by Rachel Lenna
Chapter 12
“Oh my god you’re not going to propose are you?!” I squawk, shaking. Kill me instead! I’m too young to think about marriage! I love you but marriage is scary!
Wait. What?
I love him? Well this is new. Is it possible I can love him?
“Tara!” He exclaims, I shake out of my thoughts. Serial killer and marriage. Interesting combination. “No. Relax. It’s way too early for that but can you trust me?”
“Can I trust you?” I look at him confused. This is a bit of a letdown I must say.
He holds my hands and looks me dead in the eye. There is enough moonlight shining through that I can see his face clearly and he is serious. “I know Joe and other guys haven’t really shown you what it’s like to give your trust to someone worthy but can you trust me enough to sit here for two minutes and hear what I have to say… please?”
He is shaking and I feel guilty. No killings? No marriage proposals? Okay I can do this. Just remember to breathe woman! “Okay.” I nod.
“Good! He smiles at me happily, kisses my cheek again and disappears. I have to use all my will power not to turn around and sneak a peek. I don’t want to ruin it and he is obviously going to a lot of effort for me so the least I can do is not peek. He is rustling around in the car or something and a big thump followed by a curse word has me silently giggling to myself. Now that was cute.
Music starts playing and I recognise the song immediately. What if? By Jason Derulo. I love Jason Derulo, I have all his albums. I love this song too and I smile just as Jason speaks the first line.
“What if?... What if I’m the one for you and you’re the one for me?... What if?”
My heart accelerates for a different reason this time as Jaydan appears in front of me again with flowers in his hand. Where he managed to pluck them from I have no idea but I gasp as he hands them to me.
“If you are the one, then us meeting here is fate”
“Oh my god Jaydan!” I gasp as Jason starts singing. Jaydan has chosen the perfect song and I think I want to cry. “What are you doing?” Blurts out for no apparent reason.
“Tara I have known you six months.” He says, his voice cracking a little. I can feel he’s as nervous as I am.
“Future with a dog named Ben, buy a house with a fireplace”
I nod, speechless. This song is just perfect. Jaydan is just perfect.
“This is the first I've seen your face, but there’s a chance we are soul mates”
He pauses a bit longer and I realize why immediately. The lyrics fit in perfectly.
“I know that this might sound crazy, cuz you don't know my name”
“But since the first time I saw you I knew I wanted you to be mine. You’re beautiful, smart, a lady and most of all you’re you.”
I only nod again. I must be dreaming. He’s a dream. This is a dream. What’s happening? No one wake me up!
“But we can't, we can't tell, the future no… but that's just, the beauty of, the world we know”
“He’s right. No, we don’t know the future but I waited six months for you to want me back and in that time I got to know you. I think I fell for you a little more each and every time I saw you each and every Friday night. I don’t want us to go back to living like we did where I’m the bar guy and you’re the customer. I don’t want to go back to when I only see you once a week and you pretend to be my girlfriend to get silly little girls off my back.”
“So Imma say Do do do Doo, Do do Doo baby, Baby what if?”
“So Tara…”
“What if?”
“What I am wanting to say is…”
“What if?”
“That I uh…”
“What if?”
“What if we gave it a shot? You know, like you and me? Like being together? Seeing where it goes? Boyfriend and girlfriend and all that comes with it”?”
“What if?”
“Of course we can take it as slow as you want because I want you to feel completely comfortable with everything we do…”
“Picture me on one knee, with the perfect diamond ring. We just met, but if you say “Yes"”
“OH geez I’m not doing this well at all.” He panics and I want to save him but before I can he blurts out, “I think I am in love with you Tara Sundown.”
“We'd have our wedding on the beach”
“Oh my god Jaydan!” I cry leaping into his arms. The nervousness of his expression and the sincerity in his eyes along with the music has me in tears. “Oh my god! Absolutely yes I will be your girlfriend!”
I shower him with hundreds of kisses, knocking us both over into the dirt. We roll and laugh as we tumble a couple of metres from the car landing in a heap near the base of a tree. He lands half on me half off and he just laugh. The music is a little fainter but we still hear it. The chorus is playing softly and I look right into his eyes. He is watching me watch him. “We can do this right?” I whisper.
“Listen,” He says instead of answering.
“Don’t know what tomorrow brings, but I’m still hoping… That you are the one for me… Oh and what if I had you and what if you had me and baby, what's the reason we can't fall in love?... What if?”
We lay there listening, both of us mesmerised. I am feeling every emotion possible right now and I realise something. There is no longer any doubt in my mind.
“But we can't, we can't tell the future no. But that's just the beauty of the world we know. Imma say Do do do doo, do do doo baby, what if? We all can say Do do do doo, do do doo baby, what if?”
As the song ends I look at Jaydan laying on top of me and smile up at him. My future suddenly looking a lot less lonely and a lot brighter. My gut instinct telling me that with him by my side nothing else matters. Not crazy family members, not crazy exes, not feeling lonely and definitely not thinking I’m not good enough because, tonight, Jaydan showed me I am. I am good enough to be loved right. I am good enough to be loved by him and I am good enough to love him back.
I. Am. Good. Enough.
I am good enough for this strong sexy man on top of me. I am good enough to be enough for him. There are no what if’s. It’s what will be. “I love you to sweetheart.” I whisper to him as he lowers his head to kiss me. The look of pure joy as his eyes light up have me knowing I made the right decision. “Thank you for bringing me back to life.”
He smiles at me as he moves a stray piece of hair. “You are the one for me.” He says as our lips finally touch. “The only one.”
“But we can't, we can't tell the future no. But that's just the beauty of the world we know. Imma say Do do do doo, do do doo baby, what if? We all can say Do do do doo, do do doo baby, what if?”
Epilogue – The following morning.
“So you’re the famous Miss Tara?” Marcy Baker smiles at me through her front door. Jaydan and I just arrived after we spent the rest of the night staring up at the stars and being with each other. Dawn was breaking and before I even had a chance to say a thing he convinced me his bed is way more comfortable than mine and that I should test it out.
Of course one of the ways he convinced me was to kiss me every time I tried to protest and in the end I realised that I wasn’t ready to give him up either. So here we are. At his parents’ house at Seven AM.
Seven AM on a Saturday morning.
Apparently Jaydan has a ritual with his parents that every Saturday morning he shows up after work and they have breakfast together before he crashes in his room that they still keep for him. He says it’s his parent’s way of making sure he’s well and to catch up with him.
Of course I saw straight through his little comments knowing that it’s because he doesn’t want to let me out of his site yet. It’s not about sex either, that much I know. He knows that it will take me time to want to do it and he is willing to go at my pace. As long as I kiss him always like last night – apparently.
“I guess so?” I shrug stoping in the doorway, no
t sure what she means.
“Jaydan has told us so much about you my dear girl.” She says understanding. She gives me a big hug and I almost burst into tears there and then for a second time in twelve hours.
“Way to go Mum.” Jaydan laughs as he steps behind me, slinging a protective arm over my shoulders. He discreetly pulls me back, clearly picking up on my distress. “Straight into it as always.”
“Of course dear.” She smiles at her son coyly. “No point in beating around the bush.”
“It’s all good stuff of course.” Jaydan Senior adds puffing up. He takes one look at my face and panics. “What's wrong dear?”
“Oh nothing. I’m sorry.” I sniff, pulling away from Jaydan to hide my face. I quickly wipe at my tears with the back of my hand. “It’s just been a long night and I’m not good at introductions at the best of times.”
“Jaydan, have you kept this poor girl up all night?” Marcy scolds, smacking him across the back of the head. Jaydan flinches.
“Mrs Baker it’s okay.” I smile at her. “It was a wonderful night. Best night of my life actually.” I add smiling up at my ‘boyfriend’. It will take a while to get used to that.
“Oh no dear please call me Marcy.” Marcy looks horrified.
“Okay Marcy…” I smile gratefully at her as she hands me some tissues. “Thank you.” I dab at my eyes.
“Mum, Dad she's not used to being fussed over so can we just back up a little.” Jaydan puts an arm around me again and I smile at him through watery eyes.
“What do you mean dear?” Marcy looks confused.
“My parents aren’t going to win any parenting awards anytime soon.” I supply when Jaydan looks horrified at the fact he put his foot in his mouth.
“Oh dear I’m sorry.” Marcy says, scooping me out from under Jaydan’s warmth and hugging me tight again. I’m starting to feel like a yoyo. “We do the best we can, old bug-a-lugs here and I.” She gestures behind her to Jaydan senior who is frowning at his wife’s head. Clearly bug-a-lugs doesn’t like his name. “I want you to feel welcome. Your party of the family now. Would you like a shower? I’m sure I can find some clothes that will fit you in the guest closet.”
“Oh no that’s okay.” I smile gently while panicking silently on the inside. This woman is offering her home up to me and I have no idea how to cope with that. “Jaydan said he would take me home in a little while. I can wait till then. But thank you.”
“Are you sure dear?” Jaydan Senior asks stepping forward. He looks concerned for me and that has a fresh batch of new tears threatening to erupt. This time I manage to keep them in check… barely.
“Yes sir.” I say politely willing them away.
“Oh dear no.” He looks horrified. “Please call me Jay.”
“Okay…” I smile. “Jay.”
“Will you two quit fussing over her please?” Jaydan says stealing me back from his mother. “I don’t want her to run away already because you two are smothering her.”
“Sorry dear.” Marcy appeases her son. “Let’s go to the kitchen. Breakfast is ready and waiting.” She herds us all into the hallway and I follow Jaydan down an elegant hall into a modern kitchen the size of Penny and Tom’s entire bottom floor.
Marcy gestures at me to sit and I do immediately. Father and son taking their seats to the right of me and Marcy at the head. The table is laid with bacon, eggs, cereals and several other things that smell wonderful. “My boys like to eat dear.” She says catching me eyeing all the food. “It will all disappear.”
“There’s so much.” I can’t help but say.
“You don’t know Hugo and Jaydan.” Jay Senior smiles.
“Jaydan says you’re in Uni?” Marcy remarks as she starts to pour coffee.
“Yes. I am studying a bachelor of behavioural sciences.”
“Oh wow!” Jay exclaims. “I like this girl, she might be a good influence on you!”
“I told you dad,” Jaydan says with a forced smile. “I don’t want to go to Uni. I have my club and bakery.”
“Always good to have something to fall back on if they ever fail. I won’t be around forever and the distribution company will need someone to run it.”
“It won’t be me Dad.” Jaydan says firmly. “I thought that was a you and Hugo thing?”
It suddenly makes sense why Jaydan is so distant about his family. Jaydan’s talk of his father being a hard ass. His father has set views about what his sons should be doing and clearly Jaydan isn’t following them. But it is out of love for his child. Unlike my parents who preferred it if I stayed invisible.
“It can be a Hugo, you and me thing.” Jay says hopefully.
“I only just started.” I add, trying to save Jaydan. “I am only two months in.”
“Sounds wonderful dear.” Marcy smiles at me with a wink.
I smile back as my phone rings. “Sorry I just gotta check it’s not important. No one usually rings me at this hour.” I say yanking it out of my purse. Oh Shit.
“Penny!” I gasp. “Oh I forgot to text her! She’s gonna be worried because I didn’t come home last night.” I look up at Jaydan’s parents with desperation. “Sorry I need to take it, I will be only a moment.”
“Take all the time you need honey.” Marcy says. “You can go in the lounge room.” She gestures towards a door and I bolt for it with a grateful look in her direction.
“Thanks.” I throw over my shoulder just as I press answer. “Penny.”
“Where the hell are you?”
“I am sorry I didn’t call or text.”
“Damn right you are! Are you alright? Where are you?”
“Yes. I am with Jaydan… At his parents’ house.”
Penny’s scream is that loud I have to move the phone away from my ear. “I knew it!” She squeals and I hear Tom in the back ground grumbling something about crazy women and the fact it’s 7 am in the morning – on a Saturday. “Details! I want details!”
“Not now.” I hush into the phone. “I will be home soon.”
“Oh I’m so excited. I can’t wait ‘til you get home! You have to tell me everything!”
“I will.”
“You better.”
“I promise. Now I have to go we are having breakfast.”
“Breakfast with the parents! Oh my god it must be serious!”
“Bye Penny!” I laugh at her enthusiasm. I know how much she has wanted this for me. She was the only one who had any inkling that I had a crush on Jaydan. She knew before I knew but I was in denial for a long time.
“Bye!”
I laugh at my phone as I put it back in my bag. Walking back towards the kitchen I collide into a hard male body. This one doesn’t make me tingle like the other but he’s awesome just the same. “Hugo!” I cry stepping back straight away. The guy is big, bigger then Jaydan but I put that down to their age differences.
“Little lady.” He bows. “Welcome to our humble abode. I see you made it alright?” He looks tired. Like he’s been up all night too.
“Ah thanks?” I say not sure how I am meant to respond to that. “You alright?”
“It’s been a long night.” Hugo smiles and I feel there is more to it than that. “Where’s Jaydan?”
“In the dining room having breakfast.”
“You coming to join us?”
“I was, I just got a phone call.” I reply. He nods, extending his arm. We walk arm in arm back to the dining room where parents and other son stare at us.
“Tara!” Jaydan laughs after a hug awkward pause. What on earth is that about? “You take a phone call and come back with a brute.”
“Hey!” Hugo laughs.
“A loveable one.” I add, defending him.
“I’m gonna like having you around Little Lady.” Hugo smiles at me as I sit back down near Jaydan and he takes the empty seat next to his Mum.
“Why?” Jaydan demands, eyes narrowed. I wonder what that is about too. the brothers share a look and I feel like I’m missing
something huge.
“Because she's on my side.” Hugo finally says, trying to lighten the mood.
I laugh at him. “Not gonna always happen though.” I put out there.
“Probably not when you got bug-a-lugs junior there.” Hugo gestures at Jaydan who frowns.
“That stupid nickname. Mum why?”
“I could say the same thing son.” Jay pipes up around a mouth full of coffee.
“Aww bug-a-lugs don’t be like that.” Hugo grins at his brother.
“Quit calling me that you big ter…”
“Jaydan!” Marcy stops her son mid word. “No language at the table thank you.”
“Sorry Mum.” He says immediately, bowing his head.
“Hugo how you been?” Jay Senior asks completely changing the subject.
“Good.” Hugo says carefully. “Actually great.”
“Yeah?” Jay says. “What’s so great about it?”
Hugo takes a deep breath. He seems to be struggling with something. Eventually he stands up, takes another deep breath before stating, “Everyone I have a big announcement to make.”
“What's is it?” Marcy asks mid fork full of bacon and eggs when Hugo waits and says nothing for several moments. “Hugo tell us!” She adds.
“I’m getting married.”
The room goes deadly silent.
Then Jaydan lets out a curse word.
Jay just stares.
Marcy drops her fork and its clatter is the only noise I hear.
And meanwhile I’m wondering what the big deal is?
***
Over The Weekend
Book Two in the Saga of Moonlight Falls
Anna-Beth Pearson has a huge dilemma. A one week stand eight months ago resulted her in becoming a whale… and carrying two calves on board. Desperate and out of options she goes to see the babies’ father who, at first, doesn’t believe her but when she gives him the proof he needs he will help her. But she has to marry him first.
Hugo Baker is getting married. He can’t believe it and neither can his family. Apparently the famous ladies’ man has a few people to convince… there’s just one big problem… The bride is in that list.
Like hell I will!
I’m only eighteen. There is no way I’m marrying anyone. I shouldn’t have to worry about stuff like this… why did it have to be me? And twins! I couldn’t get knocked up with just one it had to be two! And why with the famous ladies’ man Hugo Baker?
Gee I have made a mess. But it’s not just me I have to think about anymore. My babies’ lives are at stake.
I need help, I know I do. I can’t afford these babies on my own and even though he’s a hussy, the one week I spent with Hugo I saw a side of him I think few ever do. He’s a good man – usually. Wanting to do a dumb thing like marry someone he barely knows for some odd reason I cannot understand and then he will help me.
I won’t marry him.
We can make it work without the marriage… No amount of puppy dog eyes or good reasons will get me to change my mind…
Right?
I just have to remind myself I am an eighteen year old woman and he can’t love just one…
Right?
Hugo will come round and see that we can do this…
Right?
Coming May 2014