Top Shelf (Five for Fighting #4)

by Amber Lynn

  “Maybe, but I was pretty sure you wouldn’t mind. I mean, you have been talking about our fifty kids and I thought it might be a good idea for you to see how quickly a little kid can tie me to a chair and finger paint a rainbow on the wall. Plus, Lizzie’s got to be due any day and I figure the two of them don’t get much time alone, so I offered my car and a table that the owner of Reaume’s keeps reserved for me. They turned down the car, but they accepted the reservation.”

  John hadn’t been to the restaurant, but he knew the waiting list was usually at least a few months long. His jealous side came to life as he wondered about the connection she shared with the owner.

  “You know that look when your eyes pretty much turn green is kind of hot. Meemaw obviously has a thing with people involved in the food industry. She dated Reaume for a few months back in the seventies.”

  “I think I need to spend some more time with Meemaw to hear some of these stories. You do remember we’re going over there tomorrow for her birthday, right? Are you planning on taking Ben with us?”

  “I thought she might like it. Each time I see her, I’m afraid the brightness in her eyes is dimming, so the chances of her seeing me married with kids and the happy home she wants isn’t likely. It’s probably not ethical for me to basically bribe Lizzie and Doug for the use of their kid, but I kind of like the little guy and I think Meemaw will too.” Jasmine’s voice broke a couple times while she spoke, and each time John felt something squeeze his heart.

  “Make sure you ask Doug about the day him and Lizzie met. I think once you hear that story, you won’t feel too bad about ethics. As far as our babysitting duties, I think it’s a great idea for everyone involved.”

  John reached over and rubbed a thumb under her eyes to wipe the few tears that had accumulated. He was finding out quickly that love had its good parts, but it could also be painful.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jasmine thought with the two of them able to chase after Ben, it’d be easy to watch the little boy. It wasn’t like Ben was going through a terrible two phase or a baby who constantly wailed. The kid was almost five and polite as could be, but when he was around his Uncle John, evidently all bets were off.

  She’d spent the day making a lemon custard cake, and the way John “helped” in the kitchen should’ve been a clue of things to come. Thankfully there had been a couple hours that John had to leave for practice, otherwise nothing would’ve gotten done. Doug and Lizzie dropped Ben off around five, just in time to help finish frosting the cake. It was bad enough with John trying to lick the bowl, as well as Jasmine after he accidently dropped batter on her. Adding in a little guy with a sweet tooth was like having two kids around.

  They weren’t planning on heading over to Meemaw’s until seven, because apparently her grandma had scheduled a hot date for an early dinner. Just hearing that bit of information pushed Jasmine into interrogation mode, but as she often did, Meemaw only dished out enough details to appease Jasmine’s fears.

  The guy involved was an old friend, one she wouldn’t name, and they weren’t actually going out for dinner. He was bringing something over to her place. Knowing that Meemaw wasn’t leaving her house made Jasmine feel a little better, but she still worried about how tired she’d be. Having to deal with a gentleman caller and an energetic four-year-old would probably push her to her limits.

  “You know, I’ve found it sometimes helps to breathe in and out slowly, rather than holding your breath,” John whispered into her ear as he helped her finish zipping up the cocktail dress she’d decided to wear. It was one of the only dresses Meemaw claimed to actually like in her wardrobe. With a skirt that twirled if she spun and a neckline that kept her breasts tamed, the mauve dress was one of the most muted things she owned that was still dressy.

  “I’m just worried. I stopped by while you ran to practice to gauge how much excitement she could take and I’m afraid this is going to be too much for her.”

  John slowly spun her around to face him, rather than let her stare at the full-length mirror in his closet that she’d added, along with the majority of her wardrobe. It seemed like each time he went off to work, she ran to her house and picked up more of her things. A part of her hoped if she got enough of her stuff in his apartment, he’d decide asking her to leave would be too much of a hassle.

  “I know I’ve let Ben run a little wild here, but that’s just because I’m getting it out of his system, so he’s on his best behavior over there. Remember last night? He was so quiet when we were over at Doug and Lizzie’s that you wouldn’t even know he was there unless you saw him.”

  “He was asleep the whole time we were there,” Jasmine pointed out.

  After being a little skeptical about the night, Jasmine had had a great time hanging out with the other couple. The bit of iciness or pity she felt the few times she’d been around Doug was non-existent. She’d heard him advising John that she could be using him, much like Casey had accused. There was a time Jasmine would’ve taken offense, much more than what she had with the Casey confrontation, but she understood why his friends were concerned, and it made her happy to know he had friends that cared that much.

  Since she didn’t have anyone other than a few family members who would stick up for her, she was relishing being around people who were a little more normal. She didn’t have a good gauge of what exactly normal was, but she had a feeling the hockey players and their wives were a lot closer than any of the people she dealt with on a daily basis.

  “Are you sure he was asleep the whole time? Did you realize he’s standing in the closet doorway right this second?”

  A small giggle behind John let her know he spoke the truth. She propped her head up on John’s shoulder to get a look at the cute little boy. He had a huge smile on his face that made his green eyes pop.

  “How long has he been there?” Jasmine murmured. She wasn’t sure how John even knew he was there since his back was to him.

  “Not long enough to see something he shouldn’t have. Right, little buddy?” John kissed Jasmine’s forehead before he spun around and started chasing after Ben.

  The little boy’s bare feet took off out of the bedroom towards the living room. Spending time with John without other people around hadn’t shown her his different personalities. Well, at least not all of them. She knew how caring, competitive and passionate he was, but she hadn’t really gotten a look at how that related to him maybe being a parent one day.

  Even though the boys seemed a little out of control, seeing them playing together made Jasmine’s womb yearn for something for the first time in her life. Just talking about having kids didn’t paint the live and in-person view she was getting of how life could be. It made Jasmine picture John chasing around a little brown-haired boy with her eyes and his wicked smile.

  “Save me, Jasmine. The Pirate King is trying to make me walk the plank.”

  Even if she wasn’t being requested, Jasmine had to see exactly how the living room had been turned into a pirate ship. The guys had only been out of the room for thirty seconds, so there didn’t seem to be enough time for construction.

  She grabbed the black pumps she planned on wearing when they left and skipped down the hallway. On the way, she thought about how exactly she was supposed to save John. When she got a look at the scene in the living room, it was clear she should’ve brought something more than shoes.

  John was standing at the edge of the chaise part of the sectional, with Ben right behind him equipped with a wooden spoon from the kitchen as a sword. Chances were the three-foot-tall boy didn’t get his weapon of choice from the back of the counter on his own, which meant John’s predicament was of his own making.

  “What in the world is going on?” She pretended to be dramatic with her question, raising her left hand to her chest while adding a bit of wonder to her voice.

  “This scallywag was caught stealing,” Ben proclaimed.

  Jasmine remained standing at the end of the hallway rather than ru
shing in to save the day. “Well, stealing is a pretty serious crime. What exactly was the scallywag stealing?”

  “I caught him before he could do any real damage, but he was after the frosting on that cake over there.” Ben poked John in the back a few times with the round handle end of the spoon as he tilted his head towards the kitchen.

  It was difficult to not burst out laughing. She looked to John for an explanation of his crime to find a sheepish smile on his face. His hair was still wet from a recent shower, and the way it went whatever direction it wanted was the only thing that looked even halfway pirate-like. The maroon polo and black pants he was wearing definitely didn’t shout he should be wearing an eye patch.

  “What can I say? You make really good frosting and I thought Ben would keep it a secret.” He shrugged as he spoke, which only got him another poke in the back.

  “Did you weaponize him before or after you realized he wasn’t going to play along?”

  “I had to try to get away, which of course led to a sword fight. You wouldn’t believe how good the Pirate King is with a blade.”

  Jasmine stood dumbfounded for a second. They’d literally been gone less than a minute and they’d created a story and acted it out. She played parts in movies all the time, but they were already written out for her. There wasn’t the need to get inventive, which was good for her since she had little imagination for storytelling.

  “I see, and now that you’ve found yourself in this dilemma, you think I can somehow help you?”

  “Since you were the person I was stealing from, maybe you can put in a good word.” The way John kept shrugging after everything he said made Jasmine think he was making things up as they went, rather than it being a game the two played often.

  “Aargh. Just say the word, milady, and we’ll let the sharks take care of him.” Ben’s toothy grin was too much. Jasmine had tried her best stay in her character, whoever she was supposed to be, but the kid was way too cute. It didn’t help matters that he scowled when she started laughing.

  “Sorry, it’s just you have to be the most handsome pirate I’ve ever met and I was wondering if we should let the sharks eat him and run away to sail the seas together.”

  “Hey, now. Come on, Pirate King. You can’t make me walk the plank and steal my girl.” John threw his hands up in the air to show his exasperation.

  “Why not? You don’t think that’s a fitting punishment for your crime? We’re talking about you trying to mess up the cake I spent hours working on today. Plus, the sharks are going to tear you apart. I can’t very well be seen around town with you.”

  “I think it sounds like a great idea,” Ben said, right before he shoved John off the chaise and into the supposed shark-infested water.

  The move caught both of the adults in the room off guard, especially John, who had to save himself from crashing into the coffee table. Jasmine had rushed to try to catch him, but his reflexes were fast enough that he only stumbled a little.

  Ben had tossed his sword to the side and jumped off the couch to run over to his prize. Jasmine realized John’s safety wasn’t at risk so she’d stopped about two feet away from the pair.

  “Milady.” Ben bowed slightly as he reached out to her hand without her shoes and brought it up to his lips for a quick kiss.

  “Not so fast, Pirate King,” John declared as he scooped the boy up and twirled him in the air. “I would fight off a whole swarm of sharks for the lady’s hand.”

  Ben didn’t have a chance to answer between his giggles. The boy sounded like he’d been sitting in a room full of laughing gas.

  After a few more turns, John crashed down onto the couch with Ben landing on his chest. Jasmine was tired from just watching them, which again made her a little worried about how Meemaw was going to handle the extra visitor.

  “How long before we have to go?” John let out a deep sigh as he relaxed.

  Jasmine glanced behind her to the clock on the stove. “I should probably call for the car.” Since John’s car only had two seats, it was a little difficult to drive around with a third passenger.

  “After practice tomorrow we should go pick out a sedan or SUV. Every time I take the car in for an oil change they try to sell me something new. Maybe it’s time to take them up on the sales pitch.”

  John picked Ben up and stood him on the floor in front of him while Jasmine tossed her shoes on the ground and slid into them. They weren’t the most comfortable shoes in the world, but they’d been a gift from Meemaw, so she wanted to wear them.

  “I know you haven’t seen it, but I do have a car in storage. Obviously we don’t have time to get it now, but we can go pick it up tomorrow if you think we’ll need extra space in the near future.” As she spoke, Jasmine she walked over to the breakfast bar to grab her phone and call for the car. It only took a few seconds for the confirmation that the car was on its way.

  “You’ve mentioned your car before, but I think we should pick out something together. You’ve already said you won’t drive my car, and who knows the last time yours had new gas put it in. With me being gone next week, I’d feel better if you had a way to get places in case your car service gets stuck in traffic.”

  Jasmine had tried not to think about the fact they were going to be apart. Her costar had announced he’d be back on the set, so she had to get back to work. It was an inopportune time for John to have some games on the other side of the country. Up until the day before, she’d planned on flying out to watch the games.

  John requested that she stay at his place while he was gone, but Jasmine wasn’t sure how comfortable she’d be with it. Full days there without him was a bit different than the few hours she’d been there while he was at practice. She knew that with their relationship so new he was probably a little afraid she’d have some wild nights out while he was gone. Reassuring him that she had no desire to hit the clubs hadn’t done much to ease the fear.

  “You don’t think your coaches will buy the excuse that you need a week off from fighting sharks?” As far as the car issue, she didn’t mention it would be easier to just take her car to have it checked out than run out and buy a new one. If it made him feel better to have something material connecting them, she wasn’t going to argue.

  “If you want me to, I can ask, but I don’t think they’ll buy the invisible bite marks.” He smiled as he got off the couch and walked over to her with Ben not far behind him. “We should probably head down since we have to take the presents, the cake and the Pirate King.”

  Speaking of the presents, Jasmine couldn’t wait to see what John was hiding in the three presents he’d added to the pile Jasmine already had. Since her original present of John showing up to have dinner with Meemaw hadn’t worked out, she’d had to pick up a few other gifts for the woman who already had everything. She’d used that fact to try to get John to tell her what he got, but he seemed certain Meemaw didn’t have whatever he had wrapped up in shiny pink paper.

  “What do you want to carry?” There was no way Jasmine was letting him anywhere near the cake, but she thought she’d make it seem like it was an option.

  “Since I don’t want to sleep on the couch tonight, I think Ben and I will take care of the presents. You’ll probably want to point out if any of your gifts are breakable.”

  That went without saying. The little guy didn’t know his own strength. The guys stopped for a second to put their shoes on. John’s were black dress shoes, while Ben had some of the cutest tennis shoes Jasmine had ever seen. It was mainly the fact they were smaller versions of shoes you could see on adults every day that Jasmine loved so much. She clearly didn’t interact with people under four-feet tall enough.

  “And the heavy ones, so you’re carrying the red, purple and blue packages. Along with whichever ones of yours you’d like to see unbroken.”

  “I bet you’ll be watching the distribution closely to try to find some last-minute clues about what’s inside the boxes.”

  Jasmine did just that and l
ooked on as John handed every one of his gifts on the breakfast bar to Ben. She had a feeling the move had nothing to do with the fragility of the items inside. Since she’d already picked them all up and shaken them, she knew most of them weighed next to nothing, so the four-year-old would have no problem carrying them.

  “Did you have to wrap them all in pink?” There was a bit of disgust in Ben’s voice.

  “They’re going to a very special lady, who told me she loved that color, so yes.”

  Technically, Meemaw had said she loved her roses in the front yard that were about the same color as the wrapping paper. Jasmine didn’t think that was because of the color, but she knew Meemaw would appreciate he’d paid some attention to detail.

  John picked up the rest of the presents like they weighed nothing, even though Jasmine knew the crystal vase in the blue box weighed almost ten pounds by itself. Meemaw had a small collection of vases and Jasmine figured another addition was one of the easier choices amongst the gifts.

  “If it’s too heavy for you guys, we could try to make two trips,” Jasmine suggested as she picked up the two-tiered cake she’d packed into a cardboard bakery box. It was a little surprising that the cake was still boxed up since there had been a sword fight over it. Jasmine had assumed John had at least tried to tempt Ben with it.

  “I think we can manage walking to the elevator. Right, Ben?” John looked down to check on the little guy, who was quick to roll his eyes.

  “It feels kind of like these are just empty boxes. I’m pretty sure my lunchbox weighs more.”

  John led the way to the door and managed to juggle his packages in one hand as he opened the door. “Just because I give you empty boxes for your birthday, doesn’t mean I give everyone empty boxes.”

  “Did you really give him an empty box?” They liked to play around, but that seemed a little mean.

  “He did, but only because Mom wouldn’t let him bring the ATV in the house.”

  Jasmine felt her eyes widen as she stared down at the little boy in front of her. Never mind asking why there was an empty box involved instead of just taking him out to the present. Ben was way too young for an ATV, even Jasmine knew that. “How long ago did you buy him and ATV?”