She’d thought she’d left her growing up years behind her, but she’d been hanging on to more than a need to make the world around her perfectly in order. She’d still subconsciously held onto the old, misguided mantra that she had to be perfect as well.
Seth had told her that didn’t matter to him.
Maybe she needed to remember Seth didn’t need to be perfect, either.
And she couldn’t wait for him to land so she could tell him face-to-face.
The plane circled once more, message rippling for the entire airport to see. Then the craft descended, drifting downward into a smooth landing only twenty feet away from her.
The engine shut off with a rattle. The whirring rotor on the nose slowed and finally click, click, clicked to a stop. And there he was. Seth. Big, blond, bold and all hers.
He jumped out of the old craft, wearing khakis, hiking boots and a loose white shirt. His broad shoulders blocked out the sun and the crowd. Or maybe that was just because when he walked into her world, everything else went fuzzy around the edges.
She threw away the rag in her hand and raced toward him. A smile stretched across his face, his arms opening just as wide. She flew into his embrace, soaking up the crisp, clean scent of him.
She kissed him. Right there in front of the cheering crowd of airport personnel as he spun her around. The other voices and applause growing dimmer in her ears, she lost herself in the moment and just held tight to Seth. Even after her feet touched ground again, her head still twirled.
Moisture burned behind her eyelids, the happy kind of tears. How amazing to find her perfect love in accepting their imperfections.
He whispered in her ear. “Now maybe we can take this conversation somewhere a bit more private.”
“I happen to be cleaning that plane right behind you and no one’s due to show up for at least a half hour.”
He scooped her into his arms—which launched another round of applause from the crowd—and he jogged up the steps, turning sideways to duck into the plane. He set her on her feet and right back into his arms.
Holding him closer, she laughed into his neck, his shirt warm against her cheek. “How did you know I was here?”
“I had an inside track on your work schedules. Senator Landis is a cousin of mine, sort of, with his wife being the foster sister of my cousin’s wife… My family. There are a lot of us.” He guided her to the leather sofa. “Before we talk about anything else, I need to tell you a few things.”
Good or bad? She couldn’t tell from the serious set of his face. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“I’ve spent the past week working out some new custody arrangements with Pippa. The twins will be spending more time with me, and we’ve hired a new nanny for when they’re with her.” He looked down at their joined hands, his fingers twitching. “I’m not ready to run that paternity test. I don’t know if I ever will be. The other guy who could be their biological father doesn’t want anything to do with them. So, I want to leave things as they are for now. I just want to enjoy watching my kids grow up.”
“I can understand that.” She wanted that same joy in her life. The way he loved the twins made total sense to her. She’d been completely certain she would love an adopted child during her first marriage. “I’m sorry for pushing you away.”
His knuckle glided gently along her cheekbone. “And I’m sorry for not being more open with you.”
She cradled his face in her hands. “I can’t believe the way you flew out there. You’re crazy, did you know that?”
“When it comes to you, yes I am.” He pressed a lingering kiss into her palm, before pointing a thumb toward his airplane outside. “Did you get my message?”
“There wasn’t any missing it.” She tipped her face to his.
“I meant it, every word.” His emerald eyes glinting with a gemstone radiance and strength. “I should have said them to you that night. Even before that. I was so zeroed in on my need to keep my kids’ lives stable I focused on the idea of making sure they didn’t have a parade of women through their lives. I almost missed the bigger message knocking around in my brain.”
Her arms around his neck, she toyed with his sun-kissed hair. “And that message would be?”
“Marry me, Alexa.” He pressed a hand to her lips, his fingertips callused. “I realize this is moving too fast in some ways and in other ways I haven’t moved quickly enough. But if you need to wait a while, I can be patient. You’re worth it.”
“I know,” she said confidently, realizing for maybe the first time she did deserve this man and his love. They both deserved to be happy together. “And I love you, too. The bold way that you touch me and challenge me. How tenderly you care for your children. You are everything I could want, everything I never even knew I could have.”
“I love you, Alexa.” He stroked her hair back from her face. “You. The beautiful way you are with my kids. The way you try to take care of everyone around you. But I also want to be here to take care of you when you demand too much of yourself. I love the perfect parts of us being together—and even the parts of us that aren’t perfect but somehow fit together. Bottom line, you have to trust me when I say I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”
“Starting now,” she agreed.
“Starting right this second, if you’re done here.”
She scooped up her bucket. “As a matter of fact, I am. What did you have in mind?
“A date, an honest to God, going out to dinner together date—” he punctuated each plan with a kiss “—followed by more dates and making out and sex—lots of sex—followed by more romancing your socks off.”
She sighed against his mouth, swaying closer to him. “And we get married.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he promised, “and then the real romancing begins.”
Epilogue
A year later
She couldn’t have asked for a more romantic wedding.
And it had nothing to do with pomp and circumstance. In fact she and Seth had bypassed all of that and planned a beach wedding in Charleston that focused on family. A very large family, all in attendance.
Her bouquet in one hand, Alexa looped her other arm around her husband’s neck and lost herself in the toe-tingling beauty of their first kiss as man and wife. Her skin warmed from the late day sun and the promise of their honeymoon in the outer banks—of Greece.
The kiss still shimmering to the roots of her upswept hair, Alexa eased back down to her toes. Applause and cheers echoed with the rustle of sea oats. She scooped up Olivia and Seth hefted up Owen. Arm in arm with her husband, she turned to face the hundred guests. Waves rolled and crashed in time with the steel drums playing as they walked back down the aisle lined with lilies and palm fronds. The sun’s rays glittered off the sand and water like billions of diamonds had been ordered special for the day.
The twins, now nearly two and nonstop chatter bugs, clapped along with the guests. Shortly before the wedding, Seth had quietly seen the doctor about running a paternity test. As Alexa had suspected all along, the babies were Seth’s biological children. His relief had been enormous. He’d credited her love with giving him the strength to take that step.
A love they were celebrating today.
Sand swirled around her ankles, the perfume of her bouquet swelling upward—a mix of calla lilies, orchids and roses, with trailing stephanotis. The attire had been kept casual, with pink flowing sundresses for both bridesmaids. For the men, khakis with white shirts—and rose boutonnieres that had arrived in the wrong color. But she knew it was a sign that they were ideal for her wedding because the deep crimson rose was a lovely wink and nod to the beauty of the imperfect.
And her dress… White organza flowed straight down from the fitted bodice with diamond spaghetti straps. No heels to get caught in the sand, just bare feet, miles of pristine beach and crystal blue waters. A very familiar and dear World War II vintage aircraft flew overhead carrying a banner for the entire we
dding party to see.
Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Seth Jansen.
Cabanas with dining tables filled the beach, complete with a large tent and jazz band for dancing later. She’d let her new caterer-cousin choose the menu and design a detailed sandcastle wedding cake fit for a princess. And ironically enough, she had an entire Medina royal family in attendance as well as the Landises, considered by some to be American political royalty.
A play area with babysitters on hand had been roped off for children with their own special menu and cupcakes with crystallized sugar seashells on top. Although already kids were playing outside the designated area carefully arranged for them. They were happily building a sandcastle town with new moms Paige and Claire overseeing them. Just the way it should be—with everyone enjoying the day.
She and Seth had wanted their wedding to celebrate family, and they’d succeeded. Even her family was in attendance. While their relationship would likely never be close, enjoying a peaceful visit with them went a long way in soothing old hurts.
She and Seth had spent the past year building their relationship, strengthening the connection they’d felt so tangibly from the start. She’d also spent the past twelve months building her business and confidence. Her favorite work? Servicing the search and rescue planes on the philanthropic side of Jansen Jets. It was not the whole company, but certainly the part most near and dear to Seth’s heart.
They were both living out their dreams.
She looked from their applauding relatives to her new husband. And what do you know?
He was already staring right back at her, his eyes full of love. “Is everything turning out the way you wanted today?”
She toyed with his off-color rose boutonniere. “The day couldn’t be any more perfect.”
And the best part of that? She knew each of their tomorrows promised to be even better.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1419-4
BILLIONAIRE’S JET SET BABIES
Copyright © 2011 by Catherine Mann
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†The Landis Brothers
*Rich, Rugged & Royal
Billionaire's Jet Set Babies Page 15
