Alice Carpenter
Page 22
When Jarrod didn’t respond immediately she tugged on his hand. "Right, honey?"
He nodded his head, and sounded a little dazed when he spoke, "Sure, sweetie. Whatever you say."
"Fine then. Let’s get busy. Steve, Peter, and John why don’t you three start to unload everything in the entertainment center. Tasha and Joan, why don’t you two empty out the dresser and night stands in Jarrod’s room. Just put everything on the bed.
"Jarrod, put the kitchen table and chairs in one of the trucks outside and you can drive Erika and I over to the duplex. We need to start going through things to decide what goes and what stays. I assume somebody thought to bring some boxes."
"They’re in the back of Steve’s truck," Erika answered, her eyes sparkled.
"Well, let’s get to it, guys. We don’t want to be doing this all day." Steve, Peter, and John headed toward the entertainment center while Tasha and Joan started for the stairs.
"Oh, by the way, where’s Lainey? I can’t believe she’s not in on this plan."
Jarrod smiled sheepishly. "She’s packing up your things as we speak. She said she wouldn’t risk the confrontation, but she was ready to help."
Nikki rolled her eyes. "I should have known. Well, we better get a move on then, otherwise she might pack something that stays."
Erika headed toward the kitchen, Briana in tow, to remove the few things on the top of the table. Jarrod took Nikki in his arms and held her tightly, gazed deeply into her eyes. "I don’t know how to thank you." He sighed shakily, his eyes both sheepish and grateful. "I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I just couldn’t make it easy for you to get away from me. I knew I should have trusted you, but I love you too much to take the risk of losing you."
Nikki wrapped her arms around Jarrod’s waist. "I’m not going anywhere. Now or ever. Unless, that is, you try another fool stunt like this."
Jarrod’s eyes widened and his body went perfectly still.
Nikki grinned wickedly. "Then I’ll sleep in the spare room. For a week. Alone."
"You’ve got a deal!" Jarrod’s smiling lips met her own.
Epilogue
Life is good. Jarrod stretched his stiff body. Nikki murmured in her sleep and snuggled closer. He tucked her tighter against his chest, she smiled briefly then lay still.
One year ago today, Jarrod mused, he and Nikki had been married. Lainey and Nikki had decided to have an outdoor double wedding, which had gone off with surprisingly few problems.
His lovely bride had worn a creation hand-made by Lainey. It had been a high necked, puffy-sleeved Victorian dress in ivory with tons of lace. She had worn her hair in a Gibson-girl style woven with ivory roses and green ribbons and she’d been absolutely gorgeous.
Lainey had worn the same ivory with lace in a simpler, more flowing style. They’d both been the proverbial beautiful, blushing brides. Briana had been the flower girl dressed in emerald green. Todd and Paul had been the ring bearers in miniature tuxedos.
Steve and Brett, a friend of Sean’s, had been the best men. Erika and Amelia, all the way from Boston, had been the maid and matron of honor respectively. The ladies had worn gowns of emerald green with ivory roses and green ribbons woven in their hair. All the men of the party had worn tuxedos of dove gray with emerald green cummerbunds.
Jarrod smiled fondly. There had been two separate photographers and two separate professionals with video cameras at the wedding and reception. The women had decided that since it would be their one and only wedding, that they wanted one set of pictures and videos to concentrate on each couple.
Nikki had made the two wedding cakes and Lainey had made all of the buffet-style food. Everything had been delicious.
The honeymoon had been wonderful, he grinned in satisfaction at the memory. Seven wonderful days in a secluded cabin with no phone and no TV.
Upon their return, Nikki and Briana had settled into a mother-daughter relationship that still astounded him. To look at the two of them, it was hard to believe that Nikki hadn’t actually given birth to Briana. The fact that she hadn’t didn’t seem to bother either of them. Briana was treated with the same love and restrictions that his own mother had shown her children.
Children. He sobered quickly. He and Nikki had decided to wait a year for everyone to adjust and have some time for themselves before they talked about whether they wanted to have more children. Would she want children? She’s so good with Briana, but will she want any more? Will she want another daughter or a son?
Nikki’s business had taken off so fast she and Erika had to hire a receptionist to handle the phone calls and appointments. They’d also hired a college student to work part-time with the programs.
One of their first jobs after the wedding had been to recommend a network set-up for Jarrod’s office. Kayla was in seventh heaven since she didn’t have to worry about lost disks. The new logo Nikki had designed had been accepted by his unofficial board and everything from stationery to signs had been changed.
Her business was still in the same building as his, although it had expanded into more rooms. It was nice to have her so close. He smiled again; they still had some "lunch" dates now and then.
Briana had finished kindergarten and loved every minute of it. First grade would start soon. It was hard to believe their little girl was in school already! Briana had only seen the therapist a handful of times after Davies had died and her mother was arrested. She hadn’t needed it anymore . . . she felt safe now.
Bunc had decided that he was Briana’s cat and had started to sleep on her pillow. The little girl loved it . . . even though Bunc was full grown now and weighed over twelve pounds.
Nikki too was doing better. He’d been afraid that she would have more nightmares after the incident with Davies. Incredibly, it was the opposite. When he asked her about it, she said that her father was dead. She’d stood up to Davies. Davies was dead. There wasn’t anything or anyone to have nightmares about anymore.
Nikki also ran up and down the stairs like she was Briana’s age. Every fear instilled by her father was gone. Nikki said it was because she was finally free. Free to live and love as she pleased.
There had been only one time that Jarrod had made a serious mistake; he made another major decision without talking it over with Nikki first. As soon as he saw the look on her face when she found out about the new car, he knew he was in trouble.
After he slept alone for one night, tossing and turning the whole time, he’d begged her forgiveness and promised it would never happen again. At least she hadn’t kept the promise she’d made after he’d tried to move all her belongings without her knowledge or permission. He wouldn’t have made it a whole week without her!
Erika was now engaged to Greg Hanson. They were getting married next month. He smiled. Greg was a good man and Erika was blissfully happy. That was all that mattered.
Nikki stirred beside him. She lifted her tousled head and smiled sleepily at him. "Good morning."
"Good morning." He leaned down to kiss her.
She finally broke the kiss after several long minutes. "I haven’t given you your present yet," she said breathlessly.
Jarrod gave her a wicked smile. "I thought that’s what you were doing all night."
She laughed, punched him lightly in the chest, rolled over and reached for the drawer of the night stand. She pulled out a small gift bag, rolled back, and handed it to him.
He weighed in his hand and eyed her thoughtfully. "Will it bite?"
"No. Just open it." She looked nervous.
He opened the bag and pulled out a packet of her birth control pills. Puzzled, he looked at her for an explanation.
"I thought maybe I’d go off the pills and we could have a baby. Briana shouldn’t be an only child. She’s much too spoiled."
Stunned, he couldn’t respond. She misunderstood his silence and went on, "It’s not too late to start them if you don’t want kids right now. Today would be the first day to start the new packet anyway."
He looked at the packet of pills in his hand and tossed them over his shoulder into the garbage can by the night stand. He leaned down to nuzzle the sensitive spot on her neck, and whispered, "I’d love to have a baby with you. Have I told you lately that I love you?"
She moaned and arched her body into his. "Not since last night."
"That long ago? I must be slipping." He cupped one breast in his hand and rubbed the already hard nipple. "I love you. Now and forever."