He shook his head. “Nope.” When she looked away, he winked at me. “But I’ll watch it as much as I need to in order to get caught up.”
“You’ll regret those words someday,” I said smugly, sitting down next to him and taking a bite.
He shook his head, chewing a bite of his own before saying, his voice so low I almost hadn’t heard it, “As long as there is a someday with you two, there’ll be no regrets.”
Chapter Six
Loren
Three Months Later
“Are you ready?” I asked, walking down the stairs with caution. I could smell the cake they’d baked, hear Rynlee’s laugh from the kitchen. I’d been confined to my room for the last several hours while Jack and Rynlee threw together the last remaining pieces of my birthday party.
It was sweet how close they’d grown in our time together, even sweeter how much of an effort Jack put into building a relationship with her. My heart was full for the first time in so long, and I had that wonderful man to thank for all of it.
“Ready yet?” I called again, nearing the kitchen. The light flicked off.
“Here she comes,” Jack whispered. Then added in a normal voice, “Come on in.”
Before I’d even entered the room, Rynlee screamed, “Happy birthday, Momma!” The kitchen was dark, except for the glow of candles—twenty-seven and counting—on the cake’s pink icing. Jack held Rynlee up to the table, both with wide grins.
“Happy birthday, Momma,” he repeated.
“Oh my gosh, that’s what you two were doing down here?” I feigned surprise, my hands to my cheeks. I hugged my daughter, kissing the top of her head before kissing Jack’s lips. “This looks delicious.”
“It is,” Rynlee said, and for the first time, I noticed the chocolate around her lips.
“Mhm, mind if I try?” I asked, running a finger along the edge to scoop up some icing. “You’re right, this is delicious.”
“Jack added strawberries,” she said with a giggle. “Your favorite.”
“He did, did he?” I raised a brow at him. “Those are my favorite.”
“Are you surprised?” he asked.
“I am,” I said. “Did you cook, too?”
He nodded, pointing toward the pan on the stove. “Cheddar and broccoli soup and loaded baked potatoes.”
My stomach grumbled at the thought, my mouth instantly watering. “You two have been busy.”
“Are you hungry?” Rynlee asked.
“Starving,” I admitted. “Do you have a movie picked out?”
“We’re going to eat in here,” Jack said. When I looked at him with what must’ve been a confused expression, he elaborated, “Rynlee’s choice.”
“You’re our guest tonight, Momma.” She took my hand, pulling me to the table. “Sit down.”
“Your wish is my command,” I joked, sitting in the chair she’d led me to.
“And we have a present for you, too,” she said. “But you have to close your eyes.”
I glanced at Jack, who nodded. “Do as you’re told.”
“Oh, fine.” I closed my eyes, pretending to pout, and held out my hands. Waiting.
Waiting.
Waiting.
The room around me was filled with sudden tension as I listened closely, trying to decide where they’d kept the present hidden. I felt the weight of a small item fill my palm, and I moved my fingers across its velvet sides. The possibility of what I knew it had to be filled my head, but I cast it aside. There was no way. My heart thudded faster in my chest, a mixture of happiness and worry filling me. Was I moving too fast? I hadn’t pushed this time. It was all Jack. He’d done the pursuing.
“Open,” Jack’s whispered command came, and I opened my eyes, staring down at the black velvet box in my hand. Happiness. It was the only thing I felt as I looked at the box, knowing what was coming. The worry melted away as quickly as it had come.
“What?” My hands began to shake as I stared at him, down on one knee in front of me, his eyes glistening with tears.
“Open it, Mommy!” Rynlee shouted from just behind him. “See what we got you.”
I lifted the lid, staring down at the diamond ring with a lump in my throat as he took my hand. “I love you, Loren. I love you and Rynlee so much. I love our life together—our family. I know it’s fast. I know you probably think it’s too fast, but when you know, you know, and…well, I know.” He rubbed his lips together, clearing his throat and tucking a piece of hair behind my ears. “I know that I want to marry you. I know that I want to become your husband. I know that I want to build a life with you, raise a child—maybe children—with you. I know that I want to wake up every morning to hear you snoring next to me or watch the way you cry when someone on The Voice gets a four-chair turn. I’m so in love with you. That’s all I need to know, and I know that more than I’ve ever known anything else in my life, so why wait?” He pulled the ring from the box and held it out to me. “Loren Mae Heinz, will you marry me?”
I looked to Rynlee, who was standing behind him with clasped hands and an anxious grin. She nodded, cupping her hands around her mouth in a whisper to me. “Say yes!”
A laugh tore through my tears and I pulled him toward me, unable to form words. My cheek rubbed his, as I nodded my answer, my face buried in his neck.
“Yes?” he asked, pulling me away, his hands cupping my arms.
“Yes,” I said. “Of course I’ll marry you.” He slid the ring on my finger, pressing his lips to mine, and I was sure my heart was going to explode with joy and happiness. Everything I’d always wanted was right in front of me. I’d finally have the family, the love, and the fairytale I’d always dreamed of. I’d been right to say goodbye to Travis. Everything I had with Jack was so much better.
“God, I love you,” he said, reaching back to pull Rynlee into our embrace. My heart swelled even more as she hugged him back. “Both of you.”
“Did we surprise you?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“You sure did!” I said, wiping away my tears so I could admire the ring. “You two’ve made me so happy.” I kissed her head and then his cheek. “Thank you.”
She climbed from my lap and turned on the light. “You’re welcome, Mommy. Now, let’s eat.”
Jack smiled at me, looking down at the ring. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” I said, staring at the intricate vintage detailing. “I love you.”
He tapped the ring, grabbing the stack of plates from the table. “Well, it’s a good thing, ‘cause you’re stuck with us both.”
Chapter Seven
Loren
Six Months Later
Just six months later, we were wed. We’d chosen to have an intimate ceremony at my home, with a larger reception at Jack’s bar. Meredith and I had worked tirelessly, hanging flowers from the large, wooden rafters in the rustic, airy room. We’d opened the oversized shutters to bring in daylight, giving the building an entirely different feel. I thought that it would matter—how the room looked or if my hair stayed in place that day. I fussed over the maid of honor dress Meredith would wear and the flower girl dress for Rynlee. I ordered three different best man collars for Merlin to try. I thought it all mattered, but in the end, when I saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me, everything else faded away. What mattered was us. Him. Me. Ryn. All of us together. What mattered was that I loved him and he was mine.
“You look beautiful, my love,” Meredith said, squeezing me into one of her famous, long-lasting hugs once we’d arrived at the reception. She looked over my shoulder to where Jack stood, talking to a group of guests. “You got a good one with him.”
I glanced at him, my heart warming. “I think so, too.”
“So, what are you going to bring me back from Mexico?” she asked, one brow raised as she elbowed me in the side playfully.
“I’m sure I’ll find something. Hey, are you positive you’ll be okay to keep Rynlee for that long?”
“It’s just a week
, Lor, we’ll be fine. You two deserve a little alone time. Besides, it’s been what…almost twenty years since I’ve had a kid Ryn’s age in my house? I could use a refresher course in case you two get busy making more babies for Auntie Mer to babysit.”
I touched my belly instinctively, scowling playfully. “Well, I don’t think that’s in the plans right away. And my child is not a crash course.”
“I’m only joking. Lighten up. Everything will be just fine. You two can go and enjoy yourselves, and we’ll be right here when you get back.” She looked over my head, taking a step back. When I spun around, my new husband was staring back at me.
“Sorry to interrupt. There’s someone I want you to meet,” he said, a giant grin on his freshly shaven face.
I looked behind him, wondering what he meant. “Who?”
“My mother,” he said, taking my hand.
“I thought your mother wasn’t coming?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious, though I doubted there would ever be a day when I was more presentable than my wedding day.
“She surprised us,” he said. “Excuse us, Meredith.” He pulled my hand, leading me out of the main room and down a hall. “She won’t be staying long—she has to get back home to Dad—but she didn’t want to miss it.”
“That’s wonderful, Jack,” I told him, squeezing his hand. His father had fallen ill several years before, but in the last year, his health had taken a turn for the absolute worst. From what he’d told me, each day left with him was a miracle. So, when his parents weren’t able to make it to the wedding, of course I’d understood. “I wish we’d known. We could’ve postponed the ceremony for a few hours so she could’ve been a part of it.”
“Well, I only made the decision on a whim,” a voice called from just ahead of me. We stopped short as a woman with icy, white hair and startling dark eyes stepped out of a room to my left. She wore a long, silvery-white gown, her makeup professionally done so her wrinkles seemed practically non-existent and her features were shown off with precision. In short, she was breathtaking, though I was immediately put off by something about her. I couldn’t place my finger on it.
“Mom, this is Loren, my wife,” Jack said, holding out a hand to gesture toward me. “Loren, this is my mother.”
* * *
Jack led us into the stockroom, surprising us all that he could find somewhere quiet.
“It’s…it’s so great to meet you, Mrs. Wells,” I said, studying her face and trying to decide if she was happy with her son’s choice in a wife.
“Oh, none of that Mrs. Wells nonsense. Call me Coralee,” she said, her voice droll but happy, it seemed. “It’s so nice to officially meet you, Loren. Jack talks about you all the time, but with Malcolm so sick, it’s been hard to get away. You understand.”
“Of course.” And suddenly I felt guilty that we hadn’t visited them. Why hadn’t Jack ever asked me to go to their home and meet them? Herrinville was just a few hours’ drive from us. “I’m sorry we haven’t met also, but I’m so happy you could make it today. I know it means the world to Jack.”
“I couldn’t bring myself to miss it,” she said. “I only wish I could stay longer.” She sighed, heaving her chest. “But, let’s not dwell on that. I want to know all about you.” Her eyes grew wide. “And your daughter! Oh, where is she? Jack, remind me, she’s…four?”
“Five,” I corrected. “She just turned five last month. We had a small party, but Jack said you weren’t up to traveling.” I looked up to him with a question in my expression.
Coralee spoke up suddenly. “That’s right. He did ask me. I’d forgotten. Well, happy late birthday to her. So, where’d you say she is?”
“She’s…around here somewhere. Probably with Merlin.”
“Well, I’m just dying to meet her,” she said with a loud laugh. “And see your lovely home. Jack mentioned you’ll all be living in your home, right?” She gave me a side-eye and pointed up toward the ceiling. “I’ve been trying to get him out of this studio bachelor pad for years.”
“Yes, we’ll be moving into Loren’s house,” he said with a groan, offering his mother a side hug. “Now, let’s go find Rynlee and introduce you two. I’ll get you a glass of punch.”
“We’re perfectly fine here, Jack. I want to get to know the woman who’s going to make an honest man out of you, after all.” She winked at me, and I flushed red and looked down. I couldn’t read her, and that was entirely frustrating to me. “Sit down, son, take a breath.” She pointed to a chair next to me and, like a dog, Jack sat.
Her smile was that of a cat, her wise eyes turned into sharp points. “Now, then, where were we…”
Chapter Eight
Loren
At Coralee’s insistence she’d clean up the reception, Jack and I headed home early. I was tired and exhausted and ready to be with my husband—in every way possible.
We’d already agreed Rynlee would stay with Sarah that night to give Meredith a break before she was on babysitting duty for the whole week, so we’d have the house completely to ourselves—a luxury we hadn’t had before.
We stopped on the front porch and Jack placed his arms under me, scooping me up like a baby doll and carrying me over the threshold of our home as I laughed. It was a silly tradition, but one that mattered to me, and I appreciated that it mattered to Jack as well. I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent—woodsy shampoo and rain water scented soap. When he stood me up in front of him, the smile faded from my lips, nothing funny about the look in his eyes. Passion. Desire.
I lifted my arms to wrap them around his neck, my fingers tracing lines across his skin. He lowered his mouth to mine slowly, his lips parting. I sucked in a deep breath as our mouths connected, losing myself in my husband. He moved his hands to my back, wrapping his arms around me tight.
His fingers fumbled with the buttons, there were twenty-eight to be exact. He’d never get them from this direction. I pulled my lips from his, as much as it pained me to do so, kissing his neck and chest as I parted his shirt. He removed his jacket, his eyes locked with mine with a fiery passion that made my knees weak. I’d never been wanted like Jack wanted me, never wanted a man as much as I wanted him.
My body pulsed with desire, my fingers on fire as I turned away from him, clutching my neck and looking at him over my shoulder. “Undress me, Jack,” I whispered, my voice more shaky and less seductive than I’d hoped.
He didn’t need to be told twice. His fingers moved over each button with care, his lips connecting with my skin, each button an inch he could move further down. His breath was hot against me, my hair standing on end as I waited for the next button, the next kiss.
When the final button was undone, he let the dress fall to the floor. I stepped out of it, turning to face him with just my panties between us.
He looked me over, his eyes darkening as he moved toward me again, hands outstretched. He cupped my breasts, moving his lips from one to the other, before lifting me up. “I don’t know if I can wait to get you upstairs,” he whispered, nipping at my ear.
I moaned. “I don’t know if I want you to.” I pulled his shirt from his shoulders, rubbing my hands over his burning skin. He set me down as he unhooked his belt, our eye contact never breaking. As he kicked off his shoes and removed his belt, I looked down. He was all mine. I didn’t have to feel shame for looking him over ever again. I stepped forward, taking him in my hands. He pulsed under my palm, his head rolling back.
Buzzzz. Buzzzz. Buzzzz. Buzzzzz.
His phone vibrated from his pile of clothes on the floor, and I tried to push the sound from my mind as I pulled his face down to meet mine for a kiss. He was tense against my touch, obviously distracted. I released him. “Do you need to check that?” I asked. Of course he was going to say n—
“Just a sec. I’m sorry.” He darted away from me as if I had a disease, grabbing his phone from his pants on the floor. He turned it over in his hands and groaned. “I’m so sorry.”
“Who
is it?”
“It’s Mom,” he said. “I have to take it.”
“Can’t it wait?” I gestured toward my naked, waiting body, then felt instantly guilty for doing so. What if something were wrong?
He winced. “I’m sorry. It’ll just be a second.” He put the phone to his ear without any further discussion, his excitement for me visibly shrinking as he walked from the room. “Mom? Everything okay?” I listened carefully to his conversation, feeling cast aside.
“No, everything’s fine here,” he said, then laughed. “Oh, thank you.” Pause. “Yeah, everything was beautiful. Loren and her cousin worked really hard to make sure it turned out well.” Pause. “Okay.” Pause. “Yeah, we really appreciate it.” Pause. “We’re excited, too.” Pause. “Okay, well, be careful.” Pause. “Yep. I love you, too. Tell Dad hello for me.” He walked back into the room, where I stood, still naked, yet a bit more angry. “I love you, too. Talk to you tomorrow. Good night.”
He hung up, staring at me. “I’m really sorry.”
“Everything was okay, then?”
“Yeah, she was just telling us she’d gotten everything cleaned up and was heading home. She said to tell you everything looked beautiful.”
I forced a smile.
“I know you’re probably mad,” he said finally, moving toward me. “But…I love you.” He cupped my breast again, rolling his thumb over my nipple. “And I promise…” He moved his mouth down. “To make it…” His lips traveled further down, the anger in my belly quickly fading away to make room for desire. “Up to you.”
Chapter Nine
Loren
Jack was on the phone just outside our bedroom. His voice roused me from sleep, though I tried to fight it. I rolled over, lifting the pillow from my head in defeat and grabbing the glass of water from my nightstand. I’d always been a heavy sleeper, and when I wake, my mouth is like the Sahara.
The Mother-in-Law Page 4
