“It wouldn’t break my heart. I do want children. That’s why I wanted to get married. Maybe not this month, or even this year, but within five years for sure. I can’t imagine anything more fulfilling than raising children.”
“Then you’re willing to cut down on your hours at work?”
“You mean now? Or when children come?”
“I guess when children come.” He was disappointed that she didn’t want to spend more time with him, but maybe that would change as they got to know one another better. He hoped so.
“When children come, I will definitely slow down.” She was sad that he hadn’t wanted her to slow down now, but he didn’t know her well enough to care about what she did with her time. “Why did you decide to contact Dr. Lachele? What made you want to marry?”
He frowned. “I’d really rather not talk about that at the moment, if you don’t mind.” He still felt like Uncle Larry had betrayed him.
“All right.” Feeling like the conversation was over, she turned toward the door to go back inside. “I’m going to unpack my things, and grab my Kindle. Then you can take me to wherever you’re going to watch television, and I’ll read.”
“Sounds good. I’ll wait here for you.” He leaned against the balcony, looking out over the pool. In another month, it would be warm enough to swim there. He wondered if she enjoyed swimming. There were so many things he needed to learn about her yet, and he wasn’t sure how quickly that was going to happen. She was opening up more than he’d expected, considering how shy she’d seemed, but still he felt like she was hiding something.
Jean felt overwhelming sadness wash over her as she put her things away. Not only did he not want her to stop working so much, he wouldn’t tell her why he’d wanted to get married in the first place. She was sure it wasn’t a good idea to start a marriage with secrets, but how could she get him to tell her what he was thinking?
When she finished, she opened the sliding glass door leading out onto the balcony. “I’m finished.”
He stepped back inside and locked the door behind him. “There are three living rooms, but I prefer to watch television in the game room. Uncle Larry thought I needed a place to hang out with my friends, so he had this game room built.” He left the bedroom and led her downstairs and toward the back of the house. “He put it as far from his study as he could, because he didn’t want to hear the noise we made, but he wanted me to be able to bring friends over and have something to do.” He opened the door to a teenage boy’s dream room. “I loved it here. My friends would come over, and we’d play video games or foosball.” He walked to the far side of the room, where there was a lavish television viewing area. “We’d watch movies here.” He sat down on a couch with reclining seats on both ends, putting his feet up.
Jean frowned for a moment, wondering if she should be forward and sit in the middle, or if he’d prefer she sat down on the other end from him. Finally, she decided it would be best just to ask. She didn’t want there to be misunderstandings between them. “Would you rather I sat in the middle or at the other end?”
He looked up at her with surprise. “Where would you rather sit?”
She bit her lip. She wanted to sit close to him, but she didn’t think it was smart for her to just blurt that out. “I’d rather sit in the middle.”
He smiled, taking her hand and pulling her down beside him. “That’s what I’d rather too. Just do what you want to do. There’s no reason to be nervous around me.”
Jean shook her head. “If you think it’s that simple, you don’t know me at all.”
“I think that’s part of our problem. We don’t know each other at all. But we’re going to get there. And I’m going to enjoy every minute of the experience.” He slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer against him. “In a few days, you’re going to feel like you’ve known me forever.”
She sighed. If only it were that easy. She wished it was, but she knew herself. It would be awhile before she felt like she could even speak openly with him without being shy. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I thought we’d play things by ear. I love to walk on Sundays, so if you’re up for that, it would be nice. Or we can move some of your things over from your place.”
“I don’t have a truck. How will we move things?”
“I’ll call some friends. Have you started packing?”
She nodded. “I already have everything in boxes and ready to move. I’ve moved before, but I’ve never really had furniture or anything. It was more a few boxes of stuff. Now I have a whole household.”
“We’ll get you moved tomorrow afternoon if you want.”
“I have no idea what we’re going to do with my furniture.”
He frowned. They certainly wouldn’t need it. “Are you especially attached to anything?”
“Not at all. I just bought stuff as I could.” What he had was so much nicer. There would be no need for any of it at all.
“Then we’ll call a charity and have them take it away. There are a couple of women’s shelters in town. They’re always needing stuff for women as they’re getting back on their feet. I’ll make a call on Monday and they can have whatever you don’t want.”
“That’s not a bad idea, but I can’t be there during the day to wait for someone to come get it.” Jean hated that she had no flexibility with her schedule at all.
“Don’t worry about that. My life is very flexible. I’ll wait for them.” Dillon pressed a kiss to her forehead. “There are solutions for everything.” He picked up the remote and turned the TV on, immediately getting engrossed in the game.
Jean looked down at her Kindle, reading the book Erin had recommended. It was nice to have a weekend completely free from work. Maybe she could do it again sometime.
Chapter Five
Jean slipped out of bed before Dillon woke the next morning, took a quick shower, and went downstairs to cook. She couldn’t help but blush as she thought about their activities of the previous night. She hadn’t expected him to be so kind and loving.
She shook her head, mixing up the batter for pancakes. There was never anyone for her to cook for, so she tended to go for microwave meals, and it was nice to know there was someone who would eat what she made. She was just putting pancakes and bacon onto two plates, when she felt arms coming around her from behind.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Jean turned in his arms, burying her face against his neck. She didn’t want him to see her blushing, but she knew that’s all she’d be able to do for six months or so, while she got used to the intimate side of their relationship. “G’morning.”
Dillon cupped her face in his hands, tilting it up for a kiss. “I was hoping you’d be beside me when I woke up.”
“I thought you might want breakfast.” She couldn’t seem to look above his chin, but she hoped he wouldn’t notice. How did people ever talk to each other after making love?
“Breakfast sounds good. I called my friend Kade, and he’s going to help us move you today. He has a truck, and he’ll bring a couple of his teammates. We’ll get it done in no time.”
Her eyes met his finally. “Teammates?”
“Kade’s a professional football player. You didn’t recognize him?”
She shook her head. “I don’t even recognize famous actors. Well, except the people on Lazy Love, and I only watch that every week because Erin will spoil it for me if I don’t. She has to talk about it the next day no matter what.”
“You guys talk a lot? Even though you’re in different states?”
“She’s my best friend. The fact that we rarely see each other without Skype has nothing to do with anything. We make time for each other.”
She turned from him and picked up both plates, carrying them to the table. “I didn’t know if you were a coffee drinker.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. Are you?”
“Only on days I work. I need the caffeine pumpin
g through my system to exist in that world.”
“I think you should quit your job,” he said abruptly. “I can feel how much you hate it, and how draining it is.”
“But what would I do?” she asked, her brows drawn together. “It’s not like I can just sit around and be idle.”
“Why not open that bookstore you talked about?”
She frowned. “I probably have enough money saved to do that, but…I wouldn’t be able to contribute to our household income at all.”
He shrugged. “You’ve seen my house. We don’t need your income.”
“Maybe someday. I would need to have plans to open the store before I could quit my job. I really can’t see myself not working at all.”
“If that’s what you want.” He poured syrup on his pancakes and took a bite. “The guys are going to meet us here around ten. Is that all right with you?”
She glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing it was just after eight. “That sounds good. It’ll give me time to have breakfast and get the kitchen cleaned up after.”
“The pancakes are really good. I figured I’d take you out for breakfast. I wasn’t expecting you to cook for me.”
“I really do enjoy cooking, unless I’m just cooking for myself. It’s nice to have someone to feed.”
“Are you going to spoil me so rotten no one will be able to stand me?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
Jean laughed softly. “I’m sure that won’t happen. Maybe on the weekends, you’ll get a good breakfast. I won’t even have time to cook supper during the week.”
“My housekeeper will take care of dinners. That’s no big deal.” Dillon reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly. “I hope you can find a way to at least cut back on your hours. I think we need time together to get to know each other. I was kind of hoping we could take off for a week somewhere, but if you’re working, that just isn’t going to happen.”
“I’m sorry.” She looked down at her plate. “I’m the most reliable person at work. They would have a difficult time if I decided to just take some time off with no notice. I had a hard enough time getting Friday off.”
“Well, I can’t ask you to do more than you can do.” He frowned as he took a bite of his bacon. The excitement of having his new wife make breakfast for him was wearing off quickly. “So what time will you go into work tomorrow, and what time will you get off?”
“I’ll go in around six. I’ll be home around eight or nine.”
“That long?” He shook his head. It was what he’d thought he wanted when he started looking for a wife. One who would be out of sight and easy to deal with. He found himself resenting her job more by the minute.
“As soon as tax season is over, I should be able to cut down to eight hour days again, but I might still have to work twelve.”
“Oh, yippy skippy.” He shook his head. “What if I want to take off for the coast tomorrow and spend a couple of days on the beach?”
“Then I guess you’ll have to go without me.” Jean didn’t know where the words came from. She’d never stood up to anyone, but his attitude about her work was really getting on her nerves.
“I might have to.” He carried his plate to the sink. “Just leave the dishes for the housekeeper tomorrow, unless you can’t bear to only work six hours on your day off instead of fifteen.”
Jean watched him leave, tears stinging her eyes. It was their first fight, and she didn’t like it. She honestly couldn’t remember ever fighting with anyone other than Erin a couple of times when they were first roommates. What was it about having a marriage certificate that made people fight?
By six that evening, everything in Jean’s apartment had been moved, except the furniture, which a local charity would pick up the next day. Dillon had offered to wait for the charity people to come so she wouldn’t have to miss work. He’d even managed to say it without a great deal of sarcasm filling his voice.
She smiled at Kade shyly, thanking him for his help. “Shouldn’t we buy you pizza or something?”
Kade shook his head. “Nope. You have a two-day honeymoon. I’m not going to infringe on that.” He shook hands with Dillon. “Be happy.”
Dillon nodded. “Thanks for all your help, and thanks for bringing along big friends. Much appreciated.”
“I’d say anytime, but that would be a lie. How about anytime you marry this sweet little lady, I will be here to help her move into your home?”
“Sounds like all I could ever ask for.” Dillon couldn’t help but grin.
After she’d left, Dillon turned to Jean, taking her hand and drawing her into one of the formal living rooms his uncle had always entertained in. He sat down on the couch and pulled her down into his lap. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so rude with you this morning. You’re doing what any responsible employee would do, and I was being snotty about it.”
She sighed, sinking into him. “I know I work too much, and I’m going to try to cut back. Does that help any?”
He nodded. “It does. Try to do it soon, will you?”
“I’ll try to cut down to eight hour days after the fifteenth. Would that work?”
“That would be wonderful.” He pulled her close for a kiss. “I like my new wife, and I want to spend time with her.”
She rested her cheek against his shoulder. “I like you too.”
True to her word, Jean had a meeting with her boss as soon as April fifteenth had passed, letting him know that she would be cutting back to eight hours per day. “I know that you expect more from me, but I’m a newlywed now, and I can’t keep working those hours.”
Her boss, an older gentleman, who had always made it clear he didn’t think women belonged in the fast-paced world of finance, nodded. “Of course. I’m surprised you’ll keep working at all. Women really should be home once they’re married.”
Jean smiled sweetly, not commenting on that. “I do plan to keep up my normal work schedule, but my husband has a right to see me.” As she left his office, she shook her head, needing to get the image of his condescending face out of her head. She walked to her cubicle and straightened up for the day. It was only six, but she was going home to her husband. Starting tomorrow, she would leave at four, like most of her co-workers. She knew she’d just cut herself out of any chance of promotion, but how much did that matter?
She headed out to her car, leaving her work behind. She wasn’t going to take work home anymore either. She felt like she’d barely seen Dillon since they’d married, and that wasn’t the way to have a successful marriage. She knew, because she’d been reading books on how to make your marriage a success since Dr. Lachele had told her she’d been matched. Now was the time to put everything she’d learned into action.
When she got home, she surprised Dillon, who was sitting at the table having a lonely supper. “Hi.”
His head jerked up in surprise. He must not have heard her come in. “What are you doing home so early?” He got to his feet and walked to her, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re not sick, are you?”
She laughed softly. “It’s April sixteenth. I’m down to eight hour days like I promised. I don’t have to leave for work until seven, and I’ll be home by about five every night from now on.”
“You really did it?”
“I said I would. I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.” Jean pulled his head down for a kiss. After two weeks of marriage, she was a lot less shy about being intimate than she’d been the first couple of days. “What did Mrs. Stevens make for supper? I’m hungry!”
He was surprised. From what he’d seen, she was rarely hungry and ate very little. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I just eat whatever she puts in front of me.”
Jean laughed. “Then I will eat mystery food with you.” She went to the kitchen and got herself a plate, utensils, and a glass of water, before sitting down beside him. After eating a forkful of the mystery food, she frowned at him. “That’s quiche.”
“Quiche? No wonder I didn�
�t know the name! Men aren’t supposed to eat quiche!”
She shook her head at him. “Do you like it?”
“It’s my favorite of all the mystery meals I eat!”
She smiled and took another bite. “Will they take your man card from you? Or will you be able to keep it because you didn’t know what it was?”
“I’m hiding it. No one will get my man card! Ever!”
“It was weird driving home when it was still light out. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get used to that.”
“And you’ll be home even earlier tomorrow, right? I don’t know if I can handle my wife being around so much…where will I hide my mistress?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Mistress?”
“I’m kidding! If I had a mistress, I’d have married her instead of a stranger.”
She eyed him curiously. “Are you ready to talk about why you did marry me?” She’d had so many thoughts about why he could have done it bounce around in her brain, and she couldn’t help but wonder if one of them was right. She knew it wasn’t the one where he’d been forced to marry by an alien in a spacecraft, but could it be the one where he was afraid of an ex-girlfriend who was trying to trick him into marriage?
He took a deep breath, knowing he had to talk to her about it now. The longer he hid the truth from her the harder it would be. “As part of my Uncle Larry’s will, he said that I had to be married within three months. His lawyer was at the wedding, and he’ll be checking up on us every month for the first year.”
Jean shrugged. “Is that all? I was sure you’d been abducted by aliens, and the only way you could break their hold over you is if you married and fell in love with an earth woman who would then be required to have alien babies in your stead.”
Dillon choked on his quiche. “Why are you a stockbroker instead of a science fiction writer?”
“I needed a guaranteed paycheck. I didn’t want to spend my life as a starving artist, wandering the streets of SoHo looking for a handout.”
Anxious in Atlanta: At the Altar Book 12 (A Magnolias and Moonshine Novella 11) Page 4