I hope you enjoyed reading Pipe Dreams! If you want to hear more of Dean and Jessica’s story, I’ve posted a bonus chapter below.

Happy Reading!

Dean was acting strange. We had been together for almost two years now. Aggravating as his messy habits could be, I was accustomed to his toolbelt hanging from our bedpost and his boots sticking out from under the bench by the door by now. So when his coveralls were neatly folded on the laundry table three nights in a row, I became suspicious. When I went to pack his lunch in the morning, his lunch box was already rinsed and drying in the dish rack, along with his coffee thermos. My decorative hand towels in the bathroom were notably unmarked by black fingerprints, and his bath towel was found hanging on the back of the door instead of lying wadded in its usual spot on the floor.

Either my blue-collar man had decided out of nowhere to start being cleaner in general, or he was guilty. I didn’t know what he was guilty of, yet, but an uneasy feeling was settling between my shoulder blades. It was probably something simple, right? Maybe his giant body bumped into a table and knocked off a picture frame or vase. But, knowing Dean, he either would have fixed it or just bought me a new one. He didn’t play games.

Since we were nearing our second anniversary of meeting, the thought occurred to me that he might not remember the exact date and was afraid he’d missed it. Yes, that was much more likely. Silly man. That was a week away.

I returned to wrapping sausage biscuits in foil to place in his lunchbox, but when I heard him get out of the shower, and I ran to our bedroom to catch a peek before he could start putting on his work clothes. I walked through the door just in time to see the towel drop to the floor. When I let out a soft whistle, he whipped his head toward me, already smiling. “Like what you see, Babygirl?”

“You know I do,” I said, sauntering over to him and reaching for his exposed buns.

He swung his hips out of my reach, tsking. “No touching this morning. I’ve got to get on the road.”

I pouted. He was working a high-paying job in a town about an hour away this week, one of his rare contracted assignments. “You’ve got plenty of time,” I tried. “You’ve already showered, and your clothes are right here, and your thermos and lunchbox are stocked with goodies.”

Grabbing his boxers off the outfit he’d laid out on the bed, he grumbled. “Thank you, sweetheart. But, still no touching.” And with that, he pulled on his underwear, successfully hiding one of my favorite parts of his body from me.

“Awww, why?” I whined.

He raised an eyebrow and used a serious tone, but I could see the amusement in his eyes. “Because touching leads to kissing and more touching, and then suddenly I’m either late for work or I’m aching for you all damn day.”

I moved closer, trying to wrestle his white t-shirt out of his hands before he could put it on. “You’re the boss, you can be five minutes late.”

Dean scoffed. “Five minutes? Now I’m offended.” He tugged the shirt out of my hands as if it required no effort and slipped it over his head before I could protest further.

I threw myself onto our still-unmade bed dramatically. “I suppose I’ll just lie here waiting for your return all day then.”

Dean, fully dressed now, leaned down over me and dropped a brief kiss on my forehead. “No you won’t, Babygirl. Our kids will see to it.” He was right. It wasn’t even six in the morning yet, but I knew I didn’t have long before Jackson and Kaylee would be up, demanding breakfast and cuddles. Dean stood and held a strong hand out to me. “Walk me to the truck?”

I rolled my eyes, took his hand, and stood up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming, you big lug.”

A few minutes later, we stood in our driveway beside his work truck with his supplies for the day already loaded inside. Dean took both of my hands in his and met my gaze. “Love you. Have a good day.”

“I love you too. Be safe.”

“Always,” he murmured, then pulled me in for a bear hug, rocking us back and forth. “I’ll try to be home by dinner, baby.”

“Okay, love. And I’ll keep some warm for you if not.” Though he would try, there was no guarantee of him even getting home before the kids went to bed tonight. It had been a long week for all of us.

He sighed the kind of sigh that only comes from pure contentment. “I know you will. Thank you, Babygirl.” He released me and hopped up into the driver’s seat, backing away moments later.

The warmth of his embrace stayed with me for a while as I sat down with a cup of coffee and enjoyed the brief silence of dawn. Soon enough, a bedroom door creaked open down the hall, and Jackson emerged. “Is it a school day?” he asked.

I laughed. This was his question every morning now that he was a kindergartener. “Yes, Jackson. Today is Friday, so we both have to go to school,” I told him. I was still loving my job as a school nurse, especially since Jackson had started going there. I would never interrupt his classes, of course, but it gave me comfort that we had easy access to one another if needed.

Jackson’s shoulders fell slightly. “Oh.”

I gestured for him to come closer, then made room for him on my lap. He snuggled up to me, laying his head on my chest. I didn’t know how much longer he’d let me do this kind of thing, so I treasured our sleepy mornings together. “You’re going to have so much fun at school today, baby. Mrs. Samson told me your class is going to be painting outside.”

“Outside?” he asked, his voice perking up. Jackson didn’t dislike school, but it did have a major drawback in his opinion- staying inside all day.

“Yep, outside! And guess what? It’s almost summer vacation, so you only have two weeks left in kindergarten.”

His head popped up and he wore a genuine smile now. “Just two more weeks and then I’m done with school forever?”

I blinked, hating to break his heart so early in the day. Maybe I could soften the blow. “Well, not forever, but you’ll get to spend the summer at home with me, Kaylee, and Gloria. You’ll have eight long weeks of break before moving onto first grade.”

Jackson considered this and seemed to accept it. “Gloria?” he asked. I knew he missed his babysitter and was jealous of the one-on-one time she spent with Kaylee these days.

“Yep, she’s going to spend two days with us every week.” I would be taking a part-time summer class to update some of my nursing certifications. It would ensure my eligibility for a raise at my job and qualify me for other positions if I ever decided to move up. Gloria had happily volunteered to spend time with the kids on Mondays and Wednesdays, the days I would have class. If she had wanted her summer off too, then I would have had to ask Brittney. Her and Carter had gotten pregnant right away in their relationship, though, and Brittney had her hands full with a set of twin toddlers. So, it was probably for the best that Gloria was willing. And, it clearly made Jackson happy, too.

He hopped down from my lap. “Mommy, this is the best day ever. I get to paint outside, Gloria’s going to babysit me this summer, and the best thing is-” he paused and took a deep breath before shouting, “First graders don’t have to take naps!”

I laughed, knowing Kaylee would be up too, now. We made it through breakfast, getting dressed, and packing more lunches before Gloria arrived. She loved on Jackson while he told her about the fantastic day he was going to have. Then, she scooped up four-year-old Kaylee and they waved bye to us as Jackson and I headed off to school.

It wasn’t until I was settled behind my desk reviewing some paperwork later that I remembered my uneasiness about Dean’s behavior. I knew he had been working hard and long hours tended to drain his emotional capacity as well as his body. But, I still felt like there had been an extra space between us for the last two weeks. He wasn’t relying on me for the small things as much, and this was the first time in our relationship that we had gone more than a few days without being intimate.

Having a blue-collar boyfriend, I should be able to chalk it up to tiredness. Dean was in his late thirties, worked extremely hard for our family, and still fulfilled his roles as my partner and the kids’ stepdad without hesitation. I sighed and tried to shake off the odd feeling. Nothing was wrong. So the man was tired and rinsed his own lunchbox. No big deal. I was definitely overthinking it.

Just then my desk phone rang, and I was notified that a crying seven-year-old with pigtails and a boo-boo was heading my way.

In the middle of cooking Dean’s favorite pork chops that evening, my phone chimed. I read a text message from Dean in surprise.

“On my way home, Babygirl. Wear that red dress I like.”

I hadn’t truly expected him to make it home in time to eat dinner, let alone get here early. And it had been a long time since he had given me an order like that. An excited shiver ran up my body. I shot him a quick response, then tucked my phone in my pocket so no one would see. “Yes, Daddy.”

I flipped the pork chops one last time and turned off the stove, then rushed to my room to freshen up and put on the dress he had requested. When he came through the front door twenty minutes later, I went straight to greet him. He was smiling, but there was something in his eyes, a hesitation. Did the hands he wrapped around me have a slight tremble, or was that my imagination?

“Hi,” I said, but it came out a question.

Dean cleared his throat. “Hey. You look beautiful.”

I smiled and tried to take the compliment at face value, but I just knew something was off. “What’s going on?” I asked. I couldn’t stand this feeling anymore.

He shrugged his shoulders. “What do you mean?”

“Why are you home so early?”

He laughed nervously. “I finished my work for the day and just couldn’t wait to see you. Is that so unbelievable?”

I paused, no reasonable response coming to me. “No, I’m just surprised. Um, dinner’s ready.”

He cleared his throat again. “Smells good, Babygirl. I’ll change and meet you at the table.”

We both started up the stairs, and I was more nervous than I had been all day. Oh no, he has something horrible to tell me. Or he’s hiding something awful and doesn’t plan on telling me at all. My stomach felt sick, and I suddenly wasn’t hungry at all.

Kaylee and Jackson burst in through the back door and ran for us. “Dean!” they shouted.

He knelt on the floor and hugged them both at once, pulling them close. “Hey guys,” he said, his voice full of a strange emotion. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Dad,” said Kaylee, a habit she had started about a year ago when she put together that most kids had a dad instead of a Dean. She used his name about half the time. It melted my heart every time she called him dad, and his too.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, looking vulnerable for the first time since I’d known him. I sat down in the nearest chair, having a physical reaction to the intensity of the moment. What was happening? Why was he hugging the kids like he might never see them again?

Jackson pulled away first. “I’m hungry, mom. Is dinner ready?”

“Yes,” I answered him, giving a weak smile. “Wash your hands first, though.”

He and Kaylee both headed to the bathroom, shoving each other to get to the sink first.

Dean stood slowly and turned to look at me, then abruptly turned and ran to our room. Like literally ran. What the fuck? My heart started hammering against my chest, wondering if he was going to come back with clean hands or a packed suitcase. I couldn’t even pull myself together enough to put dinner on plates for everyone. I just sat, paralyzed, and waited for Dean to come back.

Thankfully, he was gone less than ten seconds. My heart may have given out at that rate if he had been gone longer. His hands were still dirty, and there was nothing in them except a small, black box. He walked to my chair, slowing down as he got closer.

“Dean, what...” I trailed off as he knelt on the floor in front of me.

“Jessica,” he rasped.

“What’s going on Dean? Are- are you okay? Are we okay? Just tell me.” My hands and voice were shaking.

He gasped, realizing for the first time that I was not okay. Whatever was plaguing his emotions disappeared as he transitioned into protector mode. “Hey, Babygirl, relax,” he soothed, rubbing one hand up and down my thigh. “Everything’s okay, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I looked into his eyes, seeing only love and reassurance there. My breathing started to slow, and relief dissipated the pit of nerves that had formed in my stomach.

The kids reappeared behind Dean, but for once, they stayed quiet and just watched.

“I’m okay,” I breathed. “But what’s going on, Dean? Please tell me.”

He reached for one of my hands and squeezed it, remaining on his knees in front of me. He looked deep into my eyes and gave me a small smile. “Smile for me, Babygirl. I can’t do this if you’re crying.”

I blinked a few times. I wasn’t crying. Yet. I was definitely on the verge, though. I opened my eyes wide to show him how much I wasn’t crying, then forced a smile. I could trust Dean. Over and over, he had shown me I could trust him. I didn’t know why I got so upset at the first display of nervousness from him. Staring into the depths of dark green, a calmness finally settled through me. My lips were lifting on their own now. Trust him, my gut told me. You love him.

Dean cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Babygirl. I’m just not good at this sort of thing. I love you, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. My world revolves around you and the kids, and I want my life to be just like this, perfect, forever. I was wondering if…” He faltered, a tremble back in his voice.

I registered the black box for the first time. Was that, was he holding an engagement ring? Was this him proposing to me right now? Realization hit me and a wide grin overtook my hesitant smile. “Dean,” I said, and I knew excitement was bubbling out of me.

He met my gaze and his smile grew too. “Jessica, will you marry me?”

I nodded, then squealed, “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Dean stood and picked me up, twirling me in the air before pulling me close for a deep kiss. The kids were jumping up and down in the background. “They’re getting married!” Jackson yelled.

“Yay, mommy and dad are getting married!” Kaylee agreed.

“Oh, the ring!” Dean remembered, and then held the small velvet box out to me.

I stepped back and opened it gingerly. The kids crowded in close to see, too. A stunning heart-shaped diamond was set in a silver band that looked like, “Oh. My. God! DEAN, did you make this?!” I exclaimed.

He shrugged, pink tinting his cheeks. “Yeah, but if you want something more traditional, I can get something else.”

“NO! I love it. This is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. It’s beautiful. Thank you so much, baby, it’s perfect. You’re perfect. And I can’t wait to be your wife.” I slid the ring onto my finger, then stared down at it in amazement. The metal was a tiny replica of a silver pipe wrench, formed into a ring and gripping a one-carat heart-shaped diamond.

Dean wrapped me and both kids in his arms. “You’re all perfect, and I can’t wait to be yours.”