by Marie Force
He reached around her, rolled her clit between his fingers and did the same to her nipple. The combination set her off as it always did. He played her body with the same skill he played the guitar, and she was powerless to resist him.
“Grace,” he groaned as his hands returned to her hips to hold her still for his fierce thrusts. Still wedged inside her, he helped her to stand up straight and put his arms around her. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too. Now what’s the good news?”
Laughing as he withdrew from her and turned her to face him, he kissed her. “I talked to Buddy. I told him the situation, and we agreed to six separate weeks on the road over the next year—none of them in January.”
Still a bit sex drunk, it took Grace a second to process what he’d said. “And that’s it? Only six weeks?”
“Only six weeks.”
When his words finally registered, the flood of relief reduced her to tears.
“Aw, baby, don’t cry. You know I hate when you cry.”
“Good tears,” she said, clinging to him. “I was so afraid of what was going to happen to us if you were gone all the time.”
“So was I. That wasn’t what I wanted, and I told him so.”
“You actually said ‘no, thank you’ to Buddy Longstreet.”
“I did. I want you more than I wanted what he was offering. It’s that simple.”
Of course that only made her cry harder.
“Gracie… You’re killing me here. I thought you’d be happy.”
“I’m so happy,” she said between sobs.
“You don’t look happy.”
“I’ve never been happier in my whole life.”
He put his arms around her and held her as tight as he possibly could. “Me neither, baby. Me neither.”
* * *
Jenny couldn’t believe what Maddie, Grace, Stephanie, Abby, Laura and Sydney had accomplished at the lighthouse in only an hour. The lawn was littered with chairs, a fire pit, lanterns and long tables covered with tablecloths that were anchored by white rocks they’d gathered from the beach below. The girls had their guys working just as hard, hauling coolers and ice and taking orders like the well-trained husbands, fiancés and boyfriends that they were.
“You guys are amazing,” Jenny said. They’d told her she’d done her part by donating the place, but she’d also made two huge salads and one of her favorite desserts to lend to the cause. It was just as well that she didn’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting, because her arms and legs were dead from surfing—if you could call what she’d done “surfing.” It was more like falling with style, as Buzz Lightyear would say.
Alex had been a patient teacher, and she’d more or less gotten the hang of it. He told her it would take a lot more practice before she mastered it, and he promised to give her another lesson soon. He’d gone home to check on his mom before the party, and she expected him back any time. She had butterflies in her belly when she thought about taking their relationship fully public with her friends, but she knew they’d be thrilled for her.
She was pretty thrilled for herself, she thought as she cuddled with Thomas, Hailey, Ashleigh and Holden on a blanket spread over the grass. Jenny had volunteered to keep an eye on the kids during the setup. Hailey had crawled into Jenny’s lap, and Ashleigh had her head on Jenny’s leg as she took a look at Thomas’s new board book.
Jenny was so absorbed in the kids and their chatter that she didn’t notice Alex approaching her until he was right on top of them. “Oh, hey,” she said, her body tingling in delight at the very sight of him. “I didn’t see you coming.”
He raised a brow in that naughty, sexy way of his and made her laugh.
“Not in front of the children.”
“You’re a natural,” he said, squatting next to the blanket.
“I don’t know about that, but I do enjoy them as well as my own nieces and nephews.”
“Do you want your own?”
Jenny stared at him, the question arcing between them like a live wire. “I used to. I figured I’d be staring down the teenage years by now.” She shrugged off the stab of pain that came with remembering old dreams. “But I’m probably past all that.”
“Because you’re such an old hag.”
“Hey!”
“Come on, Jenny. You’re only what? Thirty-six?”
“Seven. And a half.”
“Jeez, I had no idea you were so much older than me.”
“How much older?” She couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to her to ask him how old he was.
“You’ve got three and a half years on me.”
“Oh my God! I’m a cradle robber.”
“What’s a cradle robber, Jenny?” Thomas asked.
Jenny bit her lip to keep from laughing. “It’s when an old lady like me goes out with a young guy like Alex.”
“You’re not old, Jenny,” Ashleigh said with an annoyed glance at Alex.
“You’re my new best friend, Ash,” Jenny said.
The dark-haired little girl, who was the spitting image of her gorgeous mother, smiled up at Jenny. “BFFs.”
“Forever,” Jenny said. “Do you think Mommy will be surprised to find out the party is for her?”
“Yep. Auntie Maddie told her it was a cookout. She lied, but it was a good lie.”
“That’s right. She lied so she could surprise Mommy, but Auntie Maddie wouldn’t lie to your mommy about something important.”
“I know. Can we go play with the horseshoes?”
“As long as you stay right there where I can see you, and don’t throw the horseshoes at each other.”
Holding hands, Thomas and Ashleigh scampered off, leaving Jenny and Alex with Hailey and Holden, who sat in a bouncy chair.
“Don’t tell me you’ve given up on the idea of having kids of your own,” Alex said as he took a seat on the blanket.
“Not entirely, but I’ve tried to be realistic about it. I’m getting older every day, and it’s not something I’d do by myself. I’d be a terrible single mom.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Alex held out a finger to Holden, who curled his pudgy fist around it. “I want kids. I want a family of my own.”
As she listened to him and watched his interaction with Holden, Jenny held her breath, waiting to hear what else he would say.
“I bet we’d make really cute babies together.”
Okay, that was unexpected. She swallowed hard. “You do?”
Nodding, he reached across the blanket for her hand. “You don’t think so?”
“I haven’t really thought about it, but now that you mention it, they probably would be pretty cute.” Her eyes filled, and she looked away, desperately trying to rein in her emotions.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“Tell me.”
“You make me want things I long ago gave up on hoping for.”
“You make me want things, too. The same things, I suspect.”
“We shouldn’t even be talking about this,” she said with a nervous laugh. “It’s far too soon.”
“No, it isn’t. We aren’t kids. We’ve both been around long enough to know when something special comes along. Who says we have to spend two years together before it’s acceptable to have this conversation?”
“I never said anything about two years, but two months might be practical.”
“Screw practical.”
“Don’t swear in front of the babies.”
“Don’t dodge the issue.”
“Maybe we could continue this conversation later?”
“Yes, I believe we will continue this later.”
Trying to hide her trembling hands from him, Jenny snuggled Hailey, her mind racing with the thoughts he’d planted in her brain. The two of them together long-term, having children together and watching them grow up… A powerful sense of yearning filled her, and she had a feeling he knew just how much his words had affected her.
�
��Hey, you guys,” Maddie called. “They’re coming.”
Alex stood and extended a hand to Jenny. She picked up Hailey, Alex took Holden, and Jenny called for Ashleigh and Thomas to come along with them.
Tiffany and Blaine arrived in his police-issued SUV.
“Are we late or something?” Tiffany asked as she took in the gathering that had grown and multiplied while Alex was rocking her world on the blanket.
“Surprise!” they all said in unison.
“Happy wedding shower,” Maddie said to her sister as she hugged her.
Tiffany’s mouth fell open. Beside her, Blaine smiled at her reaction.
“We totally got you,” Laura said.
“I’m stunned,” Tiffany said as she received hugs from her mother and Ned. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“Oh, we know,” Stephanie said with a grin.
Poor Tiffany had no idea what she was in for. It was a good thing they’d set up lots of games and things to keep Thomas and Ashleigh busy during the present stage of the festivities.
After Jenny and Alex returned the babies to their mothers, he stayed close to her, keeping an arm around her shoulders or his hand clasped tightly to hers. He was making a very public statement of their coupledom, which was yet another thrilling moment with him.
Stephanie, Laura and Abby managed to get Jenny away from Alex long enough to pump her for information that she happily gave up.
“I can’t believe you kept this from us,” Laura said with a teasing smile. “No wonder you didn’t click with Mason or Linc.”
“I only met Alex the day before I went out with Linc. There was no juggling going on. I swear.”
“I’m really happy for you, Jenny,” Abby said. “You’re positively glowing.”
Jenny raised her hands to her face. “Am I?”
“Positively,” Stephanie confirmed.
“Are you guys for real?” Tiffany asked loudly as she opened the first of her presents—a skimpy see-through nightgown and an incredibly large dildo. “In front of my mother?”
“Relax, dear,” Francine said dryly. “Wait till you see what I got you.”
“I can’t believe you guys did this behind my back in my own store! I wondered why we had such an off-the-charts week. Patty, you’re so fired!”
“You can’t function without me, boss,” Patty retorted.
“That’s true, but you’re still fired,” Tiffany said, adding in a hissing whisper, “Mr. McCarthy is here.”
“And he’s a big fan of your store,” Linda said, making the women laugh and her sons groan in agony.
“I’m going to poke out my mind’s eye,” Mac said, making a beeline for the beer cooler with Evan, Adam and Grant right behind him.
“Now, boys,” Big Mac said with a shit-eating grin. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”
“Please, shoot me right now,” Grant said. “I can’t live with that image in my head.”
“Take me out while you’re at it,” Adam said.
“And me,” Evan said.
“Stop being a bunch of babies,” Abby said to laughter from the others.
“I don’t know what I ever did to you to deserve this,” Mac said to his wife.
“Um, you only crashed every girls’ night we’ve had for the last two years.”
“I’ll never do that again. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“I bet you haven’t.”
The gifts went downhill from there, fueling the guys’ mortification. All of them, with the notable exception of Blaine, protested vociferously at being subjected to such shocking gifts.
“No more guys at showers,” Adam said. “I’m making it a rule.”
“Overruled,” all the women said in harmony, laughing and high-fiving each other.
“You girls sure know how to throw a party,” Alex whispered in Jenny’s ear.
She laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “They so deserve it. They’re always butting into our business.”
“Speaking of butting into your business...” Alex zeroed in on the object Tiffany had pulled from yet another gift bag. “Is that a…um, plug?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen one. Have you?”
“Um, ah, how to answer that?”
She elbowed his ribs, making him grunt on impact.
“What did you get her?” Alex asked.
Jenny had chosen some relatively tasteful lingerie compared to some of the stuff Tiffany had gotten from the others. “I’ll never tell.”
“I think we need to make a visit to this store of hers. I had no idea…”
When she thought about Tiffany’s store and going there with Alex, Jenny’s entire body heated.
Alex spoke directly into her ear. “If that sweet blush is any indication, you seem interested in a field trip to the store.”
Jenny was still trying to formulate a reply to him when Ashley and Thomas, apparently bored with their game of Twister, came running over to Tiffany, who sat in a special chair decorated with streamers and balloons.
“Mommy, me and Thomas want to help you open your presents and play with your new toys,” Ashleigh said.
“Mac!” Maddie cried as the others lost it laughing. “Do something!”
“Oh, no way, honey,” her husband replied. “You made your bed.”
“Shall we?” Jenny asked Alex.
“I think we must.”
They went over to scoop up the toddlers and took them down to the beach while Tiffany opened the rest of her gifts.
Chapter 22
The party was a smashing success, Jenny decided, as she sat on Alex’s lap in a chair at the fire pit while Evan and Owen played for them. Ned and Francine had taken Ashleigh and Thomas home for a sleepover, and Holden and Hailey were sleeping inside in a portable crib with a baby monitor attached to Maddie’s hip.
Paul and Jared had come and seemed to be having a great time, which made Jenny happy she’d invited them.
Together, they celebrated Dan and Kara’s happy news and enjoyed the retelling of her confrontation with the sister who’d hurt her so badly. Jenny couldn’t imagine one of her beloved sisters doing such a thing to her, and it had made her smile to hear that Kara had gotten the chance to tell off her sister.
Jenny’s group of friends had reacted with surprise and pleasure to the fact that she and Alex were a couple now. He’d behaved admirably when she talked to Jared. There’d been no comments, scowls or other signs of the green-eyed monster, for which she was grateful. She appreciated that he understood that was something she didn’t find attractive and was trying to change.
Paul left at eleven to go home to relieve the friend who’d stayed with his mom so he could go out for a while. Alex had offered to go, but Paul insisted he stay and enjoy the time with Jenny.
“He’s being really cool about everything,” Alex said after his brother left.
“He told me I’m good for you.”
“Did he? Well, you are. I’m glad he sees that, too.”
Jenny dropped her head onto his shoulder, loving the feel of his strong arms around her and the clean, sexy scent of him filling her senses. As she sat on his lap in front of the fire with her closest friends surrounding her, the sky above filled with stars and Evan and Owen’s music providing a backdrop to endless conversation, Jenny realized she was truly content for the first time since Toby died.
Alex was a big part of the reason for her contentment, but so too were her wonderful friends, her lighthouse and the island where they lived together. As she looked up at the stars, she hoped Toby was looking down at her and was pleased with the life she’d made for herself.
* * *
She had the dream again that night. As always, Toby appeared in living, breathing color, so vital and alive, so handsome in a custom-made suit. He got up from breakfast, put his cereal bowl in the dishwasher and poured coffee into a travel mug. Then he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and returned with the bag he carried to work.
> He came over to her and bent to kiss her cheek and then her lips when Jenny turned her face up to him. Looking down at her, his eyes bright with excitement, he said, “I’ve been thinking.”
Jenny held her breath as if she were a third party watching the dream unfold. She’d never gotten this far. She always woke up at the kiss.
“What about?” she asked.
“You should go off the pill now.”
Flabbergasted, she stared up at him. “We said we were going to wait a year.”
“I don’t want to wait. I want everything right now—you, us, our baby. I want it all. Will you think about it?”
Still stunned, she nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll think about it.”
“Good,” he said with that irrepressible smile. He knew she was powerless to say no to him when he looked at her that way. “Gotta go. Love you, honey.”
“Love you, too.”
He came back from the door. “One more kiss.”
Amused by him, Jenny hooked her arm around his neck and lost herself in the kiss, opening her mouth to the thrusts of his tongue.
And then he pulled back, looking down at her with eyes gone glassy with desire. “Mmm. I’ll need more of that later.”
“You got it. Have a good day.”
“You, too.” After one last short kiss, he was out the door. Gone. Forever.
Jenny woke up sobbing, gasping for breath as the memories flooded her, overwhelming her with the sweetness, the poignancy and the unbearable sadness. And somehow she knew, in her heart of hearts, that she wouldn’t have the dream again and felt like she’d lost him all over again.
Her sobs woke Alex. “What, baby? What’s wrong?”
She was crying so hard she couldn’t speak for a long time.
He held her in his arms, rubbing her back and whispering words of comfort that went straight to her heart.
“I had the dream again,” she said as soon as she was able. “I finally remembered what he said that morning.”
“Oh God, Jenny. Do you want to tell me? I’d understand if you didn’t…”
