Loving Lacey

Late March

Year 3 of Us

Saturday

I was sitting on the couch with the TV on and the volume on low when Lacey came out, wrapped in her robe.

"How long have you been up, Wyatt?"

"Maybe an hour."

"What time is it, anyway?" She asked.

"Half past seven."

"You know that we're on vacation, right?" There was a smile on her face as she asked that.

"Yes, my princess, I know that. You also know that there are mornings when I can't sleep in very late."

She sat down next to me and leaned her head on my arm. I raised it and she cuddled with me. Lacey put her hand on my thigh. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Happy birthday to you, Beloved." She smiled softly and tilted her face up to me.

"Kiss me, please."

"It always pleases me to kiss you, my princess." I did kiss her, gently, and she sighed softly. We sat there for a bit, ignoring the TV.

"I'm hungry, sweetheart," she looked at me. "Eat in or eat downstairs?"

"Do you want to hike this morning?"

"We should, you know." Lacey sat up. "But, not as long as yesterday's hike. That was three miles round trip, and your leg didn't handle it as well as you had hoped."

"Hey!"

She gave me a serious look. "I don't want you aching in any way, for any reason, today."

"Oh?"

"Yes! It's our birthday and we're going to enjoy it without *either* of us having issues."

I nodded. "I see what you mean." I did, and I didn't want any problems today, either.

"Well, let's get dressed, get some breakfast, and see what we can learn about the local trails."

She was up on her feet very quickly, then she extended a hand to me. I looked at the hand, then at her. "Take it and let me help you up. You help me." The smile on her face was very wide and I couldn't help but return it. I took her hand and once we both were upright, I grabbed her by the shoulders.

Lacey looked up at me, then her smile turned sexy as I bent down to kiss her. "If I wasn't hungry, I'd spank you."

She kissed my cheek. "Promises, promises," she giggled before I followed her into the bedroom where we took care of morning things and got dressed.

Once we had eaten, we checked with the desk and learned that the inn had several marked trails running behind it. When asked, the woman there said that every quarter mile had a special marker, so that people could gauge the distance as their hike progressed. She gave us trail maps and we went back into the restaurant to plan our morning.

"We'll take this trail out," her finger traces it, "then we'll use this crossover and come down this one." She looked at the numbers closely, her lips pursed tightly. I wasn't looking at her finger; I was watching her face. "Yeah, that'll give us a two mile, round trip."

When she looked at me, she was startled by my gaze. "What?"

"Nothing, Beloved," I smiled at her, "I just love watching you, you know that."

A quick smile from her. "I know, I just wasn't expecting it."

I reached out and gently patted her hand. "Sorry. It just amazes me, sometimes."

"What?"

"You. Me. Us. It stuns me when I think about it, at times."

Lacey's head tilted as she looked at me. "Don't forget the twins. The dogs. The house. All of it stuns me, sometimes." She leaned forward and looked directly into my eyes, her blue ones wide. "I love you. That's the most important thing. Ever." Her smile was loving, and I returned it.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For loving me."

"You're so very welcome and thank *you* for loving *me*."

"How could I not love you?"

Lacey shifted closer to me and took my face in her hands, "Thank you for that, my dearest."

We sat there for a few minutes, looking into each other's eyes. She turned her head to the left, and when I looked in the same direction, I saw that she was looking out through the lobby. "We should probably get started, Wyatt."

"Yeah. It looks nice out there."

We headed for the trail she picked, holding hands. People we had seen during the morning nodded to us, and several smiled as we passed them.

"People are friendly here." Lacey noted.

"Yeah. Of course, they're smiling at *you*, my princess."

"Do you think so?"

"Oh, yeah. I don't blame them. I smile at you all the time." I said lightly while smiling.

She looked at me, and then she smiled.

"Told you, beloved."

She took my arm in both hands. "I think I could get used to hearing you call me that."

"Good. I'll keep saying it, then."

The first mile went easily. We talked about things like the scenery -- which was as gorgeous as what we had seen yesterday on our walk to the town: snow covered mountains and trees lit by the sun. Despite the sunshine, it was still very cold and sometimes we made smoky breaths in the shaded areas of the trail.

At the crossover trail, we paused to catch our breath and drink some water from the bottles that were in our packs. Just as she replaced the cap on her bottle, I held my finger in front of my mouth.

"Quiet, Lacey," I said in a low voice.

"What?" I pointed to our left as we faced the other trail. Lacey stopped moving once she was facing in the direction of my point. "What is it?"

"Wait..." From out the trees, four deer came stepping daintily onto the trail. All four were does, who all looked pregnant. The doe in the lead was the largest, and they all watched us as they walked across the trail and into the trees beyond.

"Breathe, my princess." She exhaled slowly, then inhaled normally.

"Oh, my god!" Her voice was low, but I could hear the excitement in it. "Were those all girls? How close were we? Are they in danger from us?"

I hugged her from behind and laughed softly over the top of her sweater cap. "First answer -- yes, the one in front was probably an older female than the other three. All of them were pregnant females. Second answer -- they were about twenty-five feet away. Third answer -- we were no threat, and I expect the leader knew it."

"They were pregnant?" Lacey asked.

"Mmm-hmm. I'll bet they're going to drop in the next month or so."

"How do you know that stuff?"

"Honey, how old am I?" I asked with a smile.

"Exactly thirty-one years older than I am."

"Yep. I've tracked and I've roamed more than a few wooded areas. I have a little bit of experience in this. I'm not an expert, but I reckon I'm close."

She turned around and looked up at me. Because I was on the upper portion of the sloped trail, I was even taller than usual. She got a determined look on her face, then she made me turn around and step down the slope. Lacey stepped to where I had been, then a big grin came over her face. Her eyes were now even with my mouth, and I smiled. "Kiss me now, old man."

"If you insist, Beloved."

"I do, very much so!" As I leaned towards her, she wrapped her arms around my neck. When our lips met, she jumped up and wrapped her legs over my hips. I looked at her, and her eyes were shining with glee.

I wrapped her in my arms and held her as we kissed. I heard voices coming down one of the trails, and Lacey did, too, because she broke the kiss.

"Let me down!" she whispered.

"Why?"

"Ooooh. Just set me down."

I put Lacey back on her feet, and she brushed a few loose hairs back under her cap. She grinned at me, then started walking to the trail we were going to follow back to the inn. Once we turned down it, she reached back with a hand, and I gently took it. I couldn't help it -- I was grinning like crazy. She always came up with ways to surprise me, like jumping into my arms unexpectedly!

We made it back to the inn with only a few short rest stops, meeting a few people coming up the hill, and having two couples pass us on their way downhill. On our way inside, she stopped by the restaurant and asked where we could order room service.

The hostess directed us to a small desk off to one side. The young woman there looked up at us.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, we'd like a cold cut lunch platter, with iced tea and a couple of beers, sent up to our room, please."

"Certainly. What room?"

Lacey showed her the room keycard and she made a few entries on her computer.

"Mrs. Roy, the platter and drinks will be up in twenty minutes. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, thank you very much."

As we reached the elevator, Lacey handed me her pack and took her cap off before she started to giggle. I looked at her with my eyebrows up and she started to laugh softly. "Mrs. Roy!"

"Ah." I just grinned at her before the doors opened and we stepped inside.

She hit the button for our floor, and then got a quiet expression on her face. "Mrs. Roy," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing." She looked at me seriously until we reached our floor.

Once in our room, we got out of our cold and slightly wet clothes, hanging them on the rack in the bathroom. We both slipped into comfortable clothes, and she added her robe on top.

"Cold?" I asked with a smile.

"A little. That tub is going to feel like heaven after we eat."

"It sure will!" I must have been a little more emphatic than I had intended.

"Are you okay?" She looked at me.

"A little sore. Nothing a good soak with my princess won't ease." She gave me a look that said that she didn't believe me. "Seriously. Aching some, but not as bad as yesterday -- you were right to reduce the distance we traveled."

That last earned me a smirk. "Hey! I'm always willing to admit when you're right, and you were certainly right about this."

The smirk turned to a gentle smile, and as I started to settle onto the couch, there was a gentle knock on the door. Lacey answered it, and stepped back as the room service table was rolled in. I levered myself back to my feet, trying to stifle a groan which Lacey heard anyway. The server set things up, including placing two of the chairs from the kitchenette around the table. She pointed out the glasses and Lacey poured tea into them, before putting the pitcher into the refrigerator. She took the one I had emptied last night and set it on the counter.

"We'll add this to the table when we put it in the hall."

The server thanked Lacey and closed the door as she left. I pulled Lacey's chair out and she sat down.

"Sit and eat, Wyatt. You need a soak and a rest afterwards. I want you to feel better, love, and trying to ignore your aches isn't the way to do that."

I sat down and smiled at her. The platter looked good -- cold cuts, cheeses, crackers, small bread slices, and various condiments. We basically devoured everything while just enjoying each other's company. Just as we finished eating, her phone chimed for the first time since we got here.

She looked at it and a big smile hit her face. "That's Erica. Do we want to talk with the babies today or tomorrow? What time either day?"

"I need the soak today. Can you make it until tomorrow, beloved?"

Lacey's expression changed several times, and I have no idea of what was going through her mind. Then her expression settled into a small smile. She started typing on her phone. "Yes, I can survive until tomorrow afternoon. Around two -- after lunch."

She looked at her phone, then laughed. "Erica just asked pretty much the same thing: Can I really make it until tomorrow afternoon?"

I snickered and reached my hands out to her. Setting her phone down, she took them in her soft hands and held them gently.

"See, you are a pretty awesome mom -- you just proved how strong you are." She smiled gently.

"Ready for the soak?"

"Yes, beloved, I am."

Once I had pushed the room service table out into the hall, I closed up and walked into the bathroom. Lacey was sitting on the edge of the hot tub, with her hair up and wearing nothing but her smile. I stripped down quickly, and she pointed me to the side of the tub nearest the wall.

Once I slid down into the hot water, she joined me and cuddled up to me.

"Lean back and relax, Wyatt. Just let your mind float."

When I started to speak, she put a finger to my lips. "We're not going to play." Her hands moved to my left leg and started massaging around my knee. "I'll massage the rest of your leg, and I've set a timer for an hour. We'll have plenty of time to get ready. Just relax."

Her voice at the end was so soft, so gentle, so loving.

I heard her alarm go off, but she simply clung closer to me when I started to move.

"Lacey."

"Mmm?"

"Lacey, your alarm is sounding, which means we've been in here for an hour."

"Oh?" Her eyes fluttered as she looked at me. "Oh!" Lacey started to stand up and she leaned towards me.

"Hang on, beloved." I put a hand on her shoulder. "Wake up before you stand up."

Lacey yawned and looked down at me, and I could see that she was waking up now. When I smiled at her, she smiled back and then stood on her own. "We need to get going if we're going to make our reservation!"

Once she stepped out, I followed, and she pointed at the shower. "Get it started and take a shower."

"Maybe I should shave first?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. Do that. I'm going to set out my clothes."

I shaved and was mostly done with my shower when she joined me. She gave me one of her serious looks. "Do not look under the robe on the chair on my side of the bed."

I looked at her, my eyes wide.

"Please? Just finish up and get dressed, then go wait in the living room."

"Okay. May I get a kiss?"

"Yes, you may." Her mischievous smile was back as she kissed me.

I dried off, stepped into the bedroom and started to dress. Black slacks, dark blue shirt, pin striped tie, and dress boots. I put my normal things in my pockets and clipped my small knife to my belt. I could have peeked, but she seemed intent on giving me a surprise of some type, and I wouldn't deny her pleasure in that.

I was sitting on the couch, reading through a couple of texts from Erica and Travis about the twins when I heard Lacey clear her throat. I stood up and turned around.

Time seemed to stop. Lacey was breathtakingly beautiful. Red dress, light red stockings, and dark heels. Her hair was up, held in place with one of those hair sticks that she really liked. She stepped the rest of the way into the room, twirling slowly as she did so.

"Do you like it?"

I just stared -- this was another moment I wanted to remember for the rest of my life, adding it to the other times when she seemed achingly gorgeous. I took everything in, her hair, the way her body looked in the dress, and the loving expression on her face.

"Wyatt?" Lacey touched my arm, and I startled out of my trance. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, my princess, very okay. You are so beautiful!"

"You know you have a goofy smile on your face, right?"

"Do I?

"Yes, you do."

I took a deep breath and smiled. "Can you blame me for the smile? The most beautiful woman in the world walks into the room and smiles at *me*."

Lacey smiled, and it made my heart lift. "You always know what to say."

"Sometimes."

"To me, it's all the time." She leaned towards me, moving her hand to my chest. I took another deep, shuddering breath as I took in the aroma of her hair. "Get your suit coat and let's go to dinner."

"Good idea." I lifted my coat from the chair, and she took my arm. I checked my coat pocket and made sure that the box was still there. It was, and I grinned a little.

As we went through the door, she looked at me and got a suspicious look on her face. "What's with the grin, mister?"

"I wonder how many men are going to be jealous of me for being with you, and how many women are going to be jealous of your sheer beauty, beloved."

"Really?" Lacey smiled widely. "What an awesome thought."

As we entered the elevator, I looked down at her. I patted the hand that was wound over my left forearm. "Be nice, my princess."

"Yes, dear," she said in a small voice, before she started to giggle. I joined in, which made her giggle even harder.

We both regained our composure as the doors opened and we headed to the Pine Room. Once inside the entry, the maître d' greeted us and took us to a small table for two in a far corner.

Once we had been seated beside each other, my better ear close to Lacey, the waitress came by and offered us a drink list and menus. When she returned, Lacey ordered a nice red wine, and I asked for iced tea. The waitress looked at me askance and I just smiled at her. She returned the smile and walked away.

"First comment -- that couple, with the old guy and the young girl, just ordered wine for her and iced tea for him!" I said softly enough that only Lacey could hear me.

"Shall we make this a game, then?"

"Imagined snarky comments from others? Sure." We grinned at each other.

"Wyatt, this is one of the things that makes life with you so much fun!" Lacey said with a grin.

"My beloved princess..."

"Nice!"

"Thank you. My beloved princess, the fact that you enjoy these kinds of things makes my life better and brighter, every day."

As the waitress reached our table, the small band started playing softly. "Are you ready to order?"

"Not quite yet, thank you." I looked at Lacey. "Five minutes?" She nodded, and so did the waitress.

When the waitress did return, we ordered and made small talk while observing our fellow diners.

"I'm not the fanciest dressed man there, but you are, by far, the sexiest and best-dressed woman." When I told Lacey that, she had a little blush in her cleavage.

I leaned forward and whispered, "I could kiss that blush deeper, beloved, but not here."

She laughed softly, but the blush didn't grow. "I'm not that much of a slut, Wyatt. Besides, I'm looking forward to dinner and we'd get thrown out of here if you did!"

I faked a pout. "Oh, well. The idea is tempting, though."

She touched the back of my hand. "Yes, it is." When I looked at her, there was just the hint of the devilish smile that I loved, and I smiled in return.

Salads were served, and they're followed by our full meals. The food was even better than the main restaurant, which had been very good indeed. As we sat there after the dinner remains had been removed, and we've ordered dessert, I looked at you and took a deep breath.

"For your birthday, my beloved princess, I have a small gift for you."

Lacey sat erect, anticipation in her eyes. "A small gift?"

"Yes." I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the thin, long, little box. When I opened it, her eyes grew very, very wide and then tears started to form. I lifted the gold necklace with twenty diamonds on it out and opened the clasp. "May I?"

Lacey nodded, so I stood up and stepped behind her. She quickly reached up and removed the necklace she had been wearing before I placed the new necklace around her throat. Once it was securely fastened, she gasped, then sobbed. "Honey! Why the tears?"

I leaned over to look into her face. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. She sobbed a few more times, then she lunged up out of her chair and fiercely wrapped her arms around my neck. I had to grab the table to keep from falling over, then I held her.

Lacey buried her face in my neck, saying things that I couldn't make out. I just patted her back, murmuring reassuring nothings. I felt her hands in my hair, then she kissed my neck, once, twice, a third time. She turned her head and kissed me deeply, her tongue forcing its way into my mouth.

We kissed for a long time, and only broke it when we heard clapping behind me. She pulled her face away from mine before she craned her neck to look past my head.

Lacey started to smile before she loosened her grip on me enough to let me look behind me. It looked like everybody in the room was standing and applauding.

She let go of me, and then let me sit her back into the chair. Lacey dabbed at her eyes with her napkin, then gave me a weak smile. "You stunned me, love. This is not something I ever expected."

"The necklace isn't all of it, beloved."