“Before everyone digs in, I want to say something,” I say, patting my pants pocket. I take Willow’s hand and look into her eyes. “Willow, I’m so proud of you for getting through this. You’re an amazing woman, and you’re so unbelievably strong and loving. Your courage is truly an inspiration. After Olivia died, I thought I could never find anything close to the kind of love she and I shared. I’ve been given a second chance and now, so have you.” I bend down on one knee in front of her. Removing the box from my pocket, I open it, and take her hand in mine. “Willow Emery, I love you with all that I am, please make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?”
Both of my sisters are standing next to Willow crying. My mom has her hand over her mouth softly crying as well. Each of my brothers has grins from ear to ear. I look in Willow’s eyes and I can see the love she has for me. She kneels down in front of me, then places her hands on my face.
“Asher Wellington, you have made me the happiest woman in the world. I love that I can share your love and your heart. Yes, I will marry you.”
Wrapping her in a hug, both of us kneeling on the floor, everyone starts clapping and patting me on the back.
“Cake, I need cake, enough of all this sappy mumbo jumbo. This is supposed to be a celebration, let’s eat cake!” Adrian says as he makes his way over to the cake.
I remove the one karat, princess cut, pink diamond with clear diamonds cascading down the sides and slip it on her finger. It’s a perfect fit.
“Asher, it’s beautiful, I love it,” Willow says.
Then my sisters and mother push me out of the way to get a closer look at it.
“Move out of the way son, it’s our turn, you go and eat cake,” my mother says, grabbing Willow’s hand to inspect the ring.
Sending me a smile, Willow is engulfed by my sisters and mother. Heading over to Adrian, not only have they cut the cake, but they have eaten half of it too.
“Congratulations, son,” my dad says, shakes my hand. He gives me a man hug, then continues, “I know you miss, Olivia, we all do. I can see how happy you are and I’m just so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad, that means a lot to me.”
The rest of the afternoon is filled with food and laughter, but I think it’s time to take my fiancé home.
“Sorry to break up the party, but I think Willow needs to get home and rest for a bit.”
We say our goodbyes and everyone gives congratulations to Willow for being cancer free and for our engagement, as we head out the door. Willow walks ahead of me and whispers in Simon’s ear. With a smile, she takes my hand, and we get in the car.
“What was that all about?” I ask.
“You’ll see. You’re not the only one who can make secret plans.”
We pull up in front of my florist, she turns to me and says, “I’ll be right back.”
With a kiss on the lips, she heads inside. She returns a few minutes later with an arrangement of yellow roses. With a smile, I think I know where this is headed.
Chapter 21
Willow
I ask Simon to take me to Asher’s florist, then to the cemetery where Olivia is buried. Right now, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. We pull up next to a row of beautiful headstones, and we get out. I hold the roses in my hand as Asher takes my other, and he leads me over to her grave.
Placing the yellow roses on the top of her gravestone, I bend over and clear away fallen leaves. I run my hand over the inscription on the headstone, “Olivia Wellington, beloved wife, daughter, and sister. May you rest in peace for eternity.”
In a soft whisper so Asher can’t hear, I say, “Thank you, Olivia, for everything. I’ll love him with all of my heart. I promise I won’t let you down. Rest in peace knowing he is loved with every fiber of my being.”
Standing, I squeeze Asher’s hand and then walk back to the car.
Asher stays behind for a few minutes, I can see he’s talking to her, and with a kiss on his hand, he places it just over her name, smiles, and walks back over to me. He gives me a hug and we get back in the car to head home.
Returning to Asher’s house, everything has been picked up off the floors and put back where it belongs.
“So, my fiancé, what should we do for the rest of the day? We could stay in and order takeout if you’re tired, or we can go out to celebrate. We have so much to celebrate today.”
I take his hand and say, “I have something else in mind first.”
I lead him into his bedroom; he leans me against the wall and kisses down my neck. With a moan, I pull his shirt over his head. I reach for his fly, unzipping it as we walk to the bed. Gently, he pulls my shirt over my head and tosses it on the floor. Slowly, he removes the white bandage from just under my collarbone, revealing the small stitches. He gently kisses just below them. He steps out of his pants and boxer briefs, then I turn him around and push him on the bed. He lands with a soft bounce.
Laying on top of him, I kiss his lips and his jaw. I love the feeling of his stubble on my lips. Trailing my lips down his chest and hard stomach to his oh so happy trail, I take him into my mouth. I love the smell and taste of him.
He moans my name, as he fists my hair in his hand. As he starts to tense, he pulls me up to kiss my mouth, rolling me on my back. Hitching both my legs over his shoulders, he takes me in his mouth. Inhaling deeply, he inserts two fingers while rolling his tongue as I move beneath him. Pulling him up by his hair to my mouth, I taste myself on his lips and tongue. Gently, he fills me, loving me as only he can.
“Come with me, Willow,” he whispers.
At his words, I come undone, and a powerful orgasm rips through me, followed immediately by another less intense one. He stills with his release, whispering my name in my ear.
Laying in our ‘morning position,’ he’s absently drawing circles on my arm, and says, “That was nice what you did today for Olivia.”
“I wanted to; I owe her so much. She helped you pick up the pieces and showed you the way to love again. And for showing me the man that I know you are. She will always be a part of both our lives.”
Lucy jumps on the bed, reminding us that it’s dinner time. We get dressed and we make our way downstairs.
“So, in or out? You feel well enough to go out and celebrate?”
“I do, but nothing fancy. How about we just go to the deli for sandwiches and soup?”
“That sound like a plan.”
We grab our coats, as the evenings are cold in the winter. My pink diamond engagement ring sparkles in the light. The symbol of an engagement ring in itself is a powerful statement of love and commitment, but adding in the fact that it’s pink brings an even deeper meaning. Smiling down at my hand, he places a kiss over my ring.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks.
After dinner, Asher heads to his home office to check emails and messages. I had a thought earlier, but I need to talk to Ava about it. Picking up my cell phone, I dial her number.
“Hey future sister-in-law, how’s it going?” she asks.
“I like the sound of that; everything is just fine. Listen, I wanted to ask your opinion about something. Asher told me you packed up all of the photos of Olivia and him and had them put in storage. Do you think it’s possible you could get me a few? I think after everything that’s happened, he’s ready to have a few in the house again. She’s a big part of both of our lives. I’m not sure if he would do it on his own; he might think it would hurt my feelings. But I want to bring her back in this house.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, I know just the ones to get too. I’ll go tomorrow after work and get them to you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Ava, and don’t mention it to him, OK?”
“Sure thing, I’ll see you soon, bye.”
Feeling good about the plan, I head into his office. It’s getting late. He’s sitting at his desk typing on his laptop. He lifts his eyes and watches me walk in. I stand in front of him and without a word, I take his hand, an
d lead him back into the bedroom.
Asher
I wake up with my fiancé in my arms Monday morning, knowing she’s cancer free. All is right in the world. There’s just one other thing that would make me happy, and that’s to give Willow back her mom. As per our usual, we ride to work together with a kiss and a lunch date, I drop her off on her floor. Heading to my office, her mother’s file stares at me. I know I can’t call her again, the next step has to come from Willow.
At noon, she knocks on my door and brings in lunch that Charlotte has picked up for us. She places the food out on my desk and she takes a seat. I stand, then slide the file across the desk in front of her. I know I could be treading on dangerous ground here, but I think she’s ready. I know her mom wants to talk to her, she wants to see her.
“What’s this?” she asks, taking the file in her hand, but not opening it.
“That is the information I got on your mother. I don’t want to push you, but when I talked to her, she told me she’s looked for you, and she wants to talk to you. She wants to see you. Sweetheart, I know you were afraid of being rejected, but with everything she said, it sounds like she’s been waiting a long time for this.”
“She is?”
“Yes, sweetheart. She’s remarried and after you left, she put herself through college just like you did. She owns a hair salon now. She made me promise I’d call her back by the end of last week.”
I make my way over to her, pick up the file and hand it to her.
“I’d never give this to you if I didn’t think it would end well, think about it, please. Let’s eat lunch.”
She sets the file back on the desk and I can tell that she’s nervous.
“I didn’t tell her anything about you. Only that you were safe and OK,” I assure her.
“I’ll think about it, thank you.”
“Alright, let’s talk about something happier. When would you like to get married? I know weddings take a while to plan, but I would like to get married sooner rather than later. What do you think?”
“I’d love that, we don’t have to have a large wedding, actually I’d rather it be small, just your immediate family. How about this summer? I’ve always dreamed of having a beach wedding.”
“That sounds perfect; you know my mom and sisters will be all over helping us plan it.”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Finishing lunch, I kiss her and hand her the file. I walk her to the elevator, kiss her one more time, then head back to my office. The rest of my day is filled with busy meetings and conference calls.
Chapter 22
Willow
I head back to my desk and poke my head in Amelia’s office. Ava is sitting in a chair across from Amelia.
“Come on in, Willow. How was lunch with Asher?” Amelia asks.
“It was great, thank you.”
“Here, these are for you,” Ava says, handing me a small box.
I take a seat next to Ava and place the box on my lap.
“Asher and I have decided on a summer beach wedding. What do you guys think?”
Ava squeals with glee, and says, “I know the perfect place! Alki Beach is beautiful in the summer. You have to let us help you plan the wedding.”
“I would love that, nothing too big. We want it small, just immediate family.”
“That sounds perfect; I’m going to go right now and make a few phone calls.” Before she goes, she leans over to whisper in my ear, and says, “In the box, Willow, I picked a few photos that I know mean a lot to Asher. Are you sure you want to see them?”
Smiling up at Ava, I say, “Yes, I really do.”
She squeezes my hand and she says her goodbyes.
Getting back to my desk, I place the box on top of the file Asher gave to me. Opening the lid, I pull out the small stack of glossy 8x10 photos. With a smile on my face, I thumb through each of them. There are some that look like they’re from prom or homecoming, some candid shots, and a few from their wedding. One, in particular, catches my eye. I gently run my finger over the image. They’re so in love, so happy. They’re both looking into each other’s eyes with huge smiles on their face. Olivia has on a beautiful wedding gown, and Asher looks handsome in a tux with a yellow tie. Held in her hands is a stunning arrangement of yellow roses, wrapped in a silky yellow ribbon. This is the one. This is the photo I want to give to Asher. The one I want him to bring back into his home. I place the photos back in the box and my mother’s file begs me to open it.
I take the file and open it. There’s really not much here, but a phone number stands out. Without even thinking, I grab my phone and dial the number.
“Hello?” the familiar, soothing voice says in my ear.
With a whisper I’m not even sure she can hear, I say, “Mom?”
I hear her gasp and she starts to cry softly, she says, “Willow, is that you?”
“Yes, Mom, it’s me.”
We’ve been talking on the phone for nearly an hour. Amelia never comes out of her office to interrupt. We talk about everything. We talk about me going to college, being diagnosed with cancer, meeting Asher and finally getting engaged. She tells me about her getting her degree and the salon. She tells me all about her husband and everything in between.
Talking with my mom was easy and she seems like such a different person. We exchange our phone numbers and contact information, with the promise to talk again tomorrow. We want to make plans to get together sometime soon. Hanging up the phone, I’m so at peace. My heart is completely put back together now, the final piece being that my mom and I are speaking again.
After asking Amelia if I can take the rest of the day off, I text Asher and tell him I’ll see him at home. Of course, he gives me the third degree calling me instantly on my office phone, making sure I’m feeling fine and nothing is wrong. I tell him I called and talked to my mom and everything is perfect. I just need to get some errands done. After repeatedly assuring him everything is fine, I grab the box and my purse and head downstairs. Simon takes me to a frame shop where I have a few photos framed in black wooden frames, but the one from their wedding, I choose to put in a crystal frame.
The front door opens with Asher’s worried voice, “Sweetheart, I’m home.”
“In the family room,” I call.
Placing his coat and briefcase on the couch, he walks over to me with a hug and a kiss.
“You’re sure you’re OK. It isn’t like you to leave by yourself; your mom didn’t upset you did she?”
“No, I told you everything went perfectly. I told her I would call her again tomorrow and we want to make plans to get together.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. I’ll make arrangements to fly her and her husband out as soon as they can.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait to see her again, but the reason I came home early is I have something I wanted to give you.”
I hand him a wrapped box with a yellow ribbon on it and he takes it with a smile. He sits on the couch and touches the yellow ribbon. Gently, he opens the box with a small gasp.
“I wanted to bring Olivia back home. This is her home as much as it is yours. She belongs here.”
Holding the crystal frame in both hands, he touches Olivia’s face with a smile on his lips.
“Thank you, I don’t know what to say.”
I walk over to him, take the photo out of his hands, and place it on the mantle above the fireplace.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I say, turning around to face him.
I walk back over to him and wrap him in a tight hug.
There are five photos in all that I had framed. The crystal one has its rightful place on the mantle, and the other four, I hang on the walls throughout his house.
Asher
Willow bringing the photos of Olivia back into the house mean so much to me. To know that Willow is confident in our love, and not upset by my past love with Olivia, is beyond anything I ever thought possible. Every day, she surprises
me and makes me so proud of her. She took the next step with her mother and it makes me so happy that she’s going have her mom back in her life. Pulling out of her hug, I look into her eyes.
“Move in with me?”
“What?” she asks, surprised.
“You spend all your time here anyway, Lucy loves it here and we’re getting married in a few months. Move in with me.”
“Are you sure? You might not like me anymore after we live together for a while. I might want to get married first, so you can’t get rid of me so easily.”
“Don’t be silly, I grew up with two sisters and my mom, there’s nothing you can do that would make me love you less. Oh wait, does that mean you’ll cook chili with noodles?”
I swat him on the arm and say, “Yes, I would love to move in with you. We would love to move in with you. And yes, I’m still going to cook my chili with noodles.”
“Good, it’s settled. Tomorrow we’ll hire movers and get you all moved in.”
“We can wait until next weekend, there’s no rush, and I’ll still stay here in the meantime. It’ll take me some time to go through my things, most of it’s trash, but you can help me sort through everything this weekend.”
“OK, it’s a plan. Now, what’s for dinner, woman? I’m starving.”
After finishing dinner and cleaning up the dishes, I find Willow sleeping on the couch. Gently lifting her, I carry her to bed, to our bed. I cover her, and turn to leave, but she whispers, “Asher, don’t go, stay with me.”
I remove my pants and shirt and cuddle up behind her in our ‘nighttime position,’ lacing our fingers together she sighs deeply.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Absolutely nothing. I was just thinking how quickly my life has changed. I’m cancer free, I have an amazing fiancé, and I have my mom back in my life. Plus, I’m moving in with you. Life just has a way of righting itself. All my life I thought I had the worst luck. Turns out all the good was just waiting for this moment in my life. I’m just so happy.”
“I’m glad you’re happy; I feel the same way.”
Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set Page 13