by Alice Ward
“Zek.” I touched his arm as he lifted the box toward me and popped it open.
“Baby, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I’m not the man you deserve by any means, but I’d be thrilled if you would help me to work toward becoming him for both of us. Marry me?”
I pressed my hand to my chest as I nodded. “Yes. God, yes.”
He stood up and pulled me into a hug as we kissed at each other in a semi-frantic state. Dizziness swam over me as my heart raced with the truth of his request. I would be his forever, and he would be mine. There was nothing I wanted more in the world than the man before me.
“Good. I was sweating bullets that you might surprise us all and say no.” He put the ring on my finger and cupped my face, kissing me several times before moving back. “We gotta call your folks and tell them.”
“Did they know you were asking?” I lifted the ring toward my face and studied it. The diamond was small, but it fit my personality beautifully. I’d not have wanted anything gaudy and overdone on my hand. It was simple and classy.
“Yeah. I spoke to them earlier today and told them that you would call. I expected your dad to give me some shit, but they were both good to me. Way too good to me.” He kissed me again before moving back to grab the bottle of wine and two glasses.
“They love you, Zek. Clark does, they do, and I do too.” I took my glass from him and hid it behind my back. “I want some wine, but not out here.”
“No?” He looked around. “Then where?”
“In the tub, with me snuggled up to the front of you.” I licked my lips and took a few steps back toward the house. “You wanna join me?”
“Um, yes. If I knew giving you a ring was going to get me access to a hot bubble bath with you, I’d have done it when we were teenagers.”
I rolled my eyes and walked into the house. I was soon to become Mrs. Zek Kellington. Nothing could have taken away from the moment. Not even Zek’s corny-ass jokes.
CHAPTER 9
Zek
I woke the next morning with her in my arms, and everything seemed right. The ring on her finger looked perfect, like it belonged to her, just like I did. She yawned and pressed her naked ass against me, waking up my need to mark her once more before we got our day going. Her parents had been thrilled the night before, and I couldn’t wait to go see them. She’d spoken with them already, but I didn’t get a chance to yet. I didn’t doubt that Alisa’s dad was still going to give me a little bit of hell. It was his right to do so.
I’d been ignoring just how badly I missed having a family like Clark’s to hang around all these years. It was almost easier not to think about it than to claim the loneliness I felt over it.
“You awake?” Her voice was filled with thickness from just waking up.
I ran my hand up her side and cupped her breasts tightly as I pressed my cock against her softness. “Yeah. Very much so.”
She groaned and pressed back on me, taking me into her tight body. “I love waking up with you.”
“Me more, but I’m not sure we’re going to get much done.” I moved my hand down to clasp onto her hip as I thrust forward until I was as far as I could get inside of her. Pleasure raced across my nerve endings, and I growled against the side of her neck as I started to work her. “You know I haven’t been using a condom. You okay with that?”
“Yeah. I’m good. I’m on the pill.” She rocked against me as her cries started to lift up around us. I used the sound of them to drive into her the way she liked it. I wanted more of them, more of her.
Listening for the low hitch in her breath was my cue to drive in harder. Faster. The sound of her coming was something I coveted and desired to experience more than anything else.
“You’re so sexy, baby. Tight little body stretching around mine.” I licked at her throat as she cried out. Her muscles locked, and she gasped for a breath as I plunged in deeper, letting the need to remind her just how aggressive I was rush over me.
“Fuck,” she groaned and pressed her hand to the headboard above me, pushing back and working my cock in a way that left my head spinning. I lost myself alongside her and dropped down as I worked to catch my breath. I was humming with pleasure, every part of me awake, alive, on fire.
She rolled over as I moved to lay on my back, snuggling up to my side as she rubbed my chest and watched me closely. “You’re so damn hot. You’re not going to slow down as we get older, right? I’m signing up for the every night fuck.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, you are. I’ll never grow tired of this. Not ever.”
“Good answer. Alright, mister. Get up and I’ll make us something to eat. Then we can go over to visit with my mom and dad.” She kissed me before rolling off the bed. “I get the shower first.”
“Let’s take one together.” I got up and moved toward the bathroom as she slammed the door and locked it, laughing.
“We’ll never get out of here if we take a shower together.”
I reached up and grabbed the skeleton key from on top of the door frame, popping the lock and walking in. “So what? They’ll wait. All of them will.”
*
Nervousness rolled around in my stomach as we pulled up to the Beeler’s old country-style house just outside of the city. I’d spent a good chunk of my youth growing up there, and the memories just wouldn’t stop rolling in as we walked up their pebbled walkway. The porch swing moved back and forth due to the wind, and a smile lifted my lips.
“I love this place so much.” I moved up beside Alisa and wrapped my arm around her as she snuggled against my side. “Such good times here.”
“Me too.” She kissed my cheek as the door opened.
“I take it that the old girl said yes?” Mr. Beeler extended his hand to me and pulled Alisa in for a hug with the other one.
“Yes, sir, she did. I got her toasted on a bottle of wine, and she thought she was getting a new house and a Lexus to boot. She agreed right away.” I shrugged as Alisa snorted and walked into the house. Her father pulled me into a side hug as we walked in.
“Clark is in the back working on my old tractor for me. The damn thing keeps getting the hiccups.” He patted my back as two little boys who couldn’t have been three started running around our legs.
“Give it back! It’s mine. Give it back! Pap-paw. Make him give it back!” One of them screamed loudly as I moved toward the kitchen and gave Alisa’s mom a hug.
“Hi, Mrs. Beeler.” I smiled down at her as she beamed up at me.
“Don’t you look like a sight for sore eyes?” She released me and rolled her eyes as Clark called from the back of the house.
“Zek? You here too, man?”
“Yeah. You need me?” I turned back to Alisa’s mom. “She said yes last night.”
“So I heard. I’ve already seen the ring too. Good job. I was almost scared that you were going to get one of those huge rocks for my baby. I know you’ve done well for yourself, but that’s not Alisa at all. I’m glad you already knew that.” She patted my cheek. “Go help Clark, and try not to get hurt. You boys aren’t mechanics, but it would seem no one around here is.”
I laughed as Mr. Beeler started teasing her about something. I could hear Alisa talking with someone I assumed was Clark’s wife, Cathy. I walked down the back of the hall to give them some time to chat.
Clark was underneath the tractor when I walked out of the house and moved toward the barn. “What the hell are you doing?”
He stuck his head out of the side and smile. “Pretending to work on my dad’s tractor. He thinks I know how to do this shit because I helped him with it last time.”
“You should call someone who does. He could get hurt out there.” I pressed my hand to the large wheel and glared down at my best friend.
“Shut up and get over here. You finally propose to my sister and now you’re all grown up?” He laughed. “Sell that shit to someone else who might be buying it.”
“This is true.” I moved over there and squatted
beside him, trying to help figure out what the hell we were looking at. I was way out of my league, but that hadn’t stopped me before. I pulled out my phone and googled our issues, and within an hour, we had it fixed.
We walked back into the house to find the girls in the kitchen, and Clark’s dad and the kids asleep on the couch watching a Disney movie.
“Your dad would shit bricks if he knew we saw him passed out to a Disney movie.” I glanced over at Clark and laughed.
“Right? Take a picture and let’s tease him later?” Clark pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the old man.
“What are you boys doing in there? Clark… leave your daddy alone.” Mrs. Beeler’s voice hadn’t changed much over the years.
“Yeah, Clark. Leave your dad alone.” I walked into the kitchen as he pushed me from behind. We were almost in our forties, but you couldn’t tell it being around the two of us together.
“There you are.” Alisa moved up to stand in front of me, pulling me into a hug and giving me a quick kiss on the lips. “I was starting to worry about whether these two hit you over the head with something and buried you in the back yard.”
I laughed and turned to Clark as he introduced his wife. “Cat, meet my best friend, Zek. Zek, this is Cathy.”
I shook her hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you. We should have Mrs. Beeler start a prayer chain for you. Being married to someone like Clark has to be quite difficult.”
She laughed and pulled Clark into a hug. “He’s a bit rough around the edges at times, but he’s all mine.”
“Yeah, so roll that up and put it in your pipe, Kellington.” Clark wagged his eyebrows before yelping as his mother popped him with something.
Mrs. Beeler smiled and twisted a hand towel around her fist. “Get out of the kitchen and act your age. Wake your father up too. He’ll not sleep tonight if you don’t.”
I followed Alisa out the front door and took the seat on the swing next to her as a smile lifted my lips. “I love this. We need a big old place like this out here in the hills.”
“It’s a lot like your place in the woods. Maybe we should sell your big house and just move up to the cabin. You can work remotely, and I can too. We’ll just come into the city for two to three days a week together.” She shrugged, and I pulled her in closer.
“And stay in an apartment or what?” I pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Yeah. We can get something that’s not too bad downtown.” She turned and touched the side of my face. “Or we can keep your place and the cabin, and just move back and forth between them whenever we want to.”
“I like the idea of that better. I love my house. There are lots of memories there and we’re going to make new ones.” I leaned in for a long kiss.
Someone hit the window beside us hard, and damn if I didn’t jump like I did when we were kids.
Alisa got up and walked to the door, yanked it open and yelled at her brother before walking in to get him.
I sat on the swing and reveled in how good it felt to just sit in the middle of my past and my future. Pretty soon, Alisa and I would be married, and then it would be time to start thinking about kids. I wanted at least four, but something told me that she wouldn’t be too thrilled about that.
Mrs. Beeler poked her head out of the front door and smiled at me. “Dinner is ready. I made those biscuits you used to use up all my honey on when you were a kid.”
“Oh yeah?” I got up and walked toward her. “That has to be one of my fondest memories. I’d brag to my mother about those biscuits all the time. She tried to make them once, and I think Clark and I used them as skipping stones on that lake behind our house.”
Clark laughed as he walked into the kitchen. “You talking about your mom’s biscuits? Horribly nasty things.”
“Clark Beeler. Watch how you talk about someone’s mother’s cooking.” Mrs. Beeler rolled her eyes and gave me an apologetic look.
“It’s all good. He’s right. They were horrid.” I moved into the kitchen to help carry one of the many dishes back to the table. “This is a lot of food. What are we celebrating today?”
“You finally manning up enough to ask my girl to marry you.” Mr. Beeler popped me in the back and took his seat at the head of the table.
“Honey. Really?” Mrs. Beeler sat down beside him, and I moved in to sit between Clark and Alisa.
“He’s right, you know. We all figured it was going to happen, we were just waiting for the day.” Clark picked up a piece of ham and ate it while his mother chastised him.
“I’m glad you decided I was the one.” Alisa glanced over at me and reached for my hand.
“I’m just glad you accepted me after all these years of me being a damn fool.” I lifted her fingers to my mouth and kissed them.
“Get your glass and let’s give a toast.” Mr. Beeler lifted his tea glass in the air and smiled down at all of us. “To the beautiful women who make our lives what they are. May they never wake up from their haze or we’ll all be in trouble.”
The women groaned, but the rest of us lifted up our agreement with the old man’s sentiments. I might have taken the long way around to get to the life I’d always dreamed of, but sitting at that table with all those people surrounding me left me assured that I’d made it.
Alisa Beeler was mine and I wasn’t trading that treasure for nothing.
Certainly not for success.
CHAPTER 10
Alisa
Six months later…
“Are you nervous, butterfly?” My father glanced down at me as we stood in the small Sunday school room at the church. My only bridesmaid was Lizzy, and even though Zek had a few guys he’d wanted up front, he’d finally relented and just let his brother stand beside him on our special day.
“Not at all. I’ve wanted this for as long as I can remember?” I turned to face my dad and slide my arms around his portly waist. “Were you scared the day you and mom got married?”
“Hell, yes. Her daddy had a shotgun pointed at me the whole time. Back in the old—”
My mother cut him off. “Oh, brother. Don’t listen to this madness.”
She tugged me away from him and brushed her hands down my shoulders. “I love you so much. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become, and I’m proud of the man who’s standing at the front of the church waiting for you. I’m going to head in there now, but promise me one thing.”
“Sure, Mom.” Tears blurred my vision.
“You don’t listen to a damn thing your daddy says once I leave.” Her smile was wide and laughter a treasured staple from my childhood.
“Never. I know him too well.” I moved into her embrace and pressed my cheek to her shoulder.
“I’m right here. I can hear you both.” My dad threw his hands in the air, and we all shared a good laugh before my mom walked out.
Lizzy poked her head into the room and wagged her eyebrows at me. “You ready? We have three minutes left. You still have time.”
“Are you saying I should run?” I smoothed my hands over the front of my gown as I watched her.
“Yes. Absolutely. I’m married to the older one and they’re a lot alike. It’s not going to get any better. You hear me?” She winked.
My father moved up beside me and cleared his throat. “Hogwash. We’re like aged wine. We get better over time.”
Lizzy huffed. “More like you guys are an acquired taste.”
I couldn’t help but reflect back on how close Lizzy and I had become. She was like the sister I wanted as a child and needed as an adult. We’d worked closely to bring Dellup and Brown to stand trial for their indiscretions. It would seem Ronnie Dellup wasn’t the only one throwing cases. His partner Jason Brown was involved in more counts of collusion and fraud than I could stomach to think about.
Jon Mills was no longer in business either, and though it was horrible to say, having both of the legal giants out of the way simply cleared the path for me and Lizzy to open our firm. We had cleaned up with
both of Mills and Dellup’s clientele, and everyone was better for it.
I pulled from my thoughts as my wedding coordinator yanked the door open behind Lizzy, almost causing her to stumble as she leaned against it.
“It’s time. Make sure you listen to my commands and follow my cues. We want everything perfect for the pictures.” The woman gave me a stern look like I was a wild-ass teenager. Truth be told, I still was deep inside of me.
Zek had forced me to get a coordinator and all the bells and whistles for the event, and though I hadn’t denied him anything, he would be paying for the angst this woman had caused me over the last four months.
“Will do, Sergeant Madam Sergeant.” My father saluted her and turned to me, blocking my view of everything else. “You ready, baby girl? Today’s the day.”
“I’ve done this before, Dad.” I smirked and rolled my eyes playfully.
“Yeah, but not like this. The first time was because you were lonely. This time is because you’re in love. It’s different.” He squeezed my shoulders and placed a kiss on my cheek. “This old boy at the front of the church is getting far more than he’s giving.”
“Daddy.” I popped my father in the chest and moved to walk down the hall with him. His arm was trembling slightly, and it melted my insides to know that no matter how old I got, my father was still going to treasure me and want to protect me.
I watched Lizzy walk down the aisle, and the way Mark’s eyes lit up left my heart fluttering in my chest. After all their years of being together, they still reacted when the other walked into the room. I had no doubt that Zek and I would have a very similar story.
The wedding march started and everyone stood up in the small church my parents had raised us in. It seemed the whole city was trying to squeeze into the building, but I didn’t care. My focus shifted and the only thing I could see was my man, standing at the edge of the crowd with a loving look on his face.
“I’m nervous. Hold on tight, Dad.” I glanced up at my father as a tear dripped down my cheek.