by Amber Lynn
“You’re giving me a game?” Hope asked with mock incredulous when Jason finished dusting some of the snow off of the car so he could see out the windows and climbed in. “Who brought up the idea of house shopping with my mother? I don’t know what got into her tonight, but I hope the idea implied you were looking for a house for you and not that we’re moving in together.”
Jason glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye as he started the car and turned the heat up. It was already somewhat toasty, so Hope assumed he’d autostarted it from the house before coming to collect her from the kitchen.
“Are you denying that we’re already living together?”
He waited until she answered the question to put the car in drive. She felt like pouting, but kept her jaw locked tight.
“That’s beside the point.”
She couldn’t deny that she was basically living in his apartment. It didn’t feel right to go home and sleep in her own bed when they always seemed to be naked in his.
“No, it’s not. I couldn’t lie to your dad when he asked me what my intentions were for his daughter.”
“What?” Hope squealed as she turned in her seat so she could face him more.
“Why do you think they sent you to do the dishes? I was expecting the grilling to start the second you left the room, and I wasn’t surprised.”
“What did you tell them?”
Having let the proposal detail slip, Hope didn’t have a lot of high ground to stand on, but she needed to know if there was any clean-up she was going to have to work to fix. There were questions she wanted to ask that Jason couldn’t answer, so she’d have to wait to find out how much her family believed him.
“Like I said, I didn’t lie. I said that we’re playing things by ear until my divorce is officially over. Then your mom asked where we planned on living if things progressed while we were busy playing things by ear.”
“And you told her she got a say in that?” Hope knew he wasn’t done explaining, but she interrupted him anyway.
“I told her that I wanted us to raise a family in a house like theirs and like the one I grew up in. Something on a quiet street where neighbors had cookie exchanges during the holidays. I think I’ve always wanted that and I let Kate talk me out of the dream to try to make her happy. One of the reasons I love you so much is because I think you share that dream.”
Hope looked away so she could bat an errant tear from her right eye. There were undoubtedly hundreds, if not thousands of women who could share that dream with him, but he sure seemed settled on living it out with her by his side. She still hadn’t told him that she loved him because the time hadn’t seemed right. The time seemed as good as any, but she decided to respond differently.
“If I haven’t scared you off in four months, I’d be honored to be your wife.”
The car swerved slightly to the right as Jason looked at her. He was quick to correct the car’s direction, but didn’t look away from her. She still faced the window on her side of the car, so she saw the movement out of the corner of her eye.
“Really?”
It was hard to tell if the shock in his voice was good or bad, but Hope decided to land on the side of good. She’d stopped thinking she was on some hidden camera show, where people would jump out at any second and tell her it was all a joke.
“Yes, really. Now, your goal is to get us home safe so we can celebrate both my parents not killing you and the possibility that we’ll be married before the end of the year.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Jason stared as Hope walked from the living room through the dining room and into the kitchen for the third time. It was the fifth house they’d looked at together. Even though her mother had wanted to tag along with their house search, they’d been able to circumvent her in the two weeks since they’d started the search. So it was just the two of them and a realtor wandering around the vacant house.
Hope had taken some convincing when it came to looking at houses. She thought it’d be silly to buy anything before the wedding, especially when she wasn’t sure where his contract situation stood. She didn’t seem to understand Jason’s want to have them living together in a more permanent home than their apartments as soon as possible. It helped a little when the contract he wanted came through. Both sides had to give up things they wanted, but all Jason cared about was the no-trade clause.
With her days freed up a little from cutting back her hours at the bakery, it was easy for him to surprise her by taking her to a random open house that seemed like it had potential. Once she started looking around, she was quick to share exactly what she hoped her house would look like.
The first thing on her list was that it couldn’t be too close to her parents. That was a little easier said than done since she insisted on being able to walk to and from work. Unlike her giving in when it came to the house search, the second car shopping still hadn’t happened. That meant they had to compromise on location. Jason didn’t want to put any restrictions on her individuality by telling her to quit both her jobs and turn into a housewife, but he did hope that once they went down the route of parenthood, she’d at least consider it.
Other things on her list included a big kitchen, a decent-sized yard and four bedrooms. The four other houses had all those things, but Hope hadn’t fallen in love with any of them. Jason wanted her to be happy, so he was following her cues, and they were telling him that they’d found the one.
“So, what do you think?” Jason asked when Hope’s lap completed back in front of him.
There was no furniture in the house, so it was a little hard to get a good picture of how big the space was. It would easily fit what little furniture they already had and they could go shopping for things like a dining room table and a full bedroom set.
“Do you seriously have to ask? It’s got four bedrooms with three baths so we don’t have to worry about both of us tying one up. And it’s got a pool. A pool. I didn’t even think to include that on the list, but with all the time I’ve found, I could take up swimming.”
Jason hadn’t been sure how the outdoor in-ground pool would go over. It made the place a little more expensive than the other ones they’d seen, but it wasn’t going to break any banks. The house overall was a little bigger than her parents, but not too big that either of them would get lost trying to find each other, or their future kids who would hopefully fill up the spare bedrooms.
“If that’s what you want to do. I’m a little more focused on the jet tub in the master bath that’s big enough to fit both of us.”
He winked at her and saw the blush spread across her face. The realtor showing them the house was standing by the front door with a stack of papers in her hand. She was far enough away that she probably didn’t hear the comment, and Jason didn’t really care if she did.
“Your stamina frightens me sometimes, Jason.”
Hope turned back around and faced the dining room. He couldn’t see her face, but he saw her pointing like she was placing items in her head. It was a good sign of her excitement. She hadn’t done that at any of the other houses.
“That’s not anything new,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. “So, are we making an offer?”
“You’re sure we can afford it, and by we, I obviously mean you. It’s thirty thousand more than the other houses we’ve looked at, so I’m sure monthly payments are going to be over twice what I’m paying for my apartment.”
She was determined to contribute financially. It still felt weird to be with someone who didn’t expect you to write a check for everything. She wouldn’t even let him cover the groceries that finally found their way to their fridge. Hope got tired of eating take-out, so she went shopping for enough food to feed an army, then laughed in his face when he offered to pay for it.
“We’ve been over that. There aren’t going to be monthly payments. We can offer ten grand less if that makes you feel better, but I think the asking price is pretty fair compared to what I’ve seen.”
“It’s a big step though, right? We’ve been together for like a month and we’re already buying a house? I know it’s not the point of no return, but it’s pretty major.”
“You’re getting cold feet,” Jason said in a taunting tone.
Once they’d started looking at houses, she’d been totally on board, but since she found one she actually liked, her trust instincts were kicking in. She was still worried about Kate showing up, and pretty much any good-looking woman she saw trying to catch Jason’s eyes. He was the same way, so he’d decided it was something that would hopefully go away after years of marriage. Even with his experience with matrimony, he was still looking on the bright side when it came to Hope.
“I’m not going to be able to work at the bar if we decide to have kids.”
“When,” Jason interrupted to set the record straight.
“Fine. When we decide to have kids. I can maybe pick my hours back up at the bakery, but eventually it’s going to be hard to stand up all day and I won’t be bringing in anything.”
“Would you mind letting us talk in private for a few minutes.”
It wasn’t like they already weren’t, but Jason didn’t want extra ears around when Hope felt insecure. They both wanted the house, so the realtor would be happy enough when she got her commission.
“I’ll be right outside. There are two more houses in the area that I think you might like if this one doesn’t have everything you want.”
“Thanks, we’ll talk it over and let you know in a minute.” Jason waited for the door to close before continuing the conversation. “We have time to figure out kids and what that means for your work, unless you’ve been poking holes in our condoms.”
Of the two of them, it was more likely Jason who would have been found with a pin stabbing the foil packets. They both knew that, so Hope went ahead and laughed at the joke.
“You think I don’t see it in your eyes when you start hoping your swimmers are stronger than latex? Usually it’s the woman who tries to trap the man in marriage, not the other way around.”
Hope spun around in his arms so she could look at him. There was a smile on her face, but it didn’t take away the trepidation.
“Since you agreed to marry me, I think that means I can skip trying to force your hand. I think we both know that just being your baby daddy wouldn’t mean squat if you decided you wanted to raise a baby by yourself.”
Jason patted his right pants pockets and tried to decide if the conversation was going in the right direction to pull out what was in it. He’d carried the small black box with him to every house they saw, waiting for her to decide on which one would be their house. He had a feeling they’d found it, but the backtracking had him worried.
“You know I’d never do that to you. I love you too much to take away your kid.”
Whether the house ended up being the one she wanted or not, her words changed the game plan. He’d been patient, waiting for her to find the right moment to finally say she loved him. He already felt it when they cuddled up together at night and talked about where they saw their relationship going, but she hadn’t strung the words together.
“You always like to mess with my plans, don’t you?” Jason asked as he took the box out of his pocket and dropped down on one knee.
“What are you doing, Jason?”
Hope pulled on his shirt to try to get him to stand back up, but he wasn’t budging. He’d practiced what he wanted to say numerous times. When it came time to finally say it, his tongue felt like it had tied itself in knots and his hands started to sweat. She’d already agreed, so the ring was just a formality, but it was a story they’d eventually tell their children, so he wanted it to perfectly reflect the love he felt when he thought about Hope.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m checking out how comfortable these wood floors are.”
Jason fumbled to get the ring out of the box. He’d wanted to buy Hope the biggest diamond he could find, but he knew she’d ask him to take it back. It was hard to find something special, but reasonably priced.
The ring he’d decided on wasn’t one he found in a store. He’d spent a day looking, but nothing he found in three stores was right. So, he’d called his mom and asked her to send the set his great-grandmother had worn. The ring symbolized a love that had lasted over fifty years, so it seemed lucky.
Hope’s right hand flew up to her mouth as Jason dropped the box and took her left hand. He’d had the rings cleaned up, making the small diamond sparkle. What it lacked in a huge price tag, it made up in the sentimental value Jason was trying to build.
“This ring belonged to one of my favorite women. It’s kind of sad thinking that you’ll never be able to meet her, but I think you two would’ve got along like peas in a pod. When I was six, she caught me trying to sneak a cookie from her cookie jar. To this day, I couldn’t tell you what that cookie jar was supposed to be other than a brown blob of some sort. My dad had made it for her when he was a kid and no matter how ugly it was, she wouldn’t throw it away.”
Jason slipped the ring on Hope’s finger without a problem. It was a little big, but it wouldn’t immediately fall off.
“I was used to being babied, a phenomenon some would say I still haven’t grown out of, but Grandma Mabel wasn’t about to baby me. She told me I could have the cookie, but first I had to dry all the dishes it took to make the cookies. Just like you, she was a firm believer in nothing being handed to you without you doing something to earn it.”
The tears falling down Hope’s face were hard to watch. Jason wanted to stand up and wipe them away, even if they were of the happy variety. He had to stay strong and finish up, or he’d never finish the speech.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve thought a lot about Grandma Mabel, and all the times I would have disappointed her if she was still alive. One thing I know for sure is that she wouldn’t be disappointed in you. She would’ve probably kicked me a few times for taking so long to talk to you, but she would’ve loved you just as much as I do.”
Jason stood up and ran his thumb under both of Hope’s eyes, trying to stop the flood gates. His own eyes were tearing up, so they were both going to be losing causes.
“I know you already agreed to marry me, but we should make it official. Hope Marie Nacin, would you do me the favor of making me the luckiest guy in the world by becoming my wife?”
Words were difficult through the tears, so Hope just nodded her head and wrapped her arms around him. Jason picked her up and twirled them around in a circle before he set her down and kissed her. His heart felt like it would explode out of his chest, literally. He was worried the realtor would come back in and his heart would be a puddle of goo on the floor.
He’d done the proposal thing before, but it didn’t feel the same. Jason had tried to explain to Hope how he felt different about her than Kate. It was something that couldn’t be put into words. She made him feel like they could take on the world together. That was the best he’d come up with as far as words to describe it.
“You’re a jerk for doing this here,” Hope whispered when they came up for air.
“This is the house for us, isn’t it?” Jason could’ve blamed her for making him do it, but it would’ve ruined the mood.
“It’s more than I ever dreamed of having. You’re more than I ever dreamed of having.”
Neither one of them was rushing to lighten the mood, so Jason decided to try to get a laugh in before they brought the realtor back in and made an offer. No one ever claimed he was a comedian, and it showed.
“Does this mean I can stop putting on the condoms and let nature take its course?”
Hope smacked his shoulder in mock outrage. He’d said more scandalous things to her almost every other day they’d been together, so the question was pretty lightweight.
“You know I don’t want people thinking we’re having a shotgun wedding. They’re already going to be talking about the ink not being dry on your divorce pape
rs.”
“And you know I don’t give a rat’s ass what other people think about us. I was ready to fight your mother for the right to marry you if she got in our way.”
Jason still didn’t know what he’d done to win Marie over, neither did Hope. They both figured it was Hope’s dad that talked some sense into her, but they’d resigned themselves to never knowing why she stopped scowling when he dropped by to see Hope. It was easier to go to the bakery than hang out at the bar. Jason still went to The Blue Corral a couple times a week, but it was mainly just to walk Hope home.
“And by fight, you mean we would’ve eloped, which is still my choice for a wedding.”
It was Jason’s choice too, but it wasn’t happening. They had two days before their New York trip, which neither of them were looking forward to. Making it through that was their current number one priority.
“The agreement is that we’ll both invite less than ten people.”
Jason took Hope’s hand and led her to the patio doors that went out to the landscaped backyard with the pool. When Jason saw it, he’d thought only about the upkeep all the flowers would take, but Hope immediately acted like she wanted to take it on.
“I think we should get married up on the top terrace there. You can have your sister standing up with you and I’ll ask one of my brothers, and everyone else can sit down in chairs below.”
Jason pointed to the area that had stairs leading up to a small seating area. It was good that neither one of them had allergies, because in the summertime the plants lining the path had to take on a life of their own.
“Do you think anyone will care if I’m not wearing a big, lacy wedding dress.”
The thought of it caused Hope to shiver in horror. Jason knew her feelings on the formality of everything, which was why he was suggesting a backyard wedding.
“That’s it. We are imposing a strict rule that if anyone says one thing in criticism of our wedding, they are disinvited. You are going to spend that whole day smiling, even if I have to fight an army of critics to make sure of it.”
