by Jo Willow
Brian reached for the doorknob, then turned and looked at Scott.
“Give your dad a hug Scott.”
Scott put his arm around Mitch’s waist and hugged him for all he was worth. Brian twisted his face and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The room was so quiet they heard the roar of an engine and Brian spinning gravel as he tore down the driveway.
Beth took a deep breath and turned toward the kitchen.
“Show’s over, let’s finish dinner.”
Mitch and Scott looked at each other.
“You guys didn’t get married, I’d of known.”
Mitch rifled Scott’s hair and smiled.
“You’re right, but we will. You’ll be my best man. Okay?”
“Okay. Is it hard to be a best man?”
“Nah. We go out for ice cream the night before and swap women stories. Then we both stand in uncomfortable suits and watch your mom walk towards us as pretty as a picture trailing your sister. We say a bunch of stuff in front of a preacher and a lot of people, then you hand me a ring. That’s it.”
“I can do that.”
“Me too. We just have to convince your mother.”
Scott smiled and they joined the girls in the kitchen.
Dinner ended quietly, the shock having taken it’s toll. When the kids fell asleep in front of the television, Beth and Mitch put them to bed. They stared at one another in the hallway before they migrated to the living room.
Beth looked at the floor and then she looked up at Mitch. She started to take the ring off before he beat her to the punch. He took her left hand in his and slipped the ring from her finger. She started to pull her hand away, but he grasped it tighter.
“Not so fast Mrs. Tanner.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I didn’t know what to say. First he surprised me and then the kids reactions surprised me. I said the first thing that came to mind.”
“You said the most natural thing that came to mind. I don’t know when anything’s made me happier Beth.”
He slid the ring onto her finger properly, like he’d planned to do all along. The ring wasn’t a fancy one from Paris, but it had belonged to his grandmother and it meant a great deal to him.
“Marry me Elizabeth Marie. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow or next week, but say you’ll marry me. Let’s quit chasing each other around and breaking each other’s hearts. Say you’ll marry me and make my cousins the happiest people on earth.”
Beth couldn’t help it. It was the funniest, most original proposal she could imagine and she start laughing hysterically. She wiped her eyes and looked up at him.
“I can’t marry you. I don’t know if I like you enough to marry you.”
“You thought you liked the asshole enough and look at how that turned out. I know you like me more than you liked him. Hell, half the population of Georgia already calls you Mrs. Tanner, baby we can do this. Is it the ring? I’ll buy you a new ring if you don’t like it Beth.”
Beth hugged her left hand to her chest and glared at him.
“You’ll do no such thing! It’s a beautiful ring. Anyone would be proud to wear this ring.”
Mitch slipped his arms around her and put his lips to her temple.
“How about you? Would you proudly wear that ring?”
Beth closed her eyes and put her forehead to his chest.
“It’s a perfect ring paired with perfect words. My kids adore you, my daughter calls you daddy.”
She tilted her head back and he was staring at eyes so green, he remembered Ireland and the cause of her hesitation. Before she could finish with a speech that would only twist the knife deeper, he had to take his best shot and open a vein.
“Beth, you trusted me once. You stood beside, not behind me. You know me better than anyone. It took me six years to open my eyes and realize I loved you. When I finally said the words, did you believe me?”
“Yes I did.”
“Do you think I stopped? Can you accept that I made a mistake I can’t explain but I’d give anything to undo? Yes, I let her get to me, but she never got inside me. I came home to you Beth. No one owns me but you.”
“Nicely said Mitch. But what happens when she comes back? She will, bad pennies have a way of showing up over and over again. Or what happens when a pretty blonde takes a shine to one of your jars and flashes pretty blue eyes your way? Do me and the kids get left behind and apologized to later? You want me to trust you again, but why should I? You took something we built over time and systematically tore it down to nothin’. At least Brian left and never came back.”
Mitch’s gaze intensified and his fingers flexed on her back.
“Would you be happier if I left and never came back?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I love you more than I should. I cried every day that you were gone, even though I knew what you were doing.”
“I never did what you thought I was doing. I came close, I’ll admit that. I think if I’d crossed that line I wouldn’t have the nerve to be standing in front of you now. It wasn’t right and I won’t use my restraint to justify this. I’ve got love and our commitment to one another to justify this. I’ve never even gotten close to this point with anyone else Beth. I may be different from my cousins in a lot of ways, but I’m still a Tanner in the ways that count. I’ll only marry once, I fall in love for keeps, and family means everything to me. This family. Our family. Marry me Beth.”
She continued staring at him. The battle between what her heart wanted and what her mind knew, still raged.
Mitch was rattled. He still had one thing left and he’d be the first to admit that it was a last resort idea. If it went wrong, it would go horribly wrong. Not just a little flash of anger, but a Chernobyl kind of event. He started unbuttoning her blouse.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doin’?”
She sounded stern but she wasn’t stopping him. Mitch kept going. She wasn’t wearing a bra and his eyes turned the blue of a gas flame when his hands moved to her skin. He glanced down briefly when his thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts. He heard her breathing change and the answer to several questions he’d been afraid to ask, fell into place.
“I’m getting ready to kiss my wife.”
“You unbuttoned my blouse and your hands are on me.”
Mitch squeezed her sides and brushed his lips against her neck.
“I know. It’s nice isn’t it?”
He unzipped her jeans and slipped his hands inside to squeeze her hips.
“Mitch, you’re undressing me in the living room. What if one of the kids wakes up? You can’t do this here.”
Mitch took her hand and led her to the front door. He checked the lock, then did the same with the back door. Once he was sure the house was secure, he turned the lights off. He never paused to give her a chance to hesitate or flat out refuse. His heart was walking the same tightrope his pride had walked and decided to jump from. He kept going down the hall until he was in her room, then he closed the door.
“Beth, I want you to yell at me or hit me or stab me with a fork - whatever you have to do to love me. I’ve been there and I need to be there again. This invisible wall between us is killing me in increments. It can’t be any better for you, you loved me once. I remember, I was there.”
The room was dark and warm. He spoke softly, trying not to wake the kids that were sleeping two doors down. Beth backed away from him and opened the bedroom window to let in the breeze. They were four feet apart but they felt each other’s presence. The atmosphere was charged and waiting for a spark.
Beth slipped off her blouse and laid it on the back of the chair. She finished the job he’d started with her jeans and item by item placed everything next to her blouse until she was standing naked in the dark. She reached up and pulled her hair free from the ponytail, letting it fall around her shoulders.
Mitch held his breath and kept his distance. He watched every move she made and
although he didn’t understand what was going on, he understood enough to keep his mouth shut. His hands opened and closed in a nervous habit he didn’t even realize he had. The need to touch her was wearing him down to nothing but raw emotion and he could hear every breath she took.
Beth wasn’t sure what she was doing. She’d made up her mind after the first kiss in the barn that she was not going to lead him on. The kiss was nice and it was an honest reaction born of relief at seeing him again. The ones in the house were nice as well and she wasn’t sure what those were about. She didn’t want to overthink them. Unable to still her heart or soothe her mind, she decided that from here on out, every response would be a gut reaction. She was going purely on instinct.
She moved quietly to stand in front of him. It was costing him dearly, but he continued to keep his hands to himself.
“Mitch, do you remember the Sunday before you left?”
His voice was rough and raspy from the effort he was exerting. If he touched her, he’d never take his hands off of her.
“Vividly. We were almost in this exact spot. I was allowed to touch you then and we were going to take a shower together.”
“I’ll meet you in the bathroom.”
Beth moved past him into the bathroom and he couldn’t undress fast enough. His clothes lay where they fell and he was peeling off his socks when he heard the shower running. He said a quick prayer of thanks to whoever had decided he’d finally earned a break, and went into the bathroom to join her.
Beth stood with her face under the warm water, her hair plastered to her head. She was nervous and deathly afraid of making another mistake. At her age she’d made enough to leave a lasting impression and fear was becoming a constant companion. She opened her eyes and in the dim light she saw the ring he’d placed on her finger. It was old, delicate and simple and she loved it. The gold filagree wove into a braid that encircled her finger and it caressed a beautiful yellow diamond.
She was in deep contemplation of the ring and it’s meaning when she felt his arms wrap around her and hold her body as tightly as the ring now held her heart. Blessed or beaten, she refused to define the moment. She was done fighting the inevitable.
Mitch was pressed against her back, one arm around her waist, one around her shoulders. His lips were pressed to her ear and he saw what she was staring at.
“It was my grandma’s ring. Granddad saved for years to buy it and she gave me that and the house when she died. I want you to have both. I’d never considered giving that ring to anyone until you Beth.”
“It’s perfect. It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen and I can’t believe it’s on my hand.”
Mitch was positive he’d heard her wrong. He turned her around and pushed her wet hair from her face. He was so afraid to ask, he almost couldn’t find the words. Beth stood patiently waiting. She was ready now, but she would make him find the courage to try one more time.
“Beth, I want that ring to stay right where it is for the rest of our lives.”
“I’d like that very much.”
Mitch closed his eyes and licked his lips. She felt him start to tremble and knew he still wasn’t sure of what she was saying. She placed her hands on his face and slowly pulled him down until their lips were almost touching. His grip tightened and he opened his eyes to see the smile that touched her eyes. The green was pure and free from worry or doubt.
“Beth?”
“Yes.”
“Yes? As in, yes?”
“Yes. I don’t want to wait anymore. You said I loved you once, but I never stopped. I can’t imagine a time when I ever will.”
“I love you so much Beth.”
She finished pulling him in for the kiss that sealed the deal. They both fought to get closer until he finally lifted her and she wrapped herself around him. He braced her against the tile and whispered words of love and longing while he made her his own.
When the water began to chill, he reached for towels and wrapped her in one while he quickly dried with the other. She began to push him backwards into the bedroom and he felt himself needing her again. Even though the room was dark, he knew he was once more in the light. This was real. This was solid. This was his and he’d fight to keep it this time.
She pushed him backwards onto the bed, tossed her towel on the floor and crawled up his body. His eyes grew huge as she hovered over him. She leaned down to kiss him and he tried to push her hips down to meet his.
“Slow down you lucky man.”
“Lucky man? You already agreed to marry me. It gets luckier than that?”
She kissed him thoroughly and when she felt him breathing heavy and his skin grow warm, she pulled back and started kissing his chest.
“It’s my turn.”
“Your turn? Oh my... Beth wait...baby...Oh Beth don’t stop...”
His words turned to incoherent mumbling as his thoughts fluttered on the breeze that blew in from the window. Her lips and tongue made him forget his own name for awhile, but he never forgot hers. Elizabeth Tanner.
They were limp in each others arms, the blankets kicked to the bottom of the bed, the top sheet was their only cover. He couldn’t stop rubbing her back and she lay with her head on his chest and her arm across his body. She’d kiss him every now and then, earning her a squeeze and a kiss to the top of her head.
“We really should go see the new gallery Mitch. The sign’s been up since Wednesday.”
“I’d forgotten about it. This thing with the barn has had me distracted and I couldn’t do anything until I had us figured out. I’ve not exactly been putting out my best work lately Beth. I have done three black jars with gold accents though.”
She raised up, looked at him, and smiled.
“I loved that jar Mitch.”
“I know baby and I’ll make you another, I promise. Tell me about the new gallery.”
“I don’t know anything about it. Your cousins took over when they figured out what Marla had done. David called to say they’d lined out a new gallery, then Ian phoned to say the sign would be ready and hanging by Wednesday. We should probably get hold of them and find out where we’ll be displaying your work.”
“Beth, do you realize how many times you just said, ‘we’? How long do we have to wait to get married? I love hearing you talk about us and I want you and the kids to move in soon. Please say we can do this and get our life on track.”
“We’ll call the family tomorrow. If we can line out the license, Pastor Bishop can do the service at Tara. I’ll ask Rae Anne to stand up for me and I can be ready next week if you like.”
He became animated at the news and she giggled. He couldn’t stop kissing her and he kept hugging and releasing her as if she were a favorite toy.
“Scott already said he’d be my best man, Patty can do the flower thing. Does June twentieth sound alright? That’s a week from today.”
“A June wedding sounds beautiful. Did you mean what you said to Brian about adopting the kids?”
“They’re my kids Beth. I helped you raise them and I want it legal. Surely one of those rich-ass cousins of mine knows a lawyer that can make that happen.”
“Those rich-ass cousins of yours were mighty good to us. They treated us like family from the moment we met them. You need to spend more time with them and get to know them. They’re more like us than you think.”
“They live in a mansion and fly on private jets Beth. They’re nothing like us.”
“They have to be places in a moments notice Mitch. The house is big, but everybody and their cousin Fred lives there. They all do chores, they don’t have any servants or cooks, they do it all themselves. They make biscuits and gravy every morning just like we do and they cook hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill. I’m telling you, as self-conscious as I am, they made me feel right at home. I love those people and you should stop fighting them so much.”
“We’ll see. I’ll try but I’m not holding out much hope Beth. I’ll call David about the gallery
tomorrow.”
Chapter Ten
Marla had spent the last four days on the phone and still had gotten no closer to figuring out what the hell had happened. When Mitch gave her the slip in a hotel in Paris, she flew back loaded for bear and ready for vengeance. She strolled into her place of employment, the place where she held all of the cards, prepared to release a statement barring him from all further association with The Loft. She planned to crucify him in the art world and make him a pariah in the eyes of serious collectors.
Upon arrival, she found all of her personal items boxed and a letter from the new owners stating that her services would no longer be required. The gallery had been cleared out, the walls were in the process of being repainted and the floors were being refinished. The place was bare. She hadn’t even known the gallery had been for sale.
Now she stood staring out onto her patio, wondering what to do next. She had a little saved and that would get her through a few months if she budgeted well, but Marla wasn’t one to budget. She lived an extravagant lifestyle. Money had never been an issue because if there wasn’t a high profile job, there was a high profile man. She’d planned on eventually settling down and marrying a Tanner. She’d dated Tim on occasion and when he’d married, she found herself scrambling. Then she met Mitch. Hot, hard working and easily manipulated, the fact that he was an artist just made her mission easier to accomplish. Or so she thought.
She shifted in her Louboutin’s and crossed her arms. The fact that some homespun Nancy Nobody snuck in under her nose and kept stealing her Tanner was starting to piss her off. She’d have to take care of the situation before she tried again. Finding his neighbor’s weakness wouldn’t be too hard. How complicated could she be?