by E. Ayers
"It's beautiful and way too expensive."
He shook his head. "The band is what cost the most. It's CZ. Someday, I'll replace it with a real diamond, until then, it's our secret."
She fell into giggles as she slipped the ring on her finger. "I love it! Absolutely love it. I'll never breathe a word."
She held her hand out in front of her and chewed on her bottom lip. The way her eyes got crinkles next to them when she smiled, warmed him to the core. "As long as you like it."
She nodded.
"Now, my darling fiancée, will you join me for dinner?"
"You cooked a meal?"
"Not exactly. I ordered it from Stewarts and picked it up."
"Oh, you are bad, and I love you for it."
He held her seat, then served the appetizer. He even poured a suitable wine. Now he was glad he asked for help with tonight's meal. Dallas and Tate had made several suggestions, so it was simply a matter of following through with one of them.
As they ate their shrimp scampi, he decided he would tell Cassie the rest of his news. "Do you remember when I talked to my mom about moving in here last Saturday?"
Cassie nodded as she stuck another shrimp into her mouth.
"Well, I checked with Bill at work, and yesterday at lunch, he and his wife went over to Mom's and looked at the house. They are taking the offer to rent for two years and then buy it. They are going to sign the contract as soon as the lawyer draws it up. They can't wait to move in."
"That's fabulous. She didn't even have to put it on the market."
"I know. She got lucky." He ate another shrimp and then continued, "A portion of their rent becomes part of the down payment. Mom will get a slightly higher rent because of that. She really is lucky. She'll move in here probably next weekend. I think she's actually excited about it."
"That's good. Did you tell Shawn?"
He took a mouthful of his scampi and shook his head. "I don't want to tell him until we've got the truck in her driveway. I don't want anything to go wrong and have him be disappointed."
"I don't blame you."
Trent cleared their empty plates and then brought out the dessert, a tropical fruit mousse. "Hope you have room for dessert."
She stuck the tip of her spoon into the fluffy, pale-green concoction and tasted it. "Oh, this is divine."
"I have one more thing for you, but you might not be as thrilled." He held his breath as he waited for her response.
"What?"
"Am I allowed to use any of the money your dad is sending for the house?"
"What for?"
"A new bathroom for us. Groban's Supply Warehouse has had a beautiful bathroom on display, and it's been there for almost two years. The plumbing manufacturer is coming out with a different model, and Groban intends to sell off what they have dirt-cheap. I asked them to give me twenty-four hours, and they said they would."
"Keep talking." She scrapped at the sides of the bowl. "I was hoping to buy some things for our house."
He grinned. "Jacuzzi tub for two. Multi-jet, shower stall. Comes with all the fancy faucets. We'll need to retile."
She rolled her eyes. "Depends on how much it is. I might be able to put it on my credit card and not touch that money."
"Want to see it?"
"No. I trust you. Seems to me that you would have noticed that I'm not very good with things like that. I'm more at home in the museum than I am in a house. I like nice things, but I wouldn't know one tub from another, or if one set of curtains looks better than another."
"I have noticed that about you." He poured coffee for them. "I also feel as if I'm not financially contributing to our relationship."
"O-o-oh that bit about my making more than you?"
He pressed his lips together for a moment as his gut tightened. "Yeah."
She pushed her shoulders back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "What did you pay when you were home with your mom?"
"Half of my paycheck went to her. I never asked what she did with it."
"And if the mower needed a part, did you just buy it?"
He nodded.
"Let's talk to Mac McGuire. Besides, we need to start saving for Shawn's college and our own retirement. You're still facing some heavy medical expenses with Shawn, right?"
"Only a handful of the bills have drifted in from his surgery."
"And you have those funds that were raised."
"Yes, I have to submit the bills as I get them. I've been doing that."
"We definitely need to talk to Mac."
***
Trent chased Shawn upstairs to get dressed about the same time as Berto, Ari, and Rick came to the door.
"Hi, guys. Come on in and have a cup of coffee while we wait for my mom to call me."
"She's not ready?" Berto asked.
Trent laughed. "She's probably removing some speck of dust that she's found someplace. I think she was ready last night. She keeps panicking over the silliest things."
"May I take a sneak peek?" Ari jerked his thumb towards the apartment on the other side of the wall.
"Go right ahead."
Rick followed. Berto shrugged and went with them.
"This place looks great," Ari said. "You guys have worked hard."
"Cassie has gone over there to be with her this morning, but she'll come back here with the first load. I know the rug in the living room will go here. Her china cabinet fits right there, and her dining room table will go here."
Rick pointed to several drawings. "Whoever thought this up was brilliant."
"Mom did. She wants things arranged a certain way."
"Better than moving things three times," Ari commented.
***
By the time the day was over, everyone was exhausted and more than happy to relax with some pizza. Even Robin Callahan joined the young crowd in Trent and Cassie's kitchen, and thanked everyone including Cassie for all of the help.
"I thought I was giving up everything, and the only thing I've actually given up is my old kitchen table and chairs, which was replaced by an adorable breakfast nook that my son made me," Robin said proudly.
Trent wrapped his arm around his mom's shoulder. "Having you here will be wonderful. Shawn has missed you."
Ari grinned. "Having my mom has been a real blessing. Tate adores my mom, and we all share the responsibilities. There's quite a few multigenerational households, and it works well when everyone pitches in."
Rick nodded his agreement. "We see it all the time. Dallas and I have talked about being that sandwich generation. My parents are still young and in good health, but that might change one day."
"You're supposed to have children to be sandwiched." Trent laughed.
Rick rolled his palms up. "We aren’t doing anything to prevent it."
"That's wonderful. I had no idea you were trying for a child," Ari said.
"Dallas has plenty of good years ahead of her. I just don’t want to wait until I'm fifty to have my first child."
"How many years are there between you and Dallas?" Trent asked.
"Eleven."
Trent raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. I didn't know the gap was that much."
"It works for us." Rick grinned.
Cassie smiled. "I know that Dallas is madly in love with you. She swears without you, she'd never be doing what she's doing."
Rick shrugged. "We all have different lives. It's just a matter of making things work."
Trent gave his mom a little squeeze. "I think this situation is going to be perfect for us, too."
~~37~~
The evening after Thanksgiving, Trent and Cassie were married in the Church where she'd grown up. She wore a plain blue, street-length dress, and Trent wore his suit. It was a quiet ceremony, with only a few family members and Emily Zoot, the family's cook, in attendance. Steffen beamed at his younger sister and she returned his smile. Her life wasn't like other people's, and she knew it, but she loved her life, and she loved Shawn. That was enough for
Trent.
The Mass seemed to take forever.
Trent caught his mom wiping away tears. The Joneses had welcomed her, and had been much warmer to her than she had ever been to Cassie. Trent knew that guilt plucked at her.
His mom did seem happier since she had moved into the apartment, and she seemed to be trying to mend the fences with Cassie. That provided him some comfort.
They knelt in prayer, which brought Trent back to the present. But soon his mind drifted again, this time to Cassie's dad.
The man had admired her engagement ring and proclaimed it to be just right, not too big, or too small. Cassie smiled and never let on it was cubic zirconium.
Her dad also fell in love with Shawn who was doing well in school and had made lots of new friends. He played soccer on the team that Ari coached, but Ari had assured everyone that Shawn could play on a regular team in the spring, and wouldn't need to be on a special needs team.
During the Communion, he heard Shawn say something to his grandmother. Trent turned enough to glance at his son. Cassie had bought the boy a new navy-blue suit for the wedding, as he no longer fit in the one he had. He'd grown a full two inches since his surgery. All the doctors were thrilled with his progress. With a new lease on life, Shawn was enjoying every minute of it.
Trent looked over at his beautiful bride, who appeared to be fervently praying. He needed to pray for more time. Between adjusting to academia, his job, fatherhood, Cassie, and an old house with lots of projects, he discovered that anything worth dreaming of, also meant consumption of his time. To him, luxury was a rare nap on a Sunday afternoon. But he also knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel, and the thought of someday being an architect kept his nose in his books.
He needed to stop his mind from wondering and pay more attention to the priest.
"I, Trenton Ian Callahan, Junior, take Cassandra Lynn Jones as my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."
Cassie smiled at him. He wasn't certain if she was wearing a veil or a mantilla, but it matched the color of her dress perfectly. Life wasn't easy, and he didn't expect it ever would be. He only knew, with Cassie at his side, he could achieve his dreams.
There wasn't going to be a honeymoon, or even a big reception, only a quiet dinner at one of Boston's posh restaurants. He was far from his element in her family, but the thought of Cassie being his wife made it all worthwhile.
Before the priest pronounced them husband and wife, Trent called Shawn to stand between them.
"I, Cassandra Lynn Jones, promise Shawn Devon Callahan that I will love you as my own son, help guide you through life, and do my best to fulfill the role as a parent." She reached in her pocket and withdrew a small crucifix, placed it in his hand, and curled his little fingers around it.
Shawn looked up at her and smiled, then fidgeted in one of his pockets. He handed something to Cassie. "I love you, too."
Cassie took him in her arms and kissed him as tears slipped over her cheeks.
Trent nodded at the priest, who then pronounced them husband, wife, and son. He kissed his bride, and then his son, shifting the boy into one arm as he escorted his wife down the aisle.
***
It wasn't until Cassie and Trent were back in the bedroom of her childhood home that she retrieved the tiny dinosaur from her pocket. A Tyrannosaurus, Shawn's very favorite dinosaur. Tears welled in her eyes. "Look what he gave me."
"He loves you. We're officially a family now."
"Not quite. There's still the formality of my adopting him."
"There's no reason that won't go through."
She looped her arms over Trent's broad shoulders. "I have the most handsome husband."
"And I have the prettiest, most wonderful wife, and I can't wait to get her naked."
"Oh, and I've got a surprise for you when I am."
Trent raised his eyebrows.
"It's the little something old. Well, it's not old but rather a copy. "Ever hear of Ben Wa balls?"
"What?"
"You really do need to study history. It's anything but boring." She grinned. "But I'll admit that I enjoy teaching you."
###
***
About the Author
Born and raised with wealth, E. Ayers turned her back on all of it and married her prince charming a few days after her eighteenth birthday. Her family disowned her, and her friends were shocked. A firm believer in love conquering everything, she never looked back. The love she and her husband shared became the springboard for her novels.
Fascinated with the way people deal with everyday problems, E Ayers has always been an observer and a listener. A simple problem for one person is a mountain for another. She utilizes those common predicaments, which is why her books touch so many lives.
Today, she spends most of her time writing while living in a pre-Civil War home with her two dogs and a cat. Rattling around in an old money pit gives her muse plenty of freedom. Her idea of a perfect day is to spend it at the keyboard of her computer, coffee in hand, and everything in the house actually working as it should. She's the official matchmaker for all the characters who wander through her brain, and she likes finding just the right ones to create a story.
She adores hearing from her fans and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and at her website.
Where to Find E. Ayers on the Web:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1297251502
@ayersbooks (Twitter)
http://www. ayersbooks.com (website)
[email protected] (email)
http://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com/ (Shared Blog)
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B005AYJ0XE
***
Other Books by E. Ayers
Wanting (A River City Novel)
A New Beginning (A River City Novel)
A Challenge (A River City Novel)
Forever (A River City Novel)
A Son (A River City Novel)
Coming Out of Hiding (a novel)
A Fine Line (a novella) *
Mariners Cove (a novella)
Ask Me Again (a novella)
A Skeleton at Her Door (a novella)
A Snowy Christmas in Wyoming (a novella) *
A Cowboy's Kiss in Wyoming (a novella) *
A Love Song in Wyoming (a novella) *
A Calling in Wyoming (a novella) *
* sweeter reads
Table of Contents
About the Author
Where to Find E. Ayers on the Web
Other Books by E. Ayers
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Table of Contents
Click Here
About the Author
Where to Find E. Ayers on the Web
Other Books by
E. Ayers
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
