Valentine Next Door

by Willa Edwards

  He pulled the thick envelope from the stack, unable to keep himself away from it. Just holding the paper in his hands made him feel closer to her. The other mail fell away, revealing the return address on the note. His stomach sank to his knees at the small formal type in the top left corner.

  “Dude, do you want me to come up this weekend?” Brett’s voice echoed in his ears. “We could get a beer like we planned last week.”

  Before Jeremy had canceled in hopes of spending more time with Miranda.

  But Jeremy couldn’t respond. His throat dry, his focus too directed at the thick paper in his hand to respond to his best friend.

  “Ddduuudddeeee, are you there?” Brett’s voice rose an octave. “Jer, what’s going on?” he screamed to get his attention.

  “It all makes sense now,” Jeremy whispered, speaking to himself instead of Brett.

  “What?” Panic leaked into Brett’s voice.

  Jeremy ignored him. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered now except finding Miranda and forcing her to explain. He’d sit outside her door for a week if that’s what it took. She was going to talk to him. She was going to explain this letter. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  * * * *

  Miranda trudged up her front steps. Every muscle in her body was sore. The headache she’d been trying to keep at bay with far too many aspirins had broken free of its medicated haze. Everything felt harder, more difficult than it had a few days ago—before Jeremy. Even walking to her door took more effort. She had to force herself not to turn toward his house or search his bedroom window to see if he was lying in bed trying to rest and repair from his injury. To see if he was thinking about her half as much as she thought of him.

  Why does life have to be so unfair?

  All she wanted was love and family. Was that really so much to ask for? Instead, she’d settled for a man who had lacked passion but held every other ingredient for the family she craved. He’d had a nice job, stable income and would have made a great father. But the family she’d longed for had never come.

  Now she’d found a man with more passion then she knew how to process. Jeremy could make everything else disappear. But he couldn’t offer her more than his passion. He was young and wild. He wasn’t ready to settle down. He couldn’t offer her the life she craved.

  Why couldn’t everything come in one package? Why did she have to choose?

  “You’re home late.” A voice reached out to her from her porch chairs.

  She jumped. Caught up in her own thoughts, Miranda hadn’t noticed anything around her. Good thing she lived in a safe neighborhood.

  She turned toward the voice. She didn’t have to see him to know who sat on her porch, but still the sight of Jeremy stole her breath. He leaned back in the loveseat, his arm resting over the teak back, making his chest look big and broad. The urge to throw herself into the seat beside him and curl up against that chest was almost impossible to deny. There was nothing she’d wanted more since he’d walked out of her home. If only things could be different.

  But his tight expression struck her to the core. His face was haggard. Dark circles lay beneath his eyes. He must not have been sleeping any better than she had. His fierce gaze and locked jaw affected her the most. Not only did he look angry, he looked hurt. She’d never meant to cause him any pain. But it had been the best thing for him. For them.

  “Jeremy, what are you doing here?”

  He propped his cast across the seat next to him. A layer of scruff grew along his square jawline. She guessed he hadn’t shaved in days, maybe a week. She wanted to hate it but the change made him appear sexier, a little dangerous. His tousled hair and the hard gleam in his eyes enhanced the expression. An ache started between her legs, her sex dripping with need. She clenched her thighs together.

  She wanted him so badly. Even now, she wanted to run across the porch and straddle him right here. She didn’t care who saw them, not even his parents right next door. Nothing mattered besides being back in his arms. But his hard glare told her in no uncertain terms to stay back.

  “Is this why you won’t take my calls?” He lifted a thick envelope, showing off the label on the package—Greater Valley Cryobank.

  Oh, God. The letter from the sperm bank had been delivered to his house. Of all the mail to be mistakenly delivered, it had to be that envelope. She could only imagine what he thought of her after seeing it. Did he think she’d been gearing up to this all along? That she’d been bidding her time to use him for a possible baby daddy?

  In fact, the opposite was true. Her night with Jeremy had been sudden, unexpected and life-changing. Without their time together, she never would have had the courage to move forward in her life.

  He deserved to know that. He deserved to know the truth.

  She opened her mouth to speak but thought better of it. She looked around. Down the street, Mrs Slater swept off her stoop. In the road, Corey, Michael and Shea played street hockey on Rollerblades, all within earshot. She didn’t need to broadcast her relationship with Jeremy to the whole neighborhood. Though Jeremy was well over the age of consent, she didn’t want to be labeled the neighborhood cougar. She’d never get invited to another Fourth of July potluck for fear she’d be hitting on all the young available sons on the block. She couldn’t allow that. She’d really miss Mr Newman’s German potato salad.

  “Let’s talk inside.” She motioned toward the door as she slid her key into the lock then turned it quickly. Focused on breathing, she crossed the threshold, the solid warm presence of him following her like an ominous ghost. How could she explain all of this? How could she make him understand?

  She turned around, looking at him, praying for divine intervention. But none came. All she received was the thump of the door closing. They were now completely alone.

  Inside the living room, Jeremy just stood there. Staring at her. Waiting for her to speak. The silence stretched between them, almost impossible to bear. This side of Jeremy she’d never seen before, the angry side, the demanding side. Her body vibrated with the need to brighten his mood, to uproot this dark anger that seemed to have taken residence within him. It was an unusual feeling, one she’d never experienced before.

  “I want to have a baby,” she spat when the weight of the silence became too much. There was probably a more tactful way to approach the conversation but Miranda was stumped on how to do so. “I’ve wanted to have a baby for a long time, and I decided I want one now. I’m not getting any younger.”

  The idea of contacting a sperm bank had come to her after she’d watched Jeremy leave that morning. If she couldn’t have the man she wanted, because he didn’t want a baby, then she should have a baby on her own. At least then she’d get half her dream.

  “Is that why you haven’t been returning my calls?” He spoke with such accusation it almost hurt.

  “You’re too young for all this. We’re in different places in our lives.”

  He slammed his hand onto her end table.

  Miranda jumped.

  “How do you know what I want?” he accused. “You never even asked.”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but his angry eyes stopped her. Had she misjudged him? It wasn’t that she thought he was immature, but that he had other focuses. A thriving career that required him to travel for long stretches of time. That was no way to raise a child, right?

  “I’m twenty-seven, for fuck’s sake,” he continued, forcing the words through his clenched teeth. “I’m not in high school. I am perfectly capable of raising a child and supporting a family.”

  “You’re right.” She nodded.

  She had been treating him like a child. He was perfectly capable of supporting a family monetarily. He wasn’t fifteen years old anymore. She’d never questioned his capability, it was more his intention. He still had a whole life ahead of him. Did he really want to spend his nights cleaning up vomit and changing dirty diapers?

  He took a step closer to her, grabbing her hands in his. “I
s this what you want? What you need?”

  She gulped and nodded, watching him anxiously.

  “It’s not exactly what I planned. I was hoping to have more time with you, just the two of us.” He combed a hand through his hair roughly. Several strands stuck up across the back of his head. “But if you want a baby now, we can do that.” He quirked one eyebrow at her, the carefree Jeremy returning with a smile.

  Miranda focused on breathing as she stared into his honest eyes. Could he be serious? They barely knew each other—romantically at least. They’d had one amazing night together. That was it. Could he really consider a family and a future with her?

  “I’ve always dreamed about having a baby girl first,” he continued.

  His words clouded her mind with fantasies too close to her own.

  “One with round cheeks and bright blue eyes. But let’s hope she inherits my figure. I couldn’t stand some guy sniffing after her, the way I do you.”

  She laughed, allowing him to pull her closer. Without a thought, she melted into his arms. It just felt right, perfect to be in his embrace. Everything else, all her fears, her doubts, floated away.

  “I’ve wanted to be with you for as long as I can remember,” he whispered in her ear, his breath warm and comforting along her skin. “The one night we spent together was the most amazing night of my life. And I’m not letting you go, no matter what. I’ll do anything to make you happy. If you want, we can get married tomorrow. I’ll put my place up for sale right now. Whatever you want, Miranda, whatever you need. Just say the word and I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.”

  She looked up at him in disbelief. He couldn’t be serious. He wanted to have a family with her? To get married? To move into the suburbs? This was all happening so quickly. She and Leo had been married for years before they’d tried to have a family. She couldn’t believe it.

  “I can’t ask you to do that.” Her chest tightened, but she needed him to know. She needed to be sure he really wanted this. That she hadn’t pushed this on him.

  “You’re not. We were going to start a family eventually. This is a little fast, but I can handle it.” He brushed a kiss to her temple. The sweet gesture sank right to her heart. “I want you. Forever. The rest we’ll figure out as we go along.”

  “What about your job?” She watched him for any indication of regret or anger, but she found no trace of either emotion. Only a large smile covered his face.

  He shrugged. “It’s just a job. I can find another one.”

  She stared at him, shocked. Jeremy had worked hard for his career. He’d fought for his place in the photography world. She’d heard all the stories from his mother over the years. The bad jobs he’d accepted to work his way up, the crummy motels he’d stayed in and the days he’d spent lying in wait for the perfect shot, all to become the best.

  She shook her head. He didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “You love your job. You can’t give that up so easily.”

  “I can take photos anywhere. It doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m with you, the rest is just details.”

  “How can you say that after one night? How can you give up so much for me, after so short a time?”

  He grinned, pressing his lips to her hair.

  The small gesture sent shivers through her.

  “It hasn’t been just one night for me. Spending the night with you only confirmed what I’ve always known. You’re the one behind in this relationship. “

  “And how’s that?” She joked back.

  “That you’re the only woman I could spend my life with. I’ve been in love with you for over ten years.”

  How she wanted to believe him. To be like Jeremy and see how perfect and happy their life together could be. But all she saw were roadblocks across their path. She hated to put him through all that, even if he wanted the same, but he was right. He was old enough to decide for himself. To determine what he wanted, who he wanted, and what he was willing to deal with to have it all.

  But she couldn’t stop herself from bringing those obstacles to his attention.

  “What about your parents? Do you think they’ll be excited for you to be a husband and a dad so quickly?” She stared up in him in earnest, even as she realized it didn’t matter. Not anymore. If having a life and family together was what she and Jeremy wanted, everyone else would just have to deal with it.

  “Are you kidding? My mom’s been begging me to stop traveling on all these long exotic shoots and get married. She told me just yesterday she’s afraid she’ll be a hundred and two before she gets a grandbaby.” He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that filled her with warmth. “Won’t we give her a shock?”

  Miranda smiled too. They’d be shocking a lot of people. “They won’t mind that you’re settling down with a woman who’s almost a decade older than you? Or that you’re having a baby with the woman next door, the one who watched you grow up?”

  “I don’t care what they think,” he responded simply. “If they can’t see how much I love you, how happy we make each other, then it’s their loss.”

  How could she argue with that? She looked up into his eyes, the honesty within them so true and right.

  Before she could even think about it, Miranda captured his head within her grip and pulled his mouth down to hers. The second their lips touched, pure bliss filled her. How had she survived six whole days without his touch, without his kiss? It didn’t seem possible.

  Jeremy responded in turn, threading his fingers through her hair. He deepened the kiss. His tongue probed her mouth, sweeping across her teeth and along her tongue. He tasted so good, sweet and dark at the same time, like his chocolate eyes. His woodsy male scent floated along her senses, and her legs became unsteady. She could easily get addicted to him. To his taste, his touch, his smell. How she wanted this for the rest of her life.

  He pulled back from her, his deep breaths wafting against her face. “I love you, Miranda,” he stated the words, so matter of factly, as though he’d said them a million times before.

  She froze, her heart skipping a beat. She looked up into his eyes and had no choice but to reply. “I love you too.” Her chest tightened at the avowal—the truest words she’d ever spoken. She did love Jeremy. More than she’d ever thought possible. And he deserved to know.

  “Good.” A huge smile spread across his face.

  An expression she wanted to see a lot more of.

  “Now that we have everything cleared up, why don’t we get started on this baby plan?” He crooked an eyebrow at her.

  She giggled back at him.

  “I think I know just the way to begin.”

  “I bet you do.” She laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bedroom. Even with the broken leg, he moved quickly through her home.

  He winked back at her. “We’ll talk about wedding plans after.”

  Once inside the room, he twirled her in his arms, then turned her around, pressing his lips to hers. He enveloped her in his embrace. There wasn’t anywhere else she’d rather be. And she wanted him to feel the same with her. He’d already given her so much and she wanted to offer him something too. To show him that she loved him just as much as he loved her. And she knew only one way to do that.

  “I don’t know about all this.” She tightened her arms around him, unable to let him go, even if it was the best thing for him. It felt too good in his arms to relinquish it. “I can’t ask you to give up your career. You can’t stay here and become a wedding photographer. You’re better than that.” And she wanted better than that for him too.

  He smiled down at her, his bright eyes almost twinkling. “Having you will be more than worth it.”

  Before she could respond, he tugged her down to the bed beneath him. He settled his mouth on hers as they rolled across the mattress. A sharp pain echoed up her knee where his cast knocked against her joint, but she didn’t care. No pain mattered. She’d take fifty knocks to be close to him.

&nbs
p; She wrapped her legs around him, dragging him closer. He groaned when she ground her pussy into his thigh, sucking in a breath at the zip of pleasure that radiated from her crotch through the rest of her body. He palmed her head in his hands, holding her in place for his deep kisses.

  She gasped for breath when he finally withdrew. He slid his lips down her throat as he gave her a minute to catch her breath.

  “I don’t feel right about this,” she whispered close to his ear.

  He sucked on the column of her neck. A shiver ripped through her.

  “You love your job. You shouldn’t have to give it up.” She ended the words there, forcing herself not to add on, I’m not worth it.

  “I’m willing to.”

  She shook her head. “But I don’t want you to have to pick one or the other.” That’s the choice she’d been faced with—Jeremy or a baby—and it was a horrible choice to make. She hated to force those same requirements on him. He deserved more. “You should get to have everything you want. Like you’ve given me,” she whispered, her heart lodged in her throat.

  He pulled back, staring at her for a second, studying her expression.

  “You only have to work at the library for the school year, right?”

  She nodded. The library required all their employees during the busy school year. But in the summer, they shortened the hours, depending on employee availability. Since she didn’t have any kids, or even a husband anymore, she always volunteered to work.

  “Did you mean what you said about wanting to travel? To see some of the places I’ve been to?”

  She nodded again. She’d love to see all the exotic places he’d traveled to, all the glorious wonders of the world. She wished she’d been more adventurous before now, that she’d experienced more of what life had to offer before settling down. But the most adventurous thing she’d ever done in her life had been letting Jeremy kiss her. No matter how great a kisser he was, there had to be more to life than that.