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"Wow, Jay this place is beautiful." Hailey said as she climbed out of the passenger seat of the pickup truck. They were in northern Wisconsin at Jay's family's cabin. The couple was amazed they had both been able to get vacation the same week and decided to spend it up at the cabin. It was early March and there had been a storm a few days before that had left a few inches of snow on the ground.
Jay shut the engine off and exited the truck. "Thanks. Yeah Will and I decided to fix it up a little after our dad died. Modernized it a little bit and added Wi-Fi. I also brought my fire stick so we can stream whatever you want."
They walked into the house and Jay turned on the heat. "It's going to take a minute to warm up but I'll start a fire. But this is our room." He opened the door to a room with a king sized bed two nightstands with lamps on them. A dresser was against the wall to the left of the door. That and Hailey noticed the huge window that had an amazing view of the lake.
"Oh that bed looks amazing I can't wait to curl up and take a nap in there." Hailey said as she put her duffel bag down.
Jay put his own bag down. "Really? A nap? That's what you're excited for?"
"I mean there's also fishing." Hailey felt Jay wrap his arms around her from behind as he leaned down to start kissing her neck. "Hiking, maybe read a good book, go make some snow angels." She turned around so she was facing Jay. "Or you know stuff with you."
Jay chuckled "Ok well I need to get the groceries out of the truck but then I'll show you everything."
Hailey plopped down on the comforter she unzipped her jacket and took off her winter hat. The black and white buffalo check comforter on top of the bed was very woodsy but somehow also very Jay. After a minute she got up and walked back into the living room. "Should I have offered to help with the groceries?"
"I mean you're lucky you're cute." Jay said as he pulled the last of the stuff out and put it in the fridge.
"I'm not just cute, I also brought hot chocolate mix." Hailey responded.
"So short tour then you can go nap and make hot chocolate." He said teasing her.
"So the door on the other side of the fireplace that is like opposite to ours is Will's room. The bathroom is this door over here. As you can see this is the living room slash kitchen area. Then upstairs." Hailey followed Jay up the steps to the open second floor. The room was cozy with two sets of bunk beds. "This is the guest room… for now"
"For now?"
"The idea was when Owen gets bigger and if Will and Nat had more kids. And you know if I had kids all the cousins get to bunk together. We renovated with the idea of this being a family retreat. Enough space to take vacations together."
"Aww that's really cute and you know the mention of little Jay's running around is adorable."
Jay gave her a little smirk. "Oh you're thinking about us having kids?" Jay would never admit this to anyone but he had dreamed before about him and Hailey having a family together. Of coming up to the cabin for a family vacation with a brown hair, freckled toddler running into the house and a blonde baby carried in from the truck in a car seat.
"I don't know," Hailey teased, "I would have to see if they make Henley onesies first." Similar to how Jay had never mentioned it to anyone Hailey had also secretly thought about starting a family with him.
"Oh you're so funny. But that door is another bathroom and there is a washer and dryer if you need. And that's it so you can go take that nap you were so excited about." He ended the tour giving her a quick peck.
"I'm actually going to go start dinner it's already five o'clock and that lasagna takes a while to cook."
While Jay watched Hailey head down the stairs to start cooking he was even more positive of his ultimate goal for this vacation. He just needed the right moment.
He followed her into the kitchen and kept her company while she waited to put the dish in the oven and for the amount of time needed for it to cook. Jay prided himself on the fact that he normally ate pretty healthy but looked at the cheesy vegetable lasagna Hailey had grabbed from the frozen section on the supermarket. "Hailey that looks like three cheat meals in one."
"You're going to like it."
"I feel the food coma already coming on. Like I might just go straight to bed and pass out."
Hailey pulled the lasagna out of the oven. "Let me guess you say that to all the girls you bring up here?"
"Hailey you are the only person I have ever brought up here."
"Really?"
Jay made sure she had placed the hot dish down first and then pulled her into his arms. "I've told you before I have never felt this way before. I love you so much."
"I love you too. You are being extra romantic today."
The couple sat down and enjoyed the dinner Hailey had made for them.
"Hey since you're being so romantic today I got a question."
"Ok."
"When did you realize you had feelings for me?" She had always been curious but couldn't pinpoint a moment where his behavior had obviously shifted.
Jay took a last bite of the lasagna. "You remember when we had that case in the strip club and Adam's Dad wound up working for the owner?"
"Yeah." Haley said slightly confused.
"When you were undercover and that dealer was trying to convince you to trade sex for coke and I could see how close he was to you on the monitor, I wanted to walk in there and rip him off you. I thought I was just being an overprotective partner but later I realized I didn't want any guy that close to you."
"Aww you got a little jealous."
"Yeah it just took me forever to tell you."
"I was going to tell you in the hospital that day but then your stupid UC phone went off."
"And then you chickened out." Jay said with a smirk on his face.
"I will admit I chickened out in the hospital that day."
"I chickened out too."
"What? When?"
"Remember when we were in the break room before Kelton got elected and you said I would forget out about you because we had only been partners a few years?"
"Yeah."
"I almost told you I was in love with you right then and there but I chickened out."
"Well at least we both figured it out once I was back from New York."
"Yeah I finally got my head outta my ass." He said smiling thinking back to a year before when Hailey returned home from New York. How he picked her up from the airport and they went back to his place for takeout. The night in had turned into the now couple confessing their feelings and making out like horny teenagers on the couch.
With his mind back in the present Jay offered to put the dishes in the dishwasher while Hailey got pajamas on and settled down on the couch. Pulling the large navy blanket she found over herself she settled in waiting for Jay. He ran back into the bedroom and swapped his clothes for a clean shirt and sweatpants.
"Oh my god I might be in love with this blanket. It's so warm and fluffy." Hailey said as Jay sat down next to her on the couch. "Hey what's wrong?"
"Sorry just that was my mom's favorite blanket. She would wrap us up in it when we would watch movies on the couch."
"Do you want me not to use it? I could fold it back up."
"No she'd want it to be used but we should really both be cuddled under it." Jay said a playful smirk on his face letting Hailey know it was all good. Hailey lifted up one side and Jay slid next to Hailey on the couch. Once she was wrapped in Jay's arms he noticed the shirt she had on.
"When did you steal my shirt?"
"You left it at my house a few days ago. Also since we can't get the game on the TV here I'm watching 90 day fiancé."
"You're really going to make me watch that?"
"The guys aren't here. You can admit that you like it a little bit." She held up her fingers to make a small motion with two fingers
Jay rolled his eyes. "Fine it can be entertaining if nothing else is on."
Hailey gave Jay a quick kiss. "You know it's your trash TV guilty pleasure."
Two hours later and Jay was no longer pretending to dislike the show. "Is that the last episode?"
"Until next week."
"But Daniel is heading to the UK to meet Anna. Who is so clearly actually like 50 or a dude or possibly both"
"It can be entertaining if nothing else is on…" Hailey said teasing his judgment of the show from earlier. "I'm going to pop some popcorn you want also?"
Once Hailey settled back down she felt him wrap his arm around her shoulder. "I mean this is kind of a random thought not to sound cocky but I think you're mom would of liked me."
"Are you kidding me? She would have loved you. Because she would of seen how much I love you and how amazing you are. Also you make me a better person and you make me so happy."
"Where did all that come from?"
Hailey felt Jay shifting his body around a little.
"You ok over there?"
"Marry me?"
"What?"
She saw that the shifting had been to pull out a ring box. "Hailey I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He opened the box so she could see the diamond on the silver band. "I'll get down on one knee if you want but.."
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes Jay I will marry you." Jay slid the ring onto Hailey's finger and then the couple shared a kiss.
Five years later the family vacation Jay imagined actually happened as him and Hailey pulled up to the cabin with their two children. Jay detached the car seat currently holding their four month old daughter and Hailey pulled their two and half year old son out of his car seat.
"What do you think Emmy?" Jay ran his hand over her blonde hair. "You excited for her first trip to the cabin?" The baby blew a spit bubble at him in response.
"Jay here give me her and I'll take them both inside while you start to unpack."
"You know I think it's interesting that I always wind up being the one unpacking."
Hailey took the car seat from him and gave him a quick kiss. "We'll see you inside. Won't we Emmy?"
Jay smiled as he watched his wife and children head into the cabin as he grabbed the first few bags to bring into the house with a smile on his face.