Wishing for Us

by Sydney Landon

  “Well, it certainly sounds as if he needs a good butt kicking to me,” said a voice somewhere behind her.

  Lydia stiffened and then whirled around. “Who?”

  At some point, Jake had grabbed a towel and was now wiping his face so his speech was muffled when he said, “Honey, these are my parents, Ada and Joe Hay.” Looking past her shoulder, he added wryly, “Guys, this is my wife, Lydia.”

  Well, this couldn’t possibly get worse. Utterly humiliated, she turned to face the couple standing near the stove. His mother was stirring a pot and his father looked as if he was seconds away from rolling on the floor in laughter. Jake’s mother put a lid on the pot then wiped her hands on a dishcloth before coming to a stop in front of Lydia. The older woman surprised her by throwing her arms around Lydia and hugging her tightly. “Nice to meet you,” Lydia squeaked out against her shoulder.

  Ada Hay pulled back and Lydia didn’t know whether to be horrified or relieved that she was grinning broadly. “I always knew that any woman who married one of my boys would need a backbone. They’re both stubborn, but Jake is probably the worst.”

  Jake’s father snickered while Jake called out, “Thanks a lot, Mom.”

  “Um, did you hear all of that?” Lydia asked, hoping to God that they’d just caught the last of it.

  “My favorite part was the ‘whipper zipper.’” Ada giggled. “Don’t get me wrong, no mother wants to know that her son spreads it around town, but I have a feeling that won’t be happening anymore.” Then she fixed a glare on her son. “You haven’t phoned your wife today? I won’t even go into why you’d need to call her when she had every right to be there with you.”

  Jake fidgeted uncomfortably before admitting, “Chris broke my phone this morning, and I haven’t had a chance to get another one yet.”

  His father looked at his wife and nodded. “I told you I heard something when we were taking Casey down for ice cream. Remember, I went back to get my hat but changed my mind when I heard Jake and Chris arguing. As I was walking off, I heard a crash but figured the boy could handle it.”

  Puzzled, Lydia asked, “Why would she break your phone?” Considering Chris had been acting like an angel lately, that seemed a little strange, even for her.

  Sighing, he admitted, “Because I called her out on her behavior at lunch the other day. Incidentally, she also confessed that she doesn’t have a boyfriend and she just wanted to make me jealous. So we had the talk where I told her that I loved my wife very much and she and I would never be anything but the mother and father of Casey. She got angry and my phone was sitting on the bedside table in the hospital room so she threw it on the floor and then stepped on it for good measure.” Despite the angry words she’d hurled at him, he looked deeply apologetic as he said, “Things got crazy after that. Casey was released and I had to deal with Chris acting like an all-time bitch. But that’s no excuse. I should have found a phone to call you.”

  Lydia barely heard the explanation about the phone. Her attention was focused on the words he’d spoken before that. He’d told Chris that he loved her. Did he mean it or was it just a way to get her to back off? As she was struggling with what to say, his mother cleared her throat. “Your father and I are going to run to the store. I need a few more things for dinner.”

  “What could you possibly have forgotten?” Joe asked, looking bewildered. “We damn near bought out the entire supermarket not an hour ago.”

  Ada gave a long-suffering groan before taking her husband’s arm and pulling him toward the door. “Do you really want to stand around and listen to the details of your son’s sex life? I’m as open-minded as the next person, but I’d still like to keep a few mysteries where my boys are concerned. Now, can we please go to Publix to wander around for a while?”

  Clearly not bothered in the least by her chiding, Joe looked at first his son then Lydia. “Well, I guess we’ll let you kids have some privacy now.” Pointing at his son with a smirk, he added, “Good luck, whipper. You’re probably gonna need it.”

  Lydia knew that her face must be in flames as his parents left. Dear Lord, the intimate details she’d spat out in front of them! And the manwhore part. That one was likely to haunt her forever—even if it was somewhat true. Okay, maybe he hadn’t been that bad, but all indications would point to the fact he had been a little fast and loose with the women. “So . . . they seem nice,” Lydia said lamely. The room was quiet for so long that finally Lydia couldn’t stand it any longer. “Okay, I’m sorry for saying all of that in front of them.”

  Jake moved to the sink and wet some paper towels as he attempted to clean some of the sticky drink from his face and neck. “That’s my fault. I should have called you. Some of this could have been avoided if I had,” he stated calmly.

  Now that her anger had died down, she was getting nervous and feeling the need to fill the silence. “I may have possibly taken the whole, um . . . sleeping around thing a tad too far as well. You did say that you usually didn’t have relationships, so I did have some basis for it.”

  His stare pinned her in place as he said, “That’s correct. I haven’t been one for serious involvement with women in the past. But I also haven’t been a man who lowered my zipper anytime, anywhere. I do have some standards, Lydia.”

  This was getting more uncomfortable by the minute, and frankly, after doing nothing but obsessing over her relationship and worrying about Casey, she was too burned out to go through it again. If he wanted to be mad at her, then so be it. Throwing her hands up in the air, she said, “You know what? I can’t do this right now. I’ve humiliated myself by throwing a hissy fit in front of my in-laws, which is completely unlike me. I’ve never had to force a man to have ‘the talk,’ but I seem to be doing that a lot as well. I’m turning into one of those needy, clingy women that I never understood.” Refusing to look at him, she rubbed her eyes before adding, “I’m tired, Jake. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. I’m going to go lie down and hope when I wake up, this will all have been some bad dream. Please apologize to your parents for everything.” With those parting words, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other until she was in the bedroom. She debated leaving and going to her apartment, but she didn’t have the energy. So instead, she curled up in the middle of the big bed and allowed her body to relax. Her last thought as she drifted off was that Jake hadn’t come after her. It looked as if she’d left the last pieces of her marriage, along with her dignity, in the kitchen.

  * * *

  Jacob scratched his head and tried to process what had just happened. To say he’d been a bit blown away by first the margarita on his head, then the verbal slap down, would be an understatement. His wife, it seemed, was full of surprises. Of course, that was probably to be expected when you didn’t actually spend much time learning about each other before the actual nuptials.

  Naturally, he’d been a little discomfited to have his sexual past ridiculed right there in front of his parents. He couldn’t imagine many men who wanted their mother to hear them called “whipper zipper.” It also bothered him that Lydia thought so poorly of the choices he’d made. But he guessed he couldn’t toss all the blame on her. They’d rushed into marriage for all of the wrong reasons and then sort of fell into a relationship. There hadn’t been more than a handful of meaningful discussions between them concerning their past. Although, possibly, he was the one who hadn’t felt the need to confide in her. Lydia had spoken in great detail about her love for Brett and those years of her life. She’d also given him insight into what it had been like for her since he’d passed away.

  Other than talking about his daughter and some of the issues he had experienced with Chris, he hadn’t been as forthcoming and that was on him. He certainly couldn’t blame it on the fact that she wasn’t interested because he knew she was. It mostly came down to the lame excuse that men tended to avoid uncomfortable subjects and that included their past hist
ory of dating and sex with other women.

  He’d planned to talk to Lydia tonight and tell her how he felt. He hadn’t been expecting the big scene in the kitchen, though, so he’d been temporarily thrown off. He knew one thing, though. He couldn’t let her go to bed another night thinking he was a jerk who didn’t care about her. So squaring his shoulders, he prepared to go talk to his wife. His wet clothes were still clinging to him, and he hoped that if she felt the urge to toss something over his head this time, it was at least just water. This sticky stuff was damned uncomfortable.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jacob found her curled around his pillow in the middle of their bed. He took that as a good sign. At least she didn’t have it in a stranglehold or, even worse, kicked to the floor. He liked to think it showed that a part of her still wanted to be near him, even in sleep. He flipped on the nearby lamp and took a seat beside her. Then he simply stared for a moment. His wife was truly a beautiful woman. He’d told her that before, but he didn’t think she believed it. She wasn’t a vain woman. She didn’t wake up and run directly to the bathroom to put on her makeup. Instead, she usually stumbled to the coffeepot with her hair sticking up adorably. She’d grunt at him in passing as he filled his own cup. Neither of them was that big on verbal communication before they’d had their caffeine fix. On the weekends, when they had more time, Jacob liked waking them both up in more pleasurable ways—no cup required.

  Somehow, without his really being aware of it, she had woven herself into the very fabric of his life. It was only now as he stood there watching her sleep that he realized he wouldn’t ever want to wake up to a day that didn’t include her. And it was past time that he told her that.

  When she stirred in her sleep, he took the opportunity to lay a hand on her arm. “Lydia—sweetheart, can you wake up for a minute?” He grimaced at his choice of words. He certainly hoped she wanted to stay up for more than sixty seconds after he professed his love for her. She mumbled something under her breath, but her eyes remained closed. Time to bring in the big guns. He toed off his soggy shoes and climbed up beside her. His body weight caused her to shift onto her back and he took advantage of the momentum to move her the rest of the way into his arms. Then he lowered his head and began feathering kisses on her face. One on her upturned nose, then each eyelid, the apples of her cheeks, before finally touching his lips to hers.

  He was gratified to hear her moan, “Mmm, Jake,” as she sighed into his mouth. More than anything, he wanted to roll her warm and pliable body underneath his and lose himself in her. But with his parents coming back at some point, he didn’t really relish them walking in on him having sex with his wife. He figured they’d been traumatized enough for one evening. So he pushed the need for her aside as best he could and kept his kisses teasing and light. After a few more, her eyes begin to twitch, and then finally open. “Jake . . . what’s wrong?” she asked huskily as she struggled to get her bearings.

  “Shhh, nothing, sweetheart,” he answered as he stroked her hair soothingly. “I just wanted to talk for a bit. I didn’t like how we left things in the kitchen.”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

  “Lydia,” he murmured, feeling like all kinds of a jerk. He’d hurt her badly enough for her to fly into a rage earlier, and now she was apologizing for doing something that she pretty much had every right to do. It was a bit harsh, yes, but again, that was on him. “Honey, I’ve been an insensitive pig, and I admire you for calling me on it. The only defense I have is that I’ve never been in love before, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. Hell, I’m not even sure I recognized it fully until last night. You came into my life so suddenly, and then, in a short amount of time, I couldn’t imagine it without you. I should have told you that every single day. You made this house into a home not only for me but for my daughter as well. Casey recognized your place in our lives from the very first day, and I’m ashamed to say that I was slower to catch on.”

  “What are you saying?” she asked quietly once he paused for a moment.

  Before he answered her question, he settled back against the headboard of the bed and picked her up again, shifting her until she was straddling his lap. He wanted them face-to-face so that she would have no reason to doubt his words. He needed her to see the sincerity and the love in his eyes. “I love you, Lydia Hay, so much that it scares the hell out of me. But at the same time, it makes me want to be the best man that I can be for you and for my daughter. I promise you that what happened yesterday at the hospital and today when I didn’t call you will never occur again.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he put his finger on it, wanting to get the rest of what he needed to say out. “It’s not that I didn’t want you there last night. I was so grateful when you walked in. Then in the next breath, I felt as if I was going to break down. So I panicked thinking that I was going to do something embarrassing like cry, instead of displaying the strength that both you and Chris needed. Which I realize now sounds insane,” he added ruefully.

  “Oh, Jake.” She laughed softly against his chest. “Don’t you see that’s one of the best parts of having someone that you love? When you’re weak, I can hold you up and vice versa. We’re both going to have times when we stumble, but what matters at the end of the day is that we always have each other’s backs against the world.”

  Unable to resist, he took her lips in a slow kiss that quickly threatened to get out of hand. Finally, he forced himself to pull back. Quirking a brow, he asked, “So . . . was there anything you wanted to tell me?”

  She wrinkled her nose adorably before saying, “Um, I’m starving? When are your parents going to be back for dinner?”

  Growling, he began tickling her body until she yelled, “Okay, okay, I love you, you big lug! Thank you for apologizing for not calling me today.”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Wow, so romantic, sweetheart. Your words are better than the finest poetry.”

  “Would you prefer whipper zipper?” She managed to keep a straight face then dissolved into a fit of laughter.

  “You’re going to pay for that at some point, you little minx,” he threatened good-naturedly.

  “Mmm, I’d like to make a deposit on that right now,” she purred as she began kissing and licking down the sensitive skin on his neck. When her hand dropped into his lap and cupped his semihard cock, he had her on her back within seconds. They completely lost track of time and where they were as she wrapped her legs around his hips and he ground against her softness.

  Jacob had his hand up her shirt, cupping one creamy mound, when he heard, “Dinner’s ready, kids! Whatever you’re doing needs to wait until later.”

  “Fuck,” he bit out as he reluctantly rolled off his wife. “I swear, they haven’t been here in months, and tonight, they just won’t go away. Wouldn’t you think any sane people would have gone to the store and never come back after what they’d just witnessed? But no, not them. They’re probably hoping we’ll break out in round two for their amusement,” he grumbled as he straightened his clothing before helping her off the bed.

  “Honey, it’s fine.” She laughed. “I’d actually like a chance to show them that I’m not the crazy woman they met earlier.” Jacob froze, riveted by how amazing it felt to hear an endearment fall so naturally from her lips. “What?” she asked as he continued to stare at her like a sap. Damn, was this love thing tricky. It was as if the moment he acknowledged his feelings, he had finally allowed himself free rein to bask in all things Lydia. She could probably fart like a pack mule and he’d still be enchanted. Okay, that might be pushing it a bit.

  He pulled her into the circle of his arms and dropped a kiss on her forehead, then another on the corner of her mouth. “Nothing, baby, just thinking about how good this feels—you and me here together with nothing between us. Well, other than these damn clothes and my parents,” he grumbled.

  Then
a knock sounded on the door and they both jumped. “Son, did you hear your mother? She won’t let me eat without you, so come on out and face the music,” his dad yelled through the door. Well, hell.

  Exasperated, he took Lydia’s hand and opened the door to find his father standing there smirking. “Guess what, Dad,” he called over his shoulder as he and Lydia walked ahead toward the kitchen. “Lydia and I are going to be coming to visit you guys a lot more in the future. And we don’t plan to stay in a hotel. No, we want to continue this family bonding, so we’ll use my old room, which is right across the hallway from your room. Just one big happy family now.” Lydia chuckled at his side while his father mumbled things under his breath that Jacob hoped his wife couldn’t decipher.

  Amazingly enough, though, even with all of the interruptions, he wouldn’t change a thing about this moment. He’d never seen this in his future when he looked ahead. An incredible woman by his side, surrounded by his family. As surreal as it was, it also felt so incredibly right. And in the back of his mind, he could almost see the caption, Whipper zipper finds a mate.

  * * *

  Ada was buzzing around the kitchen when they walked in. The other woman paused to take in the way that her son was clasping his wife’s hand firmly within his own before giving a nod of satisfaction. “Glad to see you two used your time wisely.” Glancing up at her son, she added, “I assume you groveled sufficiently and promised never to be such an ass again.”