The next morning Cait awoke feeling the warmth of Howie's bare skin against hers. She turned to look at him and found him awake already, quietly watching her.
"I've spent the last half an hour trying to convince myself that this isn't just all a dream." He smiled down at her.
"I know it's not, unless we're sharing the same one." She whispered.
"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" Howie asked, his concern apparent.
"I'm okay... a little sore, but that's to be expected." She blushed slightly. "Howie, was I..." She trailed off, her cheeks flaming.
"Cait you're everything I could possibly want. I love you and nothing can compare to that." He kissed her tenderly. She snaked her arm around his neck, deepening the kiss.
"I love you, Howard Dorough." She whispered, caressing his cheek.
"And I love you, Caitlyn Scott." He said softly, his voice full of emotion.
"Well, we should probably get up." She said a few minutes later, making a face.
"As much as I'd like to stay here all day, we should get organized to leave tomorrow morning."
Cait got up, pulling on a t-shirt. "I'm going to have a shower." She walked into the bathroom and turned on the water.
Howie got up, pulling on his discarded boxers and walked over to his suitcase to find clean clothes. Cait stood at the bathroom door watching him.
"You coming?" She called softly.
He looked up. surprised. Their eyes met across the room.
"Howie? You coming?" She repeated.
He shut his suitcase and crossed the room in three strides, drawing her to him and kissing intensely.
"Does that answer your question?" He asked.
In response she pulled him into the bathroom and closed the door behind them.
An hour later they walked into the hotel restaurant where the rest of the Boys and Anna were sitting having breakfast and talking. Cait and Howie walked over to table hand in hand, Cait with her left hand buried in her pocket.
"Hey y'all! Sleepin' in?" Brian called out, spotting them.
"I guess we did." Howie admitted. "Well, since we have you all together, we have something to tell you."
AJ and Anna glanced at each other.
"So, what's goin' on?" Kevin drawled.
"I guess I might as well come right out with it." Howie paused. "Cait and I are getting married."
"Holy smokes!" Nick's eyes opened wide. "Since when?"
"Actually, since last night." Howie replied.
"Whoa! Congratulations, you two!" Brian exclaimed.
"Right on!" Anna grinned. "Now let's see that hand that you've been hiding in your pocket since you got here."
Blushing, Cait took her hand out of her pocket and held it out for them to see.
"Omigod! It's gorgeous!" Anna squealed.
"Very nice, man." Kevin chimed in.
"Cait, come to the ladies' with me. I want to talk to you!" Anna whispered. "We'll be right back." She called to the Boys, dragging Cait away from the table.
In the washroom Anna looked at Cait expectantly. "So?"
"What do you want to know? About this." Cait guestured to her ring. "Or afterwards?"
"Afterwards, of course!" Anna rolled her eyes. "Did you?"
"We did." Cait blushed. "It was... amazing. It was everything I wanted it to be."
"That's great." Anna grinned. "So, how did he ask you?"
"We were finished dinner and said to me: 'Cait, I love you with all my heart. You mean so much to me. I don't know what I'd do without you. You complete me.' Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him." Cait sighed.
"That's so beautiful." Anna gushed. "I would have burst into tears."
"I was going to. I had tears in my eyes. Howie put the ring on my finger, got up and pulled me up from my chair and brushed the tears away."
"That's so romantic." Anna sighed.
"I couldn't have imagined anything better than the real thing."
"I'm so happy for you guys." Anna hugged her. "Even though I knew before hand."
"You knew? How?" Cait looked confused.
"AJ. He told me after you guys left last night."
"How did AJ know?"
"He helped Howie pick out your ring."
"Well." Cait nodded. "I can't fault their taste, that's for sure."
They both laughed and headed back to the table.
