Naya gasped. “You’re getting married?” Naya’s world just altered in a dramatic way. “You can’t be getting married!”
Anna’s fingers curled around her ring and she couldn’t stop grinning. “Why not? Jeff makes me happy. I love him, he loves me. It is the natural course of that love to decide to spend our lives together.”
Naya could only stare at her mother as the driver maneuvered around the Charlottesville traffic. Her mind was buzzing with questions, but the only one that came out was, “I thought, after Dad, that you wouldn’t ever get married again.”
The glow to her mother’s smile diminished and she turned to face her daughter, laying a hand on Naya’s arm. “Honey, is that why you don’t date any man seriously?”
Naya couldn’t really answer so she just shrugged her shoulder.
Her mother sighed but the driver pulled up to her mom’s house. “We need to talk, honey.”
They got out of the vehicle and the driver handed Naya her luggage. “Call me when you’re ready to head back to the airport, ma’am,” he smiled, handing her a card with his number on it.
Naya smiled her thanks and waved weakly as the man pulled out of her mother’s driveway and drove off down the street.
“Come on, honey. We need to talk.” Anna took Naya’s luggage and walked into the house.
Naya looked around, shielding her eyes from the bright sunshine and looked around. Her mother’s house was small, like her own, but there were more flowers this time. Her mother had started gardening? When had that happened?
As Naya stepped onto the walkway leading to the house, she froze. An incredibly handsome man was bending down to kiss her mother.
“Naya, this is Jeff, my fiancé,” Anna explained, her arm around the man’s waist and that huge grin was back. “Jeff, my daughter, Naya.”
Jeff extended his hand and shook Naya’s, nodding to her as well. “Your mother brags about you all the time, Naya. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Same,” Naya replied, trying to be polite, but she was so confused.
Anna put a hand on Jeff’s chest and looked up at him. “Naya and I need to talk. Would you mind opening a bottle of that wine we like so much?”
“Sure, honey,” he said and kissed her gently before walking into the house.
Naya wasn’t sure what was going on, but she followed her mother into the kitchen, then right out onto the patio. More flowers. New patio furniture. Even the loose boards along the fence were fixed and the grass looked to be, well, grass. On Naya’s last visit, the area had been mostly weeds.
“You’re gardening now?” she asked.
Anna laughed. “No way! That’s all Jeff’s doing. He loves to plant things and was horrified by the state of my grass last spring. So he took over, telling me I wasn’t allowed to touch anything anymore.”
Naya wiggled in her chair, offended on her mother’s behalf. “Yes, but you could have done it.”
Anna shook her head. “No way. I hate gardening. Actually, I used to hate being out here because the yard looked like such a mess. But now that Jeff has taken over, I love this area. He has a good sense of what works well around the yard, doesn’t he?”
Naya’s eyes moved around the small yard. It looked charming and cozy. She didn’t like a man telling her mother what she could or couldn’t do though. “Yes, but…”
Anna lifted her hand after the acknowledgment, stopping whatever Naya had been about to say. “No. We’re not going to talk about Jeff right now,” she agreed, even as she smiled up at the man in question as he handed each of them a chilled glass of white wine. “Thank you, dear,” she said. “Jeff and I discovered this wine about two months ago when he took me on a long weekend into the Virginia wine country. He loves wines and he’s taught me so much.”
“You used to drink wine,” Naya argued.
Her mother sipped her wine, closing her eyes as the tastes hit her. When she opened them again, she smiled slightly. “I used to buy wine at the grocery store. I would pick up whatever was on sale. Jeff was horrified.”
Naya looked around, trying to find the man in question. “So, he doesn’t like your yard and he doesn’t like your taste in wine. What else didn’t he like?”
Anna understood exactly where this conversation was heading and smiled gently at her daughter. “Honey, Jeff is a good man. He loves me. If I wanted to buy cheap wine at the grocery store, he would let me do it. But he’s opened my eyes to more things. And I love him. I’m hoping that you will come to, at least, like him over the next couple of days while you’re staying here.”
Naya bowed her head, feeling horrible. “I’m sorry. I’m just so confused.” Looking up, she peered into her mother’s eyes. They were so much alike, although her mother’s red curls were softer, shaded with a touch of grey now. “You hated being married. You and Dad fought all the time.”
Her mother’s relaxed smile caused another shift in Naya. “Yes. Your dad and I were wrong for each other. We met in college, I accidentally got pregnant with you, and we thought that marriage was the only answer.” Her mother’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I never regretted having you. Naya, you have to know that you gave your father and I so much happiness.”
She was comforted by the words, even though they didn’t make must sense. “But you fought all the time.”
Anna smiled again. “Not when it was just you and me, or you and your father. You loved being with your dad, didn’t you?”
Naya fondly remembered lots of times when she was alone with one of her parents. They’d laughed and played games, her father was an amazing soccer coach for her team, he loved to cook, and her mother loved crafts. “Yeah, we had good times when it was just one of you.”
Anna laughed, cringing at the next sentence. “But boy, did we fight when we were together!” Anna sighed, shuddering at the memories. “The best thing we ever did was to divorce. It wasn’t easy on you, I know that. And I wish it had been different. I didn’t like you shuffling from one house to the other.”
Naya shrugged. “It wasn’t so bad, Mom. It was better that way. I knew that then and I know it now.”
“Yes, but you’re wary, aren’t you?”
Naya couldn’t lie. Not about this. “Yes.”
“That’s why you’re here, right?”
Naya shifted and took a long sip of the wine. It was good, she thought. Surprisingly good. “Yes.”
“You’ve met a man.” Anna wasn’t asking. The driver, the private plane, Naya’s unexpected visit all spoke volumes.
Bowing her head, Naya admitted the truth. It would be hard to deny anyway. “Yes.”
“Tell me about him,” her mother urged.
Naya closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she had to blink to hold back the tears. “I love him,” she finally admitted. It was almost a relief to say those words. She hadn’t even been thinking them until that moment, not allowing herself to admit to an emotional connection with Luke. “I love him so much that it hurts sometimes.”
Anna smiled. “Is there a problem with that?” she asked, taking Naya’s hand and squeezing gently.
Naya held onto her mother’s fingers as if they were her only lifeline. “Yes. I don’t want to love him. There’s no future for us.”
Her mother was silent for a long moment before she said, “Have you spoken to him about your feelings?”
Naya smiled through her tears. “Luke is pretty amazing. But I also know that he’s not really into marriage. Nor am I.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Anna replied, shaking her head.
“No, really, Luke is…he’s…well, the guy is just too fabulous for words. He could have any woman he wants,” she explained. “He only wants me for now.”
Her mother took a moment. “And what do you want?”
Naya stared at the wine in her glass. “I don’t want to be married.”
Anna laughed. “That’s your brain answering. What does your heart say?”
Naya didn’t answer. She took a deep breath and looked over at her mother. “It doesn’t matter.” Her relationship with Luke would have to wait. She’d thought to come here and work things out, talk with her mother, but now everything was more complicated. Deciding that a change of subject was in order, she tilted her head towards the house where she knew Jeff was hanging out, giving them some privacy. “Tell me about Jeff. How did the two of you meet?”
From the look in her mother’s eyes, Naya knew that the change in subject was understood but that the subject was not forgotten. It would come back and Naya knew that she’d have to answer that question honestly. But since she hadn’t even acknowledged her feelings for the man until a few minutes ago, she couldn’t give her mother an honest answer.
Oh, that was such a lie, she thought as she listened to her mother talk about her romance with Jeff, their wedding plans, and all of the fun things they had planned for the future.
“Dinner is ready,” Jeff announced as the sun started to lower in the sky. It was still warm, but dusk was falling, and it felt cooler than the afternoon had been. Jeff carried two plates filled with something that smelled amazing, setting them down in front of Naya and her mother. He then went back to get his own plate and to refill their glasses.
“Paella,” Jeff explained as he sat down at the patio table. “Shrimp, spicy sausage, scallops, clams, chicken, along with spices. I use barley instead of rice, since it is healthier and, in my opinion, tastes better.” He winked at Anna and Naya was astonished when her mother blushed. Actually blushed! It was bad enough when Naya did it at Luke’s teasing, but her mother was in her mid forties!
That proved to Naya that love makes a person young again.
Yeah, Naya could feel that evil monster “jealousy” creeping up on her again. And for her mother! That was what felt so wrong! Naya would have sworn that her mother never would have ventured down the marriage pathway again.
And her mother’s previous marriage had made Naya want to try and distance herself from Luke, too! Now Naya was in a conundrum, in love with a man who would eventually move on to the next woman. And that broke her heart.
Later that night, she fell into bed thinking that she wouldn’t get much sleep. But after being with Luke last night, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and didn’t stir until she heard the birds singing outside of her window the following morning.
Naya and her mother went shopping the next day, spending time browsing, eating lunch, and having their nails done at one of the local shops. It was one of the most relaxing times Naya had spent with her mother in years, and as the three of them were sitting down to dinner at one of the gourmet restaurants near her mother’s house that night, Naya understood that the reason this trip was so relaxing was because her mother was more relaxed. And happy! Jeff made her mother happy! It was such a revelation!
She flew home late Sunday night, and Naya stared out at the darkness for the longest time, her mind trying to filter through all that she’d learned over the weekend.
So, when Luke met her at the airport, she was startled and more than slightly happy to see him. In fact, she threw herself into his arms and started crying, clinging to him like a little girl.
“Hey!” he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up and kissing her neck since her face was buried against his own neck. “What happened, honey? Are you okay?”
Was she okay? Naya had no idea. She didn’t know what was going on any longer. The sun was just starting to set here in Seattle, but Naya was on East Coast time, so she was tired, but she didn’t want to go to bed.
“My mother is getting married,” she told Luke when she finally pulled back.
Luke looked down at her cheeks, noticing that she looked beautiful when she cried. “And this is a bad thing?”
Naya shrugged. “I never thought it would happen. I thought my mother was completely opposed to marriage.”
He stilled, staring down at her as the airport workers rushed around them, doing their final check and storing the plane for the night. “Is that why you’ve tried to keep me at a distance for so long?”
Naya looked up at him, blinking and not sure how to reply. His green eyes looked so sincere, so gentle and yet, there was something more to his look. Something that told her that he needed the truth. “Yes,” she finally admitted, and knew that it was the truth. “My mother and father argued all the time when they were married. Finally, they called it quits and divorced. But even their divorce was miserable and brutal.”
Luke had suspected something had gone wrong in her past, but hearing her say that, he was stumped. He didn’t know how to combat that kind of a history. And having her gone for the weekend only confirmed that he wanted her in his life forever. Not just for the nights either. He wanted her in his life, in his house, in his heart. He wanted all of her.
“That doesn’t mean all marriages are bad, love,” he told her, trying to think of how to get her to believe that. The diamond ring was burning a hole in his pocket. He’d wanted to propose to her the moment she’d stepped off of the plane. Now, he wasn’t sure what to do. Unfortunately, he saw the wariness in her eyes, knew that she was too vulnerable at the moment. As much as he wanted his ring on her finger, to know that she would be his wife, he couldn’t ask her to make that kind of a commitment right now. “Come on. Let’s go back to my place and you can tell me about your mother.”
Naya let him tuck her into his Porsche and worried about how she was going to handle breaking up with this incredible man. She couldn’t stay with him. She loved him too much and she couldn’t put herself in his company like this. She wouldn’t survive the end of their affair if she became any more emotionally involved with him.
She snorted. More emotionally involved? Was it possible to love a man more than she loved Luke? It didn’t seem possible.
Luke looked over at her after hearing the odd sound, not sure where her mind was. She’d never been this quiet. Normally, she was teasing or pushing, nudging or challenging him. He loved every moment of being with Naya. Even now, he was more concerned about her than he was frustrated that she wasn’t telling him what was wrong. She was one of those happy people that rarely seemed down about anything.
So what was going on with her now?
Back at his condo, he led her over to the sofa, pulling her onto his lap. “Is your mom okay, Naya?” he asked, worried for her now.
Her startled eyes met his and she smiled. “She’s actually doing great. She’s met a wonderful man and,” she hesitated, still having trouble believing this part, “she’s thrilled to be engaged.” She looked away, trying to come to terms with that fact. She’d spent the weekend with them and still couldn’t believe her mother was getting married again.
“And do you not like your mom’s future husband?” he asked, trying to figure her out.
Naya looked back at him. “No! He’s a great guy. Jeff is exactly what she needs.” She smiled slightly. “And exactly what her yard needs. Jeff loves to garden and my mother’s yard suffers from neglect. My mom can’t keep a cactus alive.”
Luke smiled slightly, searching for another reason. “Are you upset that she’s getting married?”
Naya considered that possibility. “Yes. I think I am.”
“Because you don’t believe in marriage?”
She swung her head in his direction. “I believe in marriage,” she came right back, even though she knew it to be a lie. “Why would you think that?”
He breathed a bit easier, thinking about the diamond in his pocket. “I just thought you didn’t want to even consider that possibility.”
Naya wasn’t sure what to say. Did she want to be married to Luke? Absolutely! Was she willing to risk both of their happiness on that dream? No way! She loved this man too much.
She knew that he was waiting for her to say something else. Not sure what he wanted from her though, she said carefully, “I think there are some couples that can make a marriage work.”
&n
bsp; Luke stared at her. “Do you think we’re one of those couples?”
Her head snapped up, eyes wide with fear. “What do you mean?” she choked out, feeling trapped and terrified.
Luke took her hand and slipped the diamond ring out of his pocket. “I love you, Naya. I knew it before you left this past weekend but, being without you for even a couple of days, I realized how much I hated not having you in my life.” He watched as her eyes glanced from his to the ring, then back again. “I won’t ever stop you from having your own life and going off to different places without me, as long as I know that you’ll come back home to me. Will you marry me?”
Naya’s mouth fell open with those last four words. She’d suspected that was where he was going with his speech, the diamond ring a big clue, but she’d still held out hope that he wouldn’t say the words, wouldn’t mess everything up.
He was waiting for an answer. He even slid the ring down her finger…and she let him! Oh goodness, the ring felt so good and looked perfect on her hand! But marriage? No! She couldn’t do it! They’d fight all the time! They’d argue and then they’d mess up what they had together! It would ruin everything! Marriage was for other people! Not her! She wasn’t one of the lucky ones!
Standing up, she stared at the incredibly beautiful diamond ring, her throat tight with the emotions welling up inside of her. Backing up a step when he stood as well, she knew that she was hurting Luke so she didn’t look him in the eye. “I love you,” she choked out. “I love you so much, it hurts.”
She looked down at the ring again, and curled her fingers around it so she wouldn’t lose it. She’d have to take it off, give it back to him, but she wanted to wear it for just a few moments. She wanted to savor the dream.
“I love you too,” he replied, laughing slightly. “I guess I should have started with that, huh?” He took her hands in his, pulling her closer. “Naya, you look like I’ve just slapped you instead of proposed to you. Are you okay?”
Was she okay? Nope. Her dream of being with Luke was being thrown in her face and she knew that she could never have it. Was she being irrational? Probably. Her only understanding of marriage was her mother and father’s relationship and she never wanted to live like that. She never wanted to hate Luke that deeply. She loved him so much!
Defying His Charm Page 13