We sat quietly, looking out toward the water for several minutes while I attempted to calm my nerves. It was eerily quiet on the Sound. I hadn’t noticed any lights from vessels for quite some time.
“This is really peaceful here. I think this has become my favorite spot,” I said.
I looked behind me and ducked my head, still able to see the glow of our house between the branches. Everyone was close, but I felt a world away, except for the music that drifted through the air.
“I’ve been planning tonight for a very long time, Gabby,” Jason began.
My heart hammered as he continued. “I’ve gone back and forth on when to do it. I wanted everything to be perfect. You deserve perfection.”
I felt a lump in the back of my throat and forced it away. I wasn’t going to become one of those women who cried the experience away, whatever the experience might turn out to be.
“But these last few weeks have shown me that perfection doesn’t really exist. An incredible woman once told me that the outcome is more important than the intention. I didn’t quite understand what she meant until life continued to get in the way of what I thought you deserved. I get it now, Gabby. I don’t ever want to lose you. I know the outcome I want, and it’s to spend the rest of my life with you.”
I heard the dance music change to classical, which for some reason, made my heart skip a beat. It was like a signal from above.
“I love you, Gabby.”
“I love you too, Jason Baines, and I can’t imagine anything better,” I whispered.
The first pop sounded into the air, followed by the gold spatter of fireworks blasting into the sky. My breath caught when I saw a sprinkle of silver splash across the dark backdrop followed by red confetti and a loud boom and then another. The fireworks shot from a barge centered in the bay, the reflection of the brilliant colors dancing across the water.
Jason had done this for me? This was the most perfect moment of my life.
“This is the last secret, I’ll ever keep from you,” he whispered, while the green glitter filled the sky going to the beat of the music.
As we sat on the bench, my eyes filled with tears, and I knew I was the luckiest woman on the planet. Jason wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I rested my head against him as the brilliant show continued spraying colorful sparks into the sky.
The music lifted me into another time and space as I watched the fireworks fill the sky. Jason slowly moved away from me and dropped on one knee in front of me. He quickly reached into his pocket, his eyes glistening as he opened the box.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Gabby Sullivan. Ever since you came into my life, you’ve made me realize what living really means. The spark in your eyes, the wit of your mind, and your beautiful…well you know,” he flashed his cocky grin. “You’re my everything and you always will be. You make me a whole man, and I can’t wait to continue to build our family if you’ll grant me this one wish.”
I could barely swallow and my hands trembled.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes. Oh, yes, Jason.” He slipped the ring on my finger as I flung my arms around his neck.
“You’ve made my world complete, my life complete,” I whispered.
The fireworks came to an end, but ours were just beginning. His hands skimmed over my bare shoulders as he brought me into him, kissing my neck ever so gently, sending a shiver up my spine. He wrapped the blanket around us, softly kissing me while his hands ran up my legs, resting on my thigh.
“So this is why you picked out the dress,” I teased.
Jason smiled, and traced his finger back down my leg. “Only time will tell.”
I rested my arms around his shoulders, feeling the strength of his body against mine. He broke away and looked into my eyes. “Thank you for saying yes.”
My breath hitched. “Did you have any doubts?”
“A smart man always has doubts,” he laughed.
I could hear the party getting a little loud behind us and took in a deep breath.
“Should we get back to everyone so they don’t think—”
“Think what?” his brow quizzical.
“You know what.” I tapped his shoulder.
He grinned and stood up, holding his hands out for me, which I gladly took. It was like I was floating on air from his proposal when we walked back to the house. It was obvious that we weren’t missed and the party was in full swing. The music had been switched back and the energy was out of this world. Lily spotted us first and squealed as I held up my hand and wiggled my fingers. Brandy jumped up and rushed toward me.
“I knew it, girl. I knew it,” she chided, hugging me.
Jason kept his hand on my shoulder, and I felt absolutely incredible.
Brandy released me from her embrace but then came in again. “You’re the first of us. Now let’s hope you’re not the last.”
We laughed, and I glanced at Aaron who was taking it all in from a distance. I smiled and waved as he came slowly walking over.
“You know, I think I should get some kind of reward or maybe like a matchmaking fee or something,” Aaron teased, grinning.
“Dream on,” Jason said.
Brandy let go, this time for good, and Aaron came in for a hug. “Congratulations,” he whispered.
“Thank you.” My eyes filled with tears as I stayed in my brother’s embrace, knowing that the woman I wished here most—wasn’t.
My dad and Carla walked over, smiling, hand in hand.
“Congratulations, Jason. You’ve got yourself quite a handful,” my dad laughed and Aaron let go.
I dabbed my tears away and smiled. “He has no idea,” I teased, glancing at Jason who was watching me. The look in his eyes made me almost giddy. It bordered on primal, like the act of putting a ring on my finger claimed me as his.
“Your mother would be so proud of you,” my dad said softly, taking me into his arms. “I know I am.”
“Thank you, dad.”
“When Jason asked for your hand in marriage, your father didn’t even wait for him to finish the sentence,” Carla laughed, giving me a quick hug and a kiss on each cheek.
“And when was this exactly?” I asked.
My dad whistled and clapped his hands together. “Boy, it’s been quite some time now, hasn’t it? Right after New Year’s…”
Carla shook her head. “No, dear. It wasn’t after New Year’s. It was right before…right before they went on that trip.”
“Oh, God. The trip,” Lily shuddered. “Austin.”
“What are you complaining about?” Ayden laughed. “Look what you came away with?”
Lily playfully shoved him, right before he wrestled her into his arms.
“You two deserve one another,” Aaron laughed.
I turned to Jason and watched him carefully. “You’ve had this planned for that long?”
Jason smirked. “Believe it or not, yes. But life had a nasty habit of getting in the way.”
“Funny how that works,” I said, looking up at him through my lashes.
After countless toasts most of which made me almost die laughing, the deck became crowded with people dancing and Jason and I shifted off to the side. Katie had fallen asleep on the couch in the great room. The wall was still open, and we could see her perfectly.
“Should we wake her and tell her the good news?” I asked.
“I heard to never wake a sleeping child,” Jason replied.
“Really? What happens?”
“I have no idea, but I’m willing to take everyone’s word for it.”
I chuckled and leaned my head against Jason’s body.
“We’re not doing half bad,” I said. “Granted, I’ve been asleep through most of it…”
Jason laughed. “Our insta-family is really quite amazing.”
“Isn’t it?” Katie looked so content on the couch with blankets surrounding her. “Funny how she fits right in.”
Jason nodded. “True.
It makes me think about more.”
“Oh, no. Please let me get down the aisle before we even discuss having more,” I teased.
“You know you want to,” Jason laughed, hugging me.
“You just want an excuse to practice.”
“Come on, you think I need practice?” He grinned wryly.
“Before we start thinking of expanding, we’ve got to figure out how to get this one to Paris.”
“Paris?” Jason asked.
I nodded. “Your best friend is moving there for the summer, maybe longer.”
“Because of the exhibition?”
“That and avoiding Brandy’s trial.”
I saw Aaron slowing down and taking a swig of water so I motioned for him to come over.
He glanced around and eyed me suspiciously, and I wondered what the heck he thought I had planned.
“What’s up?” Aaron asked.
“I told Jason about your trip.”
“Pretty cool, man,” Jason said. “Thanks for the heads up.”
“It’s only fair that Gabby knew something before you.”
I chuckled and gave Aaron a high five.
“I figured what’s life if we don’t take chances,” Aaron said. “I knew Brandy was getting uncomfortable with everything that’s about to start up here, and figured what the heck. We have the time and the money so why not.”
I nodded. “Life’s about taking chances.”
“Or at least the ones worth living.”
Brandy motioned for Aaron to get back on the dance floor, and I literally felt his agony, but he was being a good sport about it and followed her lead.
I couldn’t resist and held up my hand once again. It was the engagement ring that matched the bracelet he’d given me, a diamond solitaire set off by two sapphires in a platinum setting. Regardless of what my friends have said, they were in on it.
“I hope you like your ring,” he said.
“It’s perfect.”
I was sitting on the deck, wrapped in a blanket, and staring into oblivion. I had snuck out from under Jason’s embrace. The party had ended and it was close to midnight. I didn’t want to miss one of the most important things about this day. Amid all of the chaos, it occurred to me that it was my mother’s birthday, and I felt like I needed her now more than ever. Every year on her birthday, I’d reflect on the past year, and to say this one had been filled with the unexpected was an understatement.
I looked toward the stars and felt my mom’s presence as I had many times before. An infinite amount of peace spread through me as I thought about the last year. I never imagined that I’d not only find the love of my life, but that our love would’ve expanded in the way it did. What people said was true. When you weren’t looking for love that was when it would crash into your life. I had hit the lottery with Jason. There was no doubt about it. If I were being completely honest, I’d have to say that I was pretty sure my mom up above had something to do with it.
I had spent so many years building up walls, only to have Jason come roaring through, knocking them all down with quite a force. I’d thought by controlling everything in my life, I’d be creating the perfect existence, without accidents or problems. If I protected my heart, no pun intended, I’d remain intact and able to cope with whatever life threw at me. What I learned over this past year was that trying to control much of anything was laughable and certainly provided a nice comedy hour for everyone sitting in the stars.
My life was full of detours and crash landings, and that was okay because it made me who I was today. I wouldn’t ever want to live a life that started out at “point a” and landed at “point b” without any hops, skips, or jumps along the way. How dreadful that would be.
I drew my hand out from under the blanket and waved it toward the sky.
“See mom?” I whispered, wiggling my ring finger. “Just like I always wanted. And he’s hot.”
The door behind me opened, and I heard Jason’s footsteps moving toward me.
“You doing okay, babe?” he asked. His hair was all ruffled and his flannel pajama bottoms hung low around his hips. He caught me following his treasure trail and laughed.
“Even at midnight, huh?” he laughed.
“It’s not my fault,” I protested.
“No. It’s all mine,” he said in his wry way.
I held out my hand and fanned my fingers in front of him. “How does it look?”
“Like it was made for you. I should’ve put it on your finger months ago.” He stood behind me and bent down slightly, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
I shook my head. “No. Things always happen for a reason,” I said, feeling his whiskers against my neck.
“How so?” he asked
“Today’s my mom’s birthday.”
Jason’s mouth parted, but he didn’t know what to say.
“I couldn’t have picked a better day to tell the man of my dreams that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. In fact, I think she had a hand in it. In all of it,” I whispered.
“I don’t doubt it for a second,” he said, scooping me up into his arms. “If there’s anything these last few months have taught me, it’s that there’s always a reason. I still can’t get over Katie calling for help.”
I shook my head. “My little guardian angel.”
“I think we have more than one,” he said.
I nodded and leaned my head against him. Every so often we’d hear the croak of a frog and it made me laugh.
“Amazing how such little creatures can be so loud,” I whispered.
“Amazing what kind of things pop into your head,” he chuckled.
I felt the electricity between us intensify.
“I will never forget tonight,” I whispered, crawling onto Jason’s lap.
“I don’t think you have any idea what you’re doing to me,” he murmured.
“But I think I do.”
He let out a little grunt before he enveloped me in his embrace with the blanket and stood up, carrying me inside quickly. He ran his whiskers along my neck and tickled me mercilessly. I was stuck and he knew it.
“You took my breath away tonight.” His gaze fixed on mine. The more I squirmed, the tighter he squeezed.
“So where did we leave off this morning?” he asked, with a bemused smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do,” he smirked, lying me down on the couch. “I don’t think there is any doubt there.”
He tugged the blanket off of me and slipped out of his pajama pants. I was only in a sleep shirt and a chill scampered across my skin. His gaze traced along my bare legs, and again, this man made me feel like an angel. I gazed in wonder at the man standing in front of me, his eyes filled with longing.
“Since it’s the middle of the night and we’re all alone…” Jason smiled, and his brow quirked.
I couldn’t help but giggle.
“I want all of our firsts to be incredible,” he breathed.
“How is this a first?” I asked, turning sideways on the couch.
“It’s the first time I’ll make love to my fiancée,” he said.
Jason slowly worked my sleep shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor. My gaze dipped to his boxers, and he threw me a seductive grin before shaking his head. He took a step closer and leaned over me. My chest swelled as I became intoxicated by his scent, his gaze falling to my breasts as I reached out for him.
He tipped my chin to the side, and kissed my neck, leaving my body begging for more. His gaze lingered, explored every part of me as if it was our first time. My body ached for his while he slowly worked his fingers down my flesh, teasing and caressing the most sensitive parts of my body.
Jason’s gaze intensified as he worked his way lower, my hands curling through his hair. He scattered kisses along my thighs, making me moan softly when he pulled away.
“Don’t stop,” I whispered, feeling him pull my panties off. His warm
breath caressed my flesh as he traced his fingers along my body, circling and tormenting me into submission.
He stood up, pulling his boxers down and then hovered over me, his mouth exploring every part of my body with complete ease. As I traced my fingers along his back, he slowly crawled on top of my body, his hips grinding against me as I ached for more.
“Please,” I whispered, unsure of how much more I could take.
Jason’s eyes locked on mine as I felt his fullness inside of me. With every movement, our world collided into a blissful existence. My body, unable to handle anymore, released with his into another reality.
Our bodies collapsed into one another as we attempted to catch our breaths. Rolling slightly, he propped his head on his hand, and watched me intently.
“How do you do that?” I asked.
“What?”
“Make me feel like the most special woman in the universe.”
“You are the only woman in my universe,” he said, brushing some of my hair away from my face.
I rested my hand against his chest and felt the steady beat of his heart as I imagined spending a lifetime with him.
“I scheduled a couple’s massage for three o’clock tomorrow,” Jason said.
“That sounds amazing,” I replied. “And then the next day we go back to reality, but I have to admit, I love this little world we’ve built.”
“I know. Our reality isn’t so bad.”
“So true,” I agreed, nestling into him.
“So about the wedding…”
“What about it?” I asked, surprised he was already bringing it up.
“Let’s not push it too far off.”
I nodded and placed my head on his bare shoulder. “I couldn’t agree more.”
He pressed his lips to my head and gave me a quick kiss.
“I want it to be everything you’ve always dreamed of,” he said, his hand moving slowly along my arm. “But you have to promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“That you won’t try to bake your own cake.”
“How’d you know?” I laughed.
“I know you well enough to know that you think you can make your own wedding cake, hand make all the invitations, decorate the—”
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