“All you have to do is say the word and it’s ours.”
“The kids will love it, but they won’t like leaving their friends. At least they wouldn’t have to move schools.”
“I think we can sell them on the good points of the house. It’s private. It allows us to have our life without people peeping in the windows.”
“That it does.”
“Poke around up here a little more. I need to grab something from the car.” Heather was a little nervous about what Peter had to grab from the car. She walked around the other bedrooms and checked out the bathrooms. The children would have their own space, but as big as it was, it still felt cozy like a family house should feel. Five weeks ago, probably this exact hour, Heather had fallen in front of Peter’s car. Now she was standing in a freaking mansion he wanted to buy for her, for them, and was pregnant with his child. The speed with which she was moving was startling her. Peter returned quickly with two towels.
“What are those for?”
“For us to use after we test the shower.” Heather couldn’t help but chuckle. Hank would have loved for Heather to have had this crazy penchant for sex in showers. He had to be looking down thinking it wasn’t fair it took her this long to find her hot and sexy mama side.
Peter started the water and the steam in the shower to warm it up. He took off each piece of Heather’s outfit carefully and with the same admiration he had the first time. He lovingly removed the boot from her ankle and quickly took off his clothes.
The shower activity sealed the deal. There was no way Heather was going to let anyone else have this shower and house. Peter called the realtor on the way home. The house was empty and move-in ready. The timing was all up to them.
“When do you want to take the kids?” Peter asked on the way home.
“Soon. I’m worried we’ll overwhelm them.”
“I’ll arrange it as soon as you’re ready.”
Chapter 39
As much as Heather liked being in this dreamy world with Peter all day everyday, she had stuff to do. Even if he was buying her family the most beautiful house she had ever laid eyes on, she still had laundry to wash, food to buy, meals to plan, bathrooms to clean and a baby to grow. She knew she would be exhausted by the end of the day, so she needed to forge ahead. When they got home, Heather went off to the store and took care of her errands. Peter went down to his apartment to do some work and make some more plans. He was ready for Heather and the kids to be his, to be part of his life permanently. Although they had a baby on the way and were buying a house before they were married, he wanted it to be perfect. He had to enlist Janie and Jenny to perfect his plan.
Peter touched base with Richard about the Rosie Greer tweet and the progress of Heather’s manuscript. Richard thought he would have a deal for Heather by the end of the day. Publishers were eating her memoir up. Her newfound fame in the literary world as Peter’s girl had to help, but Peter knew it would only go so far. Her book had to be good for a publisher to spend any money on it. Her connection to Peter probably increased the amount they would spend because people would want to learn more about the mother of his child. Richard didn’t have much news about Rosie Greer other than they could see the user listed her hometown as Lynbrook, NY. Alarm bells went off when Peter heard Lynbrook. That was where Aiden had grown up. Just as Janie suspected, Aiden must have had something to do with it. It was too much of a coincidence.
Shit, he thought. He had brought her into his life. She had access to his whole computer, which was filled with manuscripts and future ideas. Pissing her off further could make her do or say something worse. She had signed a confidentiality agreement that was iron clad. But Peter still felt like he needed to let her off easy, and he thought he knew just the way to do it. He called her and asked her to come over.
Within an hour, Aiden walked into the apartment ready for a few hours of work. Peter asked her to sit down at the table so they could talk, and Aiden knew that wasn’t a good sign. He reminded her of the confidentiality agreement she had signed. Aiden crossed her arms across her chest and put a scowl on her face. She knew this wasn’t going anywhere good.
“So, I’m in the process of buying a house in Midlothian, and my needs for an assistant will be changing. I need someone who will be close by and able to work with both Heather and myself. I have some writer friends in the community that would love to have you work for them. I’ll give you a good recommendation.”
Aiden didn’t have much to say other than a quick, “If that’s what you want.”
Peter said it was what he wanted. She was let go with a nice severance check and an offer to send her completed manuscript to Richard. Peter didn’t promise Richard would accept her as a client. That was up to Richard and Aiden. Aiden seemed content enough with the offer. He never mentioned the tweet as he was sure she would deny it.
Peter had an idea for a new assistant for both of them, but he wanted to discuss it with Heather first. He called her to check in and see how she was doing. Heather had run her errands and was lying on the couch waiting for Jenny to stop in. Peter gave her the quick rundown of the Aiden story and Richard update. Heather wasn’t surprised about Aiden and was surprisingly calm about the publishing offers. She sounded exhausted. Peter tried to finish his work quickly so he could head ‘home.’
Heather was dying to sit with Jenny and catch up. When they finally had a chance, Heather couldn’t sit and talk to her, she had to lie down. This whirlwind life and pregnancy were exhausting Heather. Jenny came in and sat down on the couch opposite Heather.
“You look terrible.”
“Thanks!”
“I remember how tiring those first months were, and with three kids keeping you busy, it must be really hard,” said Jenny. Heather thought the sex was probably stealing some of her energy too. But she wasn’t willing to give that up.
Heather cut right to the chase. “Peter is buying us a house.”
“WHAT?!”
“It’s right down the street. It’s an old mill house on the river. I didn’t even know it was there. It is amazing and gigantic.”
“You’re moving away though! I’ll miss running over to you.”
“It’s just a little farther. Peter can’t live here. He feels like he’s in a fish bowl. And it’s really hard to live in a house I built with Hank. We need a new space.”
“I know you do. I’m just sad for me. When can I see it?”
“I’ll ask Peter. Maybe I can take you in the next few days.” Heather told Jenny all about Aiden. She told her about the family dinner and the possible publishing deals. Jenny was thrilled. She was so happy Heather’s life was filled with direction again. Naturally, after Hank’s death, Heather had been floundering, but now things had changed and even though Heather was exhausted, Jenny could see the happiness oozing out of her. Hayes walked in from the bus, and the conversation ended. Jenny went home to get a few more things done before the elementary school kids got home.
Hayes was worried about Heather. She explained it was the pregnancy making her tired, and it was a good sign. He wondered where Peter was, and Heather reassured him Peter would be back soon. Hayes, feeling a little better, resumed his normal after school routine. Pee, snack, poop, TV. His predictability cracked Heather up. There was security in routines, and he was a man of his routines. At 3:50, he sweetly offered to get Gracie and Henry off the bus. Heather took him up on it so she could gather a little more energy before they came in.
When Peter came in, Heather and Gracie were doing homework on the couch. He walked over and gave them each a kiss. Gracie blushed.
“Hello, girls. Have a good day, Gracie?”
“Yep. It was a little boring though. James got sent to the principal because he was singing Sexy Lady.”
“Did you hear that Henry? Don’t sing anything inappropriate at school!” Heather took every opportunity she could to remind him and kept her fingers crossed he would behave. Thus far he had, other than tattooing himself. Peter sat down next to
Heather with a pile of papers in his hand.
“These are for you.”
“Me?” Heather asked as she took them and looked at them. It was a contract. Scribner wanted to publish her memoir. Heather started to cry.
“Are you ok, Mom?” asked Hayes with a desperate look on his face, hoping nothing else was wrong.
“I got a publishing deal. It’s real!” Everyone screamed and cheered. Heather planted a big kiss on Peter’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you,” said Peter.
Heather checked out the terms. The money was more than she could have imagined for her first book, almost 6 figures. She was going to be busy with her strict editing schedule and deadlines, but it was a dream come true.
After a celebratory dinner, the kids went to bed, happily. Peter and Heather sat down to talk about the day’s events. All of a sudden they had a move to plan and a house to sell. Heather also had a job. She was an author. A real, honest author.
“We need a new assistant. I thought maybe we could share the same one. I want someone close to us who will protect us.”
“Not sure I need one, but I’ll listen.”
“You do. You’re going to have a lot going on in the next few months between the move, the baby and your book. I thought maybe we could ask Jenny.”
“Seriously?”
“She would be great. She would have our backs, and I think she would be a hard worker.”
“I’ll talk to her in the morning.” Convincing Jenny to work for them would be cake. Matt had been bugging her to get a job anyway. This was perfect and would make up for the fact they wouldn’t be neighbors anymore.
Chapter 40
On Thursday morning, Heather got her boot off. She was finally healed. As much of a pain as it was to have a broken ankle, if she hadn’t fallen, she never would have met Peter. Peter wanted to celebrate her new found freedom and mobility with a walk. Heather was nervous about it but thought it was a good way to get back into exercise, and if Peter were with her, she would have someone to pick her up off the ground. They left Coco at home even though she was clamoring at the bit for a walk.
The first signs of November were in the air. The sky was blue with little wispy clouds scattered around. Peter and Heather held hands as they walked. Unbeknownst to Heather, this was more than just a walk. Peter had been planning this supposedly impromptu idea for awhile with Jenny and Janie. They crossed Robious Road and made their way up the sidewalk. They talked about their plan to take the kids to the house after school. Everything had come together quickly, and Peter was set to close on it next week. Heather planned on putting her house on the market as soon as the kids found out. She wanted to contribute to the price of the house, and she needed to sell hers to do that. Peter didn’t care but knew it was important to her and made her feel like a part of it.
Heather was nauseous again. The crisp air felt good, but she had to start munching the saltines she was carrying in her pockets. Peter knew he should take her back, but the plan was in motion and there was no way to stop it.
“You ok, baby?”
“I’m not sure how much farther I can go. I think I may get sick.” Janie and Jenny had parked Peter’s car up the road a bit. If he could just get her to go a little bit farther it would all be ok. Assuming he didn’t mind if his soon-to-be fiancée was about to throw up as he proposed.
“Let’s just get up to the end of the trees and turn back.” That worked for Heather. She was practicing her deep yoga breaths and concentrating on each step. They got to the clearing and the infamous pothole that started the whole thing.
“Aww…it’s our spot,” Heather managed to eek out. “I haven’t been back on this route since then. Thanks for not running me over.”
“Anytime. Imagine how guilty I would have felt if I had,” Peter joked. He could see the box in the pothole. Heather hadn’t noticed it yet. Most likely thanks to the fact she was concentrating on not puking. Peter led Heather over to the box inside the pothole. She gasped because it was a Tiffany’s box. A Tiffany’s box in the middle of the street right inside “their” pothole. That could only mean one thing. And the only words running through Heather’s mind were Please don’t hurl. Please don’t hurl. Freaking romantic…
Peter bent down to get the box. He stood up and handed it to Heather. “Heather Meadows, I want you to be in my life forever, in sickness and in health. We’ve done a lot of things backwards, but we’ve always been flying forward. Let’s make it official and start a new life. Let’s weld the Meadows and the Adamsons together. Heather, will you marry me?”
Right there, on Robious Road with the traffic zooming by and the tears trickling down Heather’s face, she said yes. Peter took the ring out of the box. It was a square diamond with two rows of little diamonds around it and a diamond band. It was breathtaking. Peter placed the ring on Heather’s finger and kissed her in a way that made her forget where she was. She would probably read about it later on Facebook. But Heather didn’t even care. Peter put his hand on the small of her back and led her to his car that had been placed about ten yards away. Heather hadn’t even noticed it. He helped her in. She was trying to be a beaming bride-to-be, but her stomach was flip-flopping. Peter noticed her cheeks were green instead of rosy. He hopped in the car and started driving to the house, only to have to pull over because Heather was sick. He leaned over and held her hair back. Heather managed to open the car door before she threw up. Fortunately, Peter managed to stop the car in time.
“I am so sorry. You can take the ring back. What kind of girl throws up after you propose to her?”
“The only one I want. I couldn’t imagine it any other way. Can you make it home?”
“Seeing as it’s thirty seconds from here, I hope so.” Peter raced home and helped Heather inside. Part two was waiting for them. While they were gone, Janie and Jenny had delivered bouquets of roses, tuberoses and orchids. Flowers decorated the first floor. The smell of the tropical flowers overwhelmed Heather, but the flowers were gorgeous. On the kitchen table sat a basket filled with bridal magazines and a large white envelope.
“Do you want to brush your teeth before the next part?” Heather did and did so as quickly as she could. Peter sat Heather down in a chair and handed her the envelope. Inside she found five airline tickets to Hawaii over Christmas. Heather started crying again. He was making all of their dreams come true.
“I thought we could go to Hawaii and get married on the beach. I have rooms for your mom, Donna and Phil, Lauren and her family, Janie, my parents and Jenny and her family. They will all be there with us to celebrate. We can plan the rest later.”
Heather was at a loss for words between her nagging nausea and the tears. She could only manage an “I love you” before Peter kissed her and carried her over to the couch with the basket of goodies. He sat with her and tickled her feet.
“Chris delivered a special lunch for us, and I have sparkling cider for a toast. I think you probably need a few minutes though before you eat.”
“Actually, if it’s chicken curry that sounds amazing.”
“Before I get it, I need to tell you that the kids know. I confided in Hayes a few days ago. He was thrilled to be the only one who knew. I told Gracie and Henry last night. I figured Henry wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret for long.”
“The kids know?” Heather was shocked and relieved. “Were they ok with this?”
“They were. Henry wants to be the DJ at the reception. Gracie can’t wait to pick out her dress. Of course, the trip to Hawaii sweetened the deal. I wanted them to be a part of it. I thought they might like to know, and I just hoped you would say yes.”
Heather thought about it while Peter got lunch out. He was right. It probably made them feel important to be asked. “I’m assuming everyone else knows?”
“Yes, I had them clear their schedules for the trip. I asked your mom for her permission to marry you. I think since I knocked you up first everyone was relieved to know I wanted to propose. Had it been the othe
r way around, it might not have been as easy.”
“I’m surprised everyone was able to keep this a secret. I can’t believe it didn’t make its way to Twitter.”
Heather and Peter ate lunch on the couch. Almost the same way they did the first time they met. The chicken curry made Heather feel better, but the smell of the flowers was making her crazy. Janie and Jenny came over to help Peter remove the flowers, and he opened all the windows to clear the smell.
Chapter 41
Heather checked her email quickly before the kids got home. Her Facebook nemesis, Tanya, had written on her wall. KISSING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD? ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL? Heather should have guessed Tanya passed by. Of all the cars and people, it would be her. Heather started typing a snarky response when her screen flashed. Janie responded for her. STOP BEING SO JEALOUS. Two seconds later, Jenny responded. TRUST ME. YOU WOULD HAVE KISSED HIM TOO. It felt good to be protected by Jenny AND Janie. It was good to have Jenny on the payroll and Janie bound by blood.
Hayes flew off the bus and ran inside to see Peter and Heather.
“WELL? Did you say yes?”
Heather and Peter were all cleaned up and freshly showered. “YES!”
“Can I see the ring?” Heather showed Hayes the ring, and they talked about the plans.
“Where are all the flowers you were getting, Peter?”
“Well, turns out the smell made your mom sick. Miss Jenny and my sister cleared them away.”
“Nice, Mom.”
“That’s not the worst of it. I puked about two minutes after Peter proposed.”
“GROSS! You are so embarrassing.”
“Funny thing is I don’t even try.”
Henry and Gracie ran in a few minutes later. They all hugged. Gracie was in love with the ring and grabbed a bridal magazine to check out dresses. Peter and Heather wanted to show them the house. Peter had arranged for them to go over for awhile without the realtor. He was more worried about how they would take this decision than how they would handle the marriage.
Tripped Up Love Page 20