by Ivy Jordan
“I just didn’t want to go back to Aiden’s, at least not yet,” I admitted.
“Okay, but he’s your responsibility,” Alyssa said sternly in her motherly voice.
I giggled. I hoped one day to have that voice.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Aiden
“This has been the longest weekend of my life,” I whined to Luke, who sipped on one of my beers.
“I doubt that,” he chuckled, raising an eyebrow in my direction.
He was right. There were plenty of weekends out in the field or on the ship that seemed to last forever. Still, this was up there.
“What if she doesn’t call?” I asked.
“She’ll call,” he said sternly.
I knew he was growing tired of listening to me groan about Blake, but she was all I could think about.
I had it all planned in my head, the speech, the proposal. The one thing I didn’t have all wrapped up was the possibility she may not be interested.
“Where did you put the ring?” Luke asked.
It had been in my hands all weekend, wrapped around my pinky, just at the tip. I’d twirl it when I got nervous, and Luke had reprimanded me several times about losing it if I wasn’t careful. I was always careful.
“In my pocket,” I smiled, patting down the left side of my Levi’s.
It was a gorgeous ring, one that Blake deserved. The shiny gold band that I bought to match my own for our wedding, our fake wedding, was cheap, something just to get the job done. This ring was a diamond, princess-cut, and so brilliant it was hard to stare at it in the light.
“I’m gonna call my abuela,” I announced, standing to grab my phone.
Luke shook his head as I made the call. First, I just listened to the old woman tell me how she’d been out in the fields picking her beans.
“I told you, I would get to it,” I groaned.
“I’m perfectly capable,” she sighed on the other end of the phone.
There was no doubt in my mind that she was capable of just about anything. And there was no doubt in my mind that she’d never lie to me.
“Abuela, do you think she’ll call?” I asked.
The old woman chuckled, causing me to pull the phone from my ear. Luke shook his head, laughing at I’m sure what he thought was me acting ridiculous.
I hung up, fell back into the couch cushion, and dug into my pocket for the ring. I pulled it out, twirling it around my finger, and thought about all the things I would say to Blake once given the chance.
“You know she’s been working,” Luke questioned, his eyes narrowing on me as he spoke.
“I know,” I sighed.
I had talked to her, mainly through text, but our communication was much more frequent than before Gunner. She complained about having the extra responsibility, the fact that his poop was larger than his head, and that she had only a few days to meet her deadline.
When I asked her if she wanted me to come get him, just keep him here until she was done, she screeched at me, demanding I do no such thing. It was obvious she was already in love with Gunner. I’d made the perfect choice.
My phone beeped, causing me to lunge forward to grab it and knock my beer all over the table. Luke laughed as I stared at the screen.
“It’s her,” I announced proudly, holding the phone up so Luke could see.
It was a text, not a call, but it was something, and at that moment, I needed something.
“What’s it say?” Luke pushed.
I read the text aloud.
Blake: Finally done with work; now I can finish this scavenger hunt…
Holy shit, it was happening, it was finally happening!
“Great. I was beginning to wonder if I’d be around for this proposal,” Luke laughed.
I knew he would be taking off soon, and that thought had crossed my mind as well.
“You’ll come back for the wedding though, right?” I asked.
“Of course, you think I’d miss a chance to be at my best friend’s second wedding to the same girl?” he chuckled.
I texted Blake back quickly, and then took a long swig of what was left of my spilled beer.
Me: Good, congrats on your work. When do you plan to start?
Blake:I’m gonna shower, and then I’ll start
Me:Okay
My heart raced. She was starting it tonight. Tonight was the night I would ask my wife to marry me. I laughed, choking on some of my beer as I tried to speak, but couldn’t due to the ironic thought in my mind.
“She’s showering, and then she’s starting the hunt,” I announced to Luke, who was already standing, staring out the window.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he nodded in my direction.
I had everything planned. It would be perfect. Now, I just had to get everyone there, on time, and hidden from Blake’s sight.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Blake
The blue card wasn’t hard to decipher. Once I opened it, read the hint about the place that should be shared, I knew he was talking about his house, our house.
“You wanna go for a walk?” I asked Gunner in my worse baby voice.
He jumped from my bed where he’d sat so patiently while I finished my work. His eyes were bright and wild, his tail wagging so hard it nearly knocked over the lamp on the table.
“Calm down, boy,” I chuckled, gripping his collar so I could quickly attach the leash.
I left my room, hoping to ask Holly to walk with me, just for a buffer, but no one seemed to be home. It was close to dinner time, no food was cooking in the oven, and even her little puppy was gone. I looked for a note, but didn’t find one. Oh well. They must’ve gotten tired of dealing with me locked in my room for days on end.
I loaded Gunner into the car and drove towards Aiden’s. When I pulled into the driveway, his truck was parked towards the garage, but no lights were on. I stepped out of the car, leading Gunner with his leash. I looked around the dark front yard, towards the dark front porch, and felt confused. Had I missed something in the clue?
I stepped up onto the front porch and turned the knob to the door. It was locked. I had a key in my pocket but didn’t feel right using it after being gone for so long. I stepped back, Gunner pulling me backward. He pulled me around the house, sniffing at something in the grass. I tugged back on his leash, fearful he was after a rodent, or worse, a skunk, and then noticed the tiny lights shining from the backyard.
“Nope,” I called, pulling hard on Gunner’s leash.
Before I was able to pull Gunner back enough to make my escape, I noticed tables set up in the backyard with large umbrellas, and all with sparkling white lights underneath. It was beautiful. Alyssa and Liam sat at one, and Holly bounced around the yard. No, I couldn’t do this, not now.
I started to turn back when Gunner stopped, refusing to come along.
“What’s a matter? You chicken?” I turned to Aiden, who was down on one knee.
I tangled in Gunner’s leash, falling to the soft grass. Gunner went wild, running in between us as tears rolled down my face. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Was this happening? Everything was moving so fast, and my head was spinning.
Aiden stood, then walked slowly to where I was still on my back in the grass. He extended a hand, helped me up, and then placed his hands on my shoulders, staring me deeply in my eyes.
I took a deep breath, ready to speak, but unsure of what to say when Aiden knelt down on both knees in front of me, rendering me speechless once again.
“When I asked you to be my wife, I knew I loved you. I’ve known I’ve loved you all along, and it was wrong for me to deny it, to ask you to share something so precious with me without being true to myself. This marriage, as fake as it may have appeared or was meant to be, has been the most real thing in my life. I am no longer afraid to say I love you, Blake, with all my heart. Will you marry me?” Aiden’s words were so softly spoken, so gentle.
I gasped as he pulled out a
box, covered in velvet, from his left pocket. As he opened it, a diamond sparkled so brilliantly that it competed with the moon’s glow. I looked up, into Aiden’s eyes, my heart instantly melting. My knees weakened beneath me, causing me to struggle to stand as I softly uttered ‘yes’ and let him take my hand.
He removed the band that we’d both worn since that day at the courthouse and replaced it with the diamond. I reached out, snatching the gold band from his palm, and shoved it in my pocket. “For later,” I smiled.
I lifted to my tip toes as Aiden stood tall in front of me, leaning in for a kiss that could never be topped, but I would love spending the rest of my life trying.
Cheers roared from the backyard. I stared out at the small crowd, realizing all of our loved ones were there, even Anna-Maria and Liana.
Aiden scooped me into his arms, ready to carry me through the threshold, wherever that may have been, and suddenly Gunner ran underneath us, knocking Aiden off balance, and sending us both to the grass.
Everyone laughed, except Luke, who just stood there and shook his head.
“You had to get a big dog,” he laughed.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Aiden
The sweet curve of Blake’s leg slithered from the silk sheet like a beautiful snake. I stood at the edge of the bed, hating that I had to leave her, wanting desperately to climb back against her, making love to her the entire day long.
Fuck it; they can wait.
I turned from the room, walked into the kitchen, and started pulling out everything I needed for breakfast. The coffee aroma filled the room quickly, and the sizzle of the bacon on the griddle made my mouth water. I kept peeking around the corner, to make sure Blake hadn’t woken up with all the clanging I was creating.
I whisked the eggs quickly before pouring them into the hot iron skillet. While the eggs cooked, I tossed in chopped onions, peppers, and pieces of the crumbled bacon that had fried crisp.
The toast popped up loudly, causing me to rush to them to butter them up before Blake got out of bed. It was too late. Arms wrapped around my waist, squeezing tightly as I struggled to turn around. Blake’s lips puckered as she tiptoed into me, kissing me softly on the mouth.
I slung her around as she squealed with surprise, pulling her into my lap as I sat down at the kitchen table. She wore my t-shirt, one long enough to cover her bottom, but short enough to leave her luscious legs free for me to caress.
Our tongues entangled, our hands explored, and as my cock hardened, my body became weightless, falling, quickly, to the floor.
“Gunner!” Blake called out towards the beast that just blasted through us.
He pushed his front paws to the counter, stole a piece of bacon from the plate where it was resting, and ran out the doggie door I’d installed for him in the back door.
I was laughing so hard my ribs hurt, at least I hoped it was pain from laughter. I pictured Luke, shaking his head at me, and again questioning why I wanted such a large dog.
Blake was up on her feet, cleaning the plate that dropped onto the floor from the fall. She moved over towards me, her legs spread on either side, and extended her hand to help me up. I shook my head, a mischievous grin spreading quickly across my face. Her eyes followed mine, realizing I was peering up the t-shirt, one that was flowing freely over her body, with nothing else to cover her sweet flesh. She quickly clamped her knees together, let out a squeal, and playfully swatted at me with a wild smile.
“You’re bad,” she gushed, pulling downward on the t-shirt.
“Oh, baby, if that’s my view from hell, then yes, I’m bad,” I growled with laughter.
I managed to get to my feet with a little help from Blake and pulled her into my arms. She smelled so delicious that my stomach growled for her, not the bacon that left a thick, sweet scent in the room.
“Let me make you a plate,” I whispered in her ear, kissing her gently on the cheek.
I guided her to the table, sat her down, and smiled as I turned to the counter to make her food.
It was late, and I didn’t have time to stay, so I shoved a piece of the skillet omelet I’d made into a Styrofoam box with a piece of toast on top for later.
I carefully placed Blake’s food on the plate so it looked like it came from a professional kitchen, even though I was the farthest thing from a professional chef.
The look on her face as I slid the plate in front of her was all I needed. My heart swelled hard against my chest, causing my ribs to ache once again.
“Are you going to be here when I get back?” I blurted out clumsily before I could stop myself.
“I’ll stay right here,” she smirked.
“In that t-shirt?” I asked eagerly.
“Of course,” she grinned.
“No panties?” I persuaded.
Oh damn, that smirk on her face made my jeans tight in the crotch. If I didn’t have a large client coming in this morning, I’d skip out on work and stay, taking her on the kitchen table, right over her plate.
“I love you,” I whispered in her ear as I leaned down for a quick goodbye kiss.
It felt so good, so natural, that I wanted to say it over and over again.
“I love you, too,” she said softly.
I could listen to those sweet words come from her mouth again and again, and then again.
Blake was all I could think about while at work. One of our largest clients sat across from me, describing the work he wanted done, and all I could see was her sweet pussy spread over me in the kitchen that morning. I couldn’t wait to get home, to get to her, and to take her.
“Aiden, you’ve got a call,” Tim, one of the foremen announced as he poked his head into my office.
“I’ll get it in a minute,” I shewed him away.
“Sir, it’s your wife. She says it’s urgent,” he insisted.
I pulled my phone from my hip, realizing it was turned down too low to hear. I noticed four missed calls, and several texts, mostly from Blake, but one from my mother as well.
“I’m sorry. I have to take this,” I excused myself to the main office.
Once on the phone, I could tell Blake’s voice was shaken. My first fear was Gunner, but then realized the call from my mother was a bit odd, placed at around the same time as all the others.
“Is it my mom?” I asked nervously.
“No, it’s your abuela,” she said softly.
“This feels like déjà vu,” I chuckled, trying to stay positive in light of the news.
“It does. She’s back in the hospital again,” she informed me.
“I’ll meet you there,” I said softly, and then hung up the phone.
I rushed out of the office, explaining what was happening only to my office manager. At the hospital, I beat Blake there, but my mother was already in the room, putting on her dramatics as usual.
“Abuela,” I said softly, moving to the edge of her bed.
She didn’t look good, not like the last time. Her face was pale, and she was hooked up to a couple machines, but she managed to smile in my direction. I placed my hand over hers, smiling warmly to let her know I loved her and that everything would be fine, even if I wasn’t sure it would be.
“Are you Aiden?” I turned to find a tall woman with long red hair standing behind me. She wore a long white coat with a badge on the front that said Dr. Sterling.
“Yes,” I agreed, quickly standing to greet her.
“Your abuela’s blood pressure has been accompanied with a heart murmur, which we think may have caused her fall,” she spoke so casually.
A fall? A heart murmur?
“We’d like to keep her a few days for observation, but after that, we can’t in good conscious place her back in home where she’ll live alone,” the doctor said.
I looked towards my abuela; her face wrinkled into a growl. It was obvious she wasn’t happy about the woman’s decision, and if I knew the old woman, she’d have it overturned one way or another.
“I’v
e been telling her I didn’t want laundry downstairs or her bedroom upstairs. I can fix all that, put everything on one level,” I insisted, hoping to help my aging grandmother stay out of a nursing home.
“She can stay with us,” I turned to see Blake, out of breath, her hair a mess, and still managing a smile.
She brushed her hair down with the palms of her hands, wiped at the mud that was streaked down her pants, and smiled.
“Gunner was a handful to get on his line,” she explained.
“Are you sure?” I asked, hating to put that on her.
“Of course. The garage attaches to the house; we can convert it into an apartment in no time, giving her all the privacy she needs,” Blake smiled.
I turned to my abuela. “Does that sound okay to you?” I asked.
Her smile said it all. She was excited to stay with us.
“What we will do with my garden?” Anna-Marie asked.
“We will plant you one right outside your door,” I promised.
Her smiled brightened up the room, and it was obvious that the nurses and the doctor had yet to see it.
“Okay, if you’re both sure, then we’ll get started,” I warned, one last offer for either to back out.
“This is what family does, and abuela is now my family, too,” I watched Blake smile proudly towards my grandmother.
Wow. How did I ever get so lucky?
Chapter Thirty-Six
Blake
I was praising Saint Theresa for giving me a man that owned a construction company, complete with workers who were willing to work on weekends, and mostly for free. The garage apartment idea was much more work than I’d dreamt. What a mess.
I felt bad watching Aiden assess the situation, the situation I’d created. I opened my mouth far sooner than I should have—that much was certain. But, still, he looked at me so lovingly, as if he thought I hung the moon.
“The roof needs replacing,” one of Aiden’s workers suggested; they both stood in the garage, looking up as if in agreeance.
Ugh, what had I started?
