan, stretching out my sore body as I stand and head to the closet, grabbing a simple cotton bra and panty set, a pair of jeans that hug my hips, and a tank top, throwing a soft long beige cardigan on top. I brush my long hair and put it onto a simple braid, turning around and bumping face-first into Tate's chest as he pulls me in for a hug.
"I forgot to give you this." He says, steadying me with one arm around my waist while holding out my phone.
"Thank you, I must have dropped it," I reply, happily taking the device and tucking it into my pocket.
"It was on the ground by the edge of the road." He whispers, his grip tightening on me, and I knew what he was talking about. My heart aches looking into his pain-filled eyes, and I press closer into his body.
"Baby, I'm home safe and sound and in your arms. Everything is fine now, and we have nothing to worry about. I'm here, and I am not leaving." I say soothingly, pressing my hand against his cheek and kissing him lovingly.
"Besides, we have a wedding to plan," I add when we pull away, getting his breathtaking smile and a deep chuckle as his free hand lands on the one I had cupping his face.
"I know, baby. Now let's get you some food." He whispers, my stomach growling to punctuate his words, and I giggle. We make our way down to the kitchen, and I flip the TV on, going through the guide to see what we can watch until I find Burlesque about to play and put it on. Tate had ingredients for a late brunch with bacon, eggs, hash browns, and a fruit salad needing to be prepped. Walking over to the counter, the two of us start cooking, me singing along to all the songs at the beginning and dancing around the kitchen happily.
"You seem to know the movie pretty well." Tate comments after the third song, Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
"I know the dances as well." I retort, winking and flipping a few pieces of bacon.
"This I have to see." He chuckles, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Depends on how sore my muscles are when it gets to my favorite songs," I say coyly, smiling when he moves to wrap his arms around me from behind.
"Well then they are going to be sore for a while." He whispers, nipping my mark and causing me to moan as his lips leave soft kisses trailing along my neck and shoulder.
"Food first, then we figure out what to do afterward," I say, my breath coming out in pants.
"Okay, baby." He laughs and starts dishing everything out as I place the last piece of bacon on a paper-towel-lined plate. We sit and relax, munching on our brunch side by side, snuggling and taking our time as we enjoy the movie getting to the best parts.
"So, what's the story behind this movie?" Tate finally asks, and I giggle.
"It's a musical basically. Small town girl trying to make it in LA in a classy strip club called a Burlesque club. I grew up watching it with Chris because it's a really good movie. I got into dancing because of this, and Chris was more than happy at the time to see me go to the local dance hall in town by the pack." I state, and he whistles impressed by my confession.
"So you are an interior designer, an artist, a dancer, and have a killer voice! What can't you do, beautiful?" I blush with Tate's impression of me, taking a sip of the orange juice, thinking of the embarrassing things I cannot do. Deciding on the one thing I know I am horrible at, I look to Tate with a serious dead look.
"Write. My stories are so horrible, and I gave up." I deadpan, blushing slightly from my confession.
"That's okay, you're perfect the way you are." He assures me, kissing my forehead.
"And so are you," I say quietly, kissing his chin, stubble tickling my face and making me giggle. He smirks, and I feel his hands on my sides before I am wiggling around, giggling from the tickle attack as I try to squirm out of his grasp.
"B-baby s-stop." I giggle out, panting as I manage to slip away from him, rushing to the other side of the table.
"Oh, no you don't, missy!" Tate exclaims, getting up and making me squeal in surprise as I jump out of his reach, bolting for the door, slipping on some black flats, and racing outside while laughing. I could hear my mate laughing behind me as he chased out after my fleeing frame, causing me to laugh louder as I ran through the makeshift cemetery and out towards the leaf pile, squeaking when I felt his strong arms wrap around me and lift me over his shoulder, spinning me around.
"I caught you." He chuckles, spanking my ass and making jump in surprise while laughing.
"No fair, I haven't been able to train." I fake whine and pout as I turn to look at his amused face.
"I know, but don't worry, baby, I don't mind being the protector." He retorts confidently before biting my ass playfully, making me giggle. Slowly I feel myself being lowered to the ground, my arms wrapping around Tate's neck and his around my waist as we stand there, our foreheads pressed together.
"I love you." He says tenderly, my heart melting.
"I love you too," I whisper, giggling when he bites my nose playfully. We play in the leaves for a while, acting like children and letting the tension that built up from the last few days fully melt away. It felt good being carefree with my mate, not having to worry about our pup or the dangers of Pinepaw lurking in the back of our minds. After a well-needed leaf fight, Tate and I lay snuggled together on the leaf-covered ground, watching the clouds float by.
"So, for the wedding, when do you want to have it?" He asks, playing with my hair.
"Some time in the spring under all the cherry blossom trees we have in the backyard," I answer quietly, loving the feel of his hands in my hair as usual.
"Sounds good. Do you want to wait a few years before we tie the knot?" He asks, smiling down at me, and we lay there quietly. I nod in response, resting my head on his shoulder and closing my eyes to take in the fall scent mixed with my mate's. We were already mated, so we had no need to rush the wedding, the engagement ring reminding me that Tate and I were already together and meant to be for eternity.
We head back inside a few minutes later, making a quick dinner and snuggling up on the couch to watch another movie on Netflix, barely paying attention to the TV as the two of us talked and relaxed. Eeva arrived at around eight at night with Julia in her pink stroller, a relieved look on my sister-in-law's face as she handed a box filled with cheesecake to Tate and wrapped me in a hug. I smile with the love she radiates for me while she holds me at arms-lengths.
“Glad to see you home safe and sound, Laina.” She whispers, tears of joy in her eyes.
“So am I.” The three of us head into the kitchen as I hold Julia in my arms, taking in my pup's sweet scent and holding her close to me. I've missed my daughter so much. With a grin, I take a seat, taking in as much mommy-daughter time as I can while Eeva cuts the cheesecakes and Tate pours us all a glass of hot chocolate. I get caught up on the things Julia has done in my absence, smiling with the news that she is starting to sleep through the night as well as how Eeva's boys have treated their little cousin. The night ends with Eeva telling us she is pregnant, hoping for a baby girl, before leaving Tate, Julia, and I alone. With my little girl already fast asleep, Tate moves a bassinet to my side of the bed, where I lay my baby down and tuck her in before climbing into bed and cuddling with Tate, his warm body and secure embrace helping me fall into another deep sleep.