The End: A Fresh Start
“Where are you taking me?” Kitty demanded for the umpteenth time since Josh had kidnapped her from the studio and blindfolded her.
“We’re almost there,” he assured her, keeping his eyes on the road. He’d been planning this for his wife for some time.
“This isn’t funny.”
“You’ll like your surprise, sweetness. I promise you.”
In their limited spare time, they had been house hunting. Kitty guessed he had been chaffing at renting the small beach house. It had no studio and he wasn’t about to build one for temporary quarters. Maybe he had gone out and bought a new house. She decided no matter what it looked like, she would love it. It would be their house.
Finally, the car came to a full stop. When she attempted to remove the blindfold, he stopped her. “Not yet, Kit.”
He walked around and assisted her out of the car. He led her down a rather steep flight of outdoor stairs.
“It’s an exercise in trust, right,” she asked as she stumbled and he readily caught her.
“In a way.”
Her shoes touched shifting sand. A beach. She could smell salt air and hear seagulls. “You brought me home?”
“Yeah, but that’s later.”
They continued walking for a while longer, then Josh removed her eye covering.
The first sight that greeted Kitty was a bed piled with pillows and sheets.
“Wha?…”
“You wouldn’t believe the red-tape, permits and begging it took to do this,” he murmured as he stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders.
She watched as two firemen stepped forward.
“Light it,” Josh commanded softly and the men set the bed ablaze.
“This is?…” It dawned on Kitty that this was the bed.
“It was one of the conditions for your coming back to me. I keep my promises, baby.”
It was a big, romantic gesture, the kind she’d come to expect from her husband.
“Thank you, Josh.”
“Does it make you happy, sweetness?”
“You make me happy. Seeing that thing go up in flames is gravy.”
“Ready for your next surprise?”
“I suppose that thing goes back on,” she grumbled as he reached for the scarf again.
“Only for a while longer.”
Tying the blindfold back into place, he led her back up the steps and to the car. “Thanks, fellas!” he called to the firemen.
Once back in the car, they rode a short distance. Then once more he was assisting and directing her steps. Removing the scarf for the final time, he murmured, “Welcome home, sweetness.”
Kitty’s eyes fell on a large, modern house of wood and glass set back from a cliff. A long stairway attached to the deck lead to the beach below. It was perfect! She turned on Josh, throwing her arms around his neck and smothering his face with kisses.
“Guess that mean you like it, huh?” he laughed.
“I love it!…I love you!…It’s perfect!…You’re perfect!…”
With gentle hands, he guided her mouth to his. The kiss was tender and breath stealing. “I’ve got a realtor in Florida looking for beach property, too.”
“We’ll live there, too?”
He nodded. “That a problem?”
“No. I’ve never been to Disney World. Will you take me?”
A boyish grin took over his face. “My pleasure, sweetness. Bet you like all the wild rides.” His Kitty was a daredevil.
“Is there any other kind?” she demanded impishly.
Kitty snuggled against him, laying her head on his chest. Her sudden quiet was not lost on him. His arms came around her, to hold her in the shelter of his arms.
“What is it, baby?” he asked quietly.
“I have a surprise of my own.”
Not another movie, he thought fatalistically. He wanted them to have some downtime together for once. “You plannin’ to keep it to yourself or do you want to share?”
Kitty lifted her head to meet his eyes. “The roller coasters will have to wait. It probably isn’t good for our baby to be shaken up like that.”
“Wha?…Our baby…We’re pregnant?”
“Uh-huh.”
Josh picked her up and twirled her around with a joyous whoop. Then, as if he remembered her condition, he set her down gently. “Sorry about that.”
Kitty grinned. “I’m not. I guess, that means you’re happy about it.”
He put his hand reverently on her still flat stomach. “Happy doesn’t begin to cover it. Wildly ecstatic doesn’t even start…”
“I told my agent this will be my last movie for a while.”
“Can you do that?”
“I can if you can support all three of us.”
“Not a problem.”
"I want to put us first right now – you, me and our baby.”
“What about your career? It’s just taking off.”
“Right now, I’d rather be your wife.”
“Ah, sweetness…” He hugged her close.
“Now, about that over-due honeymoon…This looks like a good place…”