Another Shot At Love

by Roy, Niecey

  I snickered as my knees wobbled.

  “I almost ruined everything, but Gennie-Bear here has forgiven me. Last night we shared the most amazing, magical kiss I have ever experienced in my life,” Brent said and I blinked at him, trying to keep him in focus. “I’m just so happy you still love me and it’s so adorable you’ve been going to all this trouble to make me jealous and win me back. It worked. You and I can be together again, always.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Matt breathed just as Brent dropped to his knee and took my hand in his, holding it like a vice.

  Suddenly, there was a little black box in his hand and my mind screamed, Oh God, what is he doing? He flipped it open and said, “Gennie-Bear, say you’ll marry me. I promise to never screw things up again and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Be my wife.”

  “You jerk!” Lexie said followed closely with a growl that sounded a bit like a rabid animal. “Why the hell would you think you could propose to her after what you did to her? At my engagement party.”

  Brent’s girlfriend cursed and bounded around the table, her big boobs stuffed into an impossibly tight, low-cut bodice. Stripper Barbie ripped the flower arrangement from the crystal vase in the middle of the table and lunged at Brent, attacking him with it while she screeched about what a bastard he was. I was too busy being amused by it to pay much attention to anything else until I realized Lexie had joined the fray and now Brent was wearing one of the pretty cupcakes from the cupcake towers behind the head table. And to think, I’d almost pulled the “I’m sick” card to get out of seeing Brent tonight.

  Matt’s hands encircled my waist, pulling me from the fray as all hell broke loose in the dining hall. I couldn’t even separate the voices and words; I was still worried about my wobbly knees and churning stomach.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed against Matt’s suit jacket and peered over his shoulder. He’d turned his back so I wasn’t anywhere near the flower attack.

  My slightly stupefied mind thought, What a gentleman.

  “Ow! Claire, what the hell,” Brent said as he held his hands up to ward off his girlfriend’s attack. Or was it his ex-girlfriend since he’d proposed to me? I giggled hysterically and stumbled in my heels when someone bumped into Matt and we slid into a mess of smashed cupcakes and frosting and broken flowers scattered around Brent.

  “Jeremy, get your fiancé under control,” Deborah Buchanan ordered, her eyes on the cameras flicking, and suddenly my tunnel vision cleared.

  Suddenly, I had a target, a purpose.

  I whirled around Matt to face the woman with the too-perfect makeup, the too-perfect French twist and the fake smile trying to keep composed in front of the guests and what she knew would be plastered in the local section of the newspaper. Deborah wasn’t worried about her son or her son’s fiancé, or the fact her son’s best friend had caused this scene. Instead, she cared about her image, her family’s image, and placed the blame squarely with Lexie.

  “Under control?” I snapped and planted myself right in her face. It didn’t matter she had a good four inches on me; my heels put me almost nose to nose with her. “She’s not a dog, Deborah.”

  Deborah bristled and lifted her nose in the air, but I wasn’t moving. “Well, she’s certainly acting like it.”

  Lexie gasped from beside her future mother-in-law and I felt my chest seize along with hers.

  “Don’t you talk to my girls that way, you bitch,” Mom said, and Deborah stepped back at the menacing tone in her voice.

  “This is all your fault,” seethed a familiar voice from behind me and I turned to see Brent’s mom looking as if she wanted to strangle me. “I told him not to date trash like you, but he wouldn’t listen. You and your – your – your nose ring!”

  Brent’s dad had Stripper Barbie pinned in his arms; she’d finally calmed down, but was panting like a heat-exhausted St. Bernard.

  “Don’t speak to Gennie like that!” Brent said and struggled to push himself to his knees. His suit was covered in cake and frosting and some of it was mashed into his hair. “I love her. She’s going to be my wife.”

  He tugged me to him before I could move out of his reach and my heels slipped on the floor. He caught me in his arms, then leaned down and kissed me smack on the lips, hard. As I shoved my hands between us to push him away, Catherine cried out, “Oh my God, my water just broke.”

  And then all hell really broke lose, worse than it already had. Tony was yelling, Mom was yelling, Dad told Brent to get his sorry ass out of the way, and Matt helped clear a path for Catherine, flushed and swollen with wide, frightened eyes.

  I was exhausted when Matt and I finally made it back to the hotel. Mom said it was a miracle—Catherine had pushed out the first baby in under two hours after only four hours of labor. And then the second baby came, and we all scurried around, shocked at the surprise of twins. Catherine and Tony had kept the twins a secret, but now the huge bulge of her belly throughout her pregnancy made sense, and so did her state of mind. She’d been nervous about having two babies without any practice, and Tony’s late hours with their drug sting had put her on edge. But the police department had bagged and tagged the bad guys and he would be on maternity leave alongside his beautiful wife to help take care of the twins, a boy and girl.

  I collapsed into a lounge chair facing the windows, but was too tired to open the curtains for a view. Instead, I closed my eyes and a flashback of the events for the last two days replayed in my mind.

  The sound of a suitcase being zipped had my eyes snapping open and I whirled to see Matt stuffing clothes into his suitcase and my heart dropped into my stomach.

  “What are you doing?” I asked and stood, clutching my crossed arms at the elbows. He didn’t stop to look up at me and panic set in. “Matt?”

  He zipped his suitcase shut and turned to face me, the lines of his face tense, his eyes hard.

  “I don’t have time for games, Gen. Not with you. I just can’t do it. I don’t want to fight over you with an ex-asshole who doesn’t deserve to be in the same room with you.” He turned back to the bed where his suitcase was full, ready to be carried away, leaving my empty heart behind.

  I grabbed onto him, my grip so tight it must have hurt. But I couldn’t let go. I was too afraid he’d leave if I did. He couldn’t carry me out and his suitcase, too.

  “I don’t want that either, Matt. This isn’t a game to me. I’m not Sarah,” I said, pleading with him to believe I’d never treat him the way his ex-wife had. “I’m me. Just me. Please, don’t leave. Brent is nothing to me, he never will be again! Don’t leave. Please don’t leave me.”

  My heart was racing so fast in my chest, I thought it would explode. I was crying, I felt the tears come, washing over my cheeks and down my chin. And I clung to him. I could feel my tears soak through his collared shirt.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice gentle now. He tried to loosen my hold on him, but I wouldn’t budge, I couldn’t. “Gen, I wasn’t saying any of this is your fault. I’m sorry if it came across that way. I’m just so pissed right now. I wanted to punch him in the face, I was so angry. You have no idea what kind of self-control it took for me not to. He knows you’re here and I don’t want him coming by again. I don’t want to see him. I don’t trust myself not to hit him if he shows up again.”

  It wasn’t his words that calmed me, it was the way his body had relaxed into mine, how he embraced me, all around me, instead of standing like a board I’d nailed myself to. I sniffled and wanted to look up, but didn’t want him to see me like this, a hysterical mess.

  “You’re not mad at me then?” I asked.

  “Of course not. You were honest with me—and you’re right, Brent’s delusional. But I don’t blame him for loving you.” He managed to put some distance between us, only enough to force my chin upward so that I would have to look up into his smiling face. His lips were quirked into the smile that I’d never be able to resist. “And he made me realize something tonight—I am in
love with you.”

  I wasn’t worrying anymore about my tear-stained face anymore, or what my makeup must look like. My heart sang, my body felt as if every nerve was on fire. “You are?”

  “Yes, I am,” he said and placed his hands around my face, staring intently into mine. “I love you so much, it scares me.”

  He dropped his forehead to mine, his thumbs stroking my wet cheeks, and he said, “I have loved you for awhile now, but I was too much of a coward to admit it, or to tell you. I loved you every time I looked into your beautiful blue eyes. Every time you laughed. I loved you the moment I saw the picture you painted of us and instead of showing you how I felt, I left. I wasn’t looking for this—I wasn’t ready for it. But here it is, just the same. I’m not even sure I deserve you, but I’m selfish enough that I’m begging you to let me love you.”

  I leaned up on my toes, pressing into him before placing my lips, still wet with tears, against his. I whispered, “Matt, I will never hurt you. I want to be with you, forever if you’ll let me. I love you.”

  He kissed me then, deep, full of yearning and held nothing back. I was breathless when the kiss ended. The insides of my body were as warm as the smile on his lips.

  “You make me happier than I’ve ever been, Gen,” he said and I wondered how I could have gotten so lucky as to find him. He kissed the tip of my nose. “My heart feels like it could burst. I worried I might never find this, and I stopped caring about it. Thank you for showing me differently.”

  And then he swept me up into his arms. I laughed when he spun us around and pressed my face into his neck and whispered, “Another shot at love.”

  Epilogue

  The sound of water lapping against the pontoon boat lulled me to a place between sleep and awake. My body lay curled around Matt, who dozed beside me. It was hard to believe we'd been together only four months, when it felt as if we’d known each other forever. The connection had always been there, from that very first night.

  I smiled with the memory and snuggled into him.

  For mid-September, it was unusually hot and very dry. The sky was clear, the sun unrelenting, and my skin was slick with sweat and sunblock. I wasn’t complaining. Soon, it would be winter, and I didn’t like the cold. This winter it wouldn’t be so bad, though. I’d have Matt to keep me warm, and his arms to hold me tight.

  With my eyes closed, my ears picked up the hum of a trolling motor somewhere on the lake, but mostly my senses were focused on Matt. His hand rested lightly over my arm splayed across his chest and I marveled at how easily his skin tanned—I was pale against him. He had one leg bent and propped up and my hips were placed snug against his side, one of my legs resting between his and there was no space between us.

  We fit perfectly together. Like a jigsaw puzzle. The side of my face snuggled into his chest, damp with sweat. He smelled of the sunscreen I’d rubbed all over him. Our breathing matched, his heartbeat thrumming in time with mine. I could have leaned up just slightly to kiss the skin just below his jaw, my favorite spot, but I didn’t want to wake him.

  Instead, I smiled as the water gently rocked the boat.

  The more time I spent with him, the harder it was to see my life without him. Being with him gave me courage I hadn’t known I lacked. With him by my side, I’d taken my paintings to a gallery in Omaha, an hour away. Because of him and his encouragement, I would have my own exhibit. My mind still reeled over the opportunity. Having my own artwork displayed was a dream come true.

  No words could describe the depth of love I felt for the man beside me. I wanted to shout it to the rooftops and immerse myself in “us” every day for the rest of my life. The ring on my finger reminded me how much he loved me, too. No, it wasn’t an engagement ring, but it was more than a promise ring—it was his mother’s pearl. I hadn’t questioned its meaning since the moment he’d slid the ring onto my finger—I saw the devotion in his gaze, and felt it in the way he’d kissed me.

  Matt stirred beside me and his hand moved over my arm to my waist. My skin tingled with his touch. His hand rested on my butt and pulled me lightly up against him. I allowed him to lift me from his side to settle me on top of his chest.

  “What are you thinking about? You’ve got that little wrinkle between your brows again.”

  Answering him was difficult because his fingertips were grazing the back of my tank top, up and down with a feather-light touch. I managed to say, “Stuff.”

  His lips tugged up into the little lopsided smile I loved. “Stuff? What kind of stuff?”

  My heart thumped wildly in my chest. Could he feel it? “You’re great, you know that?”

  His eyes grew serious and the smile faded. “You’re great, too.”

  My thoughts turned to something that had been on my mind lately. “Ever since we met with the gallery, I’ve been thinking maybe I should open my own.”

  “Gallery?”

  I nodded, the idea still bringing butterflies of excitement and apprehension to my belly. “Yes, right here in Lincoln. I know quite a few artists who haven’t had any luck placing their pieces with the more conservative, old-fashioned galleries. It would be very modern and eclectic. Something completely different than what the other galleries in Nebraska have to offer.”

  I relaxed my shoulders and molded my body to his again. With my cheek against his shirt, I listened to his heart beating in a steady, calm pulse.

  His voice vibrated through his chest when he said, “I think it’s an amazing idea, Gen. A room full of your paintings for others to see—how could it not be perfect?”

  “You think so?”

  He kissed the top of my head. “Yes, I do. There’s nothing wrong with you working at the insurance company, but since I’ve been with you, I know you’re not happy there. You miss working in a gallery—why not work in a gallery of your own? There’s no reason to keep those paintings of yours locked up in your spare room for the rest of your life. They’re meant to be seen.”

  “Thank you for believing in me.” I pushed myself up to a sitting position to straddle his hips, the thin material of his basketball shorts and my plaid shorts the only separation between us. I settled my hands on the middle of his chest, very aware of him beneath me. I shifted, just a little, and he hardened beneath me. A ghost of a smile touched his lips and my cheeks warmed. “Maybe you can help me look for shop space downtown.”

  “Downtown’s a great location.” He propped his head up with his arm folded beneath it and his right hand moved on my bare leg, inching up toward the hem of my shorts. A thrill of excitement coursed through me and I scanned the lake. The little johnboat that had been putting around earlier was docked across the rippling blue surface. And even if there was someone standing on the bank somewhere, a person would need a pair of binoculars to see what was happening in the pontoon.

  “We’re in a boat,” I reminded him, just in case he’d forgotten.

  “Mm-hm.” He didn’t seem interested in anything but the circles he was rubbing on my bare thigh.

  “And my family will be here soon, too. For the barbeque. Remember?”

  “How could I forget? I was ordered not to step foot in my kitchen. Apparently, the women will be taking over.”

  “They’ll be here in thirty minutes,” I said, looking down at my watch. My family would show up with their fishing poles, baby bouncers, coolers full of more food than any of us needed, or would ever manage to eat, and laughter. Matt's family would be here too. We weren’t celebrating anything special; I’d been lucky enough to have met a man whose family was just as important to him as my family was to me. There would be a lot of these barbeques in our future.

  “Mm-hm, I remember,” he murmured, but he didn’t seem too concerned there wasn't much time before we needed to head to shore. Once we got there, we would both pick up an infant to cradle in our arms, and hog every dimple we could before someone stole them away from us. Lately I'd had baby fever, which pleased Matt immensely. And my parents. I was pretty sure they were
even more baby eager than I; they'd taken to being grandparents very well. I still had time before I'd be painting a mural in my own child's nursery—at twenty-three, there was no rush. I had dreams to accomplish first.

  Matt shifted again beneath me, the friction between the bulge in his shorts and the wetness between my thighs made my thigh muscles twitch.

  “Okay,” I said breathlessly. “Just so you know.”

  The heat of desire pulsed low in my belly. He shifted ever so slightly, just enough to rub against me again.

  “Once they get here, your sisters will steal you away.” He fake-pouted and I socked his shoulder.

  “You know Lexie’s having a hard time right now.” I frowned as I pictured her, because my twin had been the most unhappy that I’ve ever seen her. Ever since the botched engagement party, Lexie had been living in a drama that had ignited her shoe obsession. She’d also started stress-eating carbs like crazy, and spent hours torturing her body at the gym. She’d been through so much and her dream wedding was turning into a real nightmare. I wanted her to call off the wedding, but she wouldn’t. She was holding out for the fairytale.

  Matt interrupted my thoughts. "Or, Roxanna will have some private-investigation-type story involving tasers and cheating spouses that will take at least an hour of your time."

  “Yes, well, you’ll spend the rest of the day fishing with our dads and when you do finally talk to me it’ll be about how exciting fishing was.” I wrinkled my nose. “Boring.”

  “I really like these shorts,” he said, ignoring my comment. “Have I told you that?”

  His fingers inched higher now, just teasing the skin a half inch under the hem of the cotton. I shook my head. “No, you haven’t.”

  If he didn’t knock it off soon, my worry about getting caught would jump overboard into the cold lake water. Or maybe I’d have to jump overboard to clear my fuzzy thoughts.