Five months later
“IT’S SO HOT out here,” Carolina said with a sigh. “I told you so. Way too hot for a wedding. If it’s this hot in September, just think what next June will be like.” She glanced up at Jake, who sat next to her on a bench in the Rose Garden.
He chuckled. “You ought to be in Miami in June. This isn’t hot. I love it.”
“I know you do, but there’s no way I’m standing out here in a full-length dress and veil. My mascara would melt.”
“I thought you loved nature.”
“Sure, but not enough to suffer heat stroke. Besides, I’d probably get stung by a bee and then I’d be running around the White House grounds screeching like a psycho.”
“We can’t have that.” Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her forehead. “But you’d still be beautiful, just like you always will be to me. I’m the luckiest man.”
Tilting her face, she found his lips and murmured against them. “I’m not sure I completely deserve you.”
He kissed her. “You better be sure.” He kissed her again. “After that media circus you put me through.”
Carolina laughed, breathless, and twined her arms around his neck. “It’s almost over. Just a few more photo-ops. You have to admit, my mom did a great job folding us right into the Family First initiative.”
“Happy surprises are the best part of being with your family,” Jake said. “Wasn’t that what she said on TV in the new commercial?”
“Yep. You looked super-hot in that by the way,” Carolina answered happily. “And Mom wasn’t spinning anything. My family loves you almost as much as I do.”
“I’m the luckiest man.” He lifted her onto his lap.
“You said that already.”
“I’ll be saying it for the rest of your life. Even when you’re bitching about the heat at one of my games.”
“Good. I like Arizona, by the way. It’s dry heat. I can handle that.” She leaned down to kiss the side of his neck, smiling when his hands settled on her hips. “So we know where we’re going to live, Coach Baxter. How about where we’re getting married?”
He gathered her close and nipped at her earlobe. “Elope,” he said gruffly. “Right now.”
“Yeah, right!” She giggled.
“We should get married at the cabin,” he said. “The security is impenetrable, the communications center is top-of-the-line and the electric fences—”
“Are soooo romantic,” she said.
He laughed, and then cradled her face in his hands. There was hunger in his eyes, but something else too. A slow-burning steady light. It was love. “The cabin. Right?”
“The cabin is perfect,” she whispered. “I love you so much, Jake.”
“I know, honey. I love you. Thank you for moving with me for my new job.”
She smiled. “It’ll be an adventure. Besides, there are mountains close by. You know I love taking photos of them. And eventually . . .”
“Eventually?”
“It will snow.”
Jake shuddered. “Let’s get back to this wedding of ours. I think the ceremony should be outside in the clearing and then we’ll stand on the front porch and wave while the Secret Service kicks everyone off the property. And then—”
She cut him off with a kiss. “We’ll start our honeymoon. Will you carry me through the doorway?”
He gave her a wicked grin.
“It would be my pleasure, Miss Fulton.”