He flattened his mouth into a tight line and looked away, clenching his teeth so hard, he thought they’d shatter. Damn if he’d let his mother see him cry.
She stood then, walked up to him, and put her small, slender hands on his shoulders. He felt the strength in her fingers. “I know the divorce placed a burden on you that you didn’t deserve. I also know you avoided many visits to my house after school to spare me the fights with your father. Forgive me, John, for putting you in that position. And don’t ever let that man tell you, even in your mind, that you aren’t good enough for anyone.”
“Mom—” He pulled her into a tight embrace. “There’s nothing to forgive. You did the best you could.”
She pushed against his chest, and when he leaned back, she placed her palms on his cheeks. “Rachel is one of my dearest friends here, and she’s been through so much with that dreadful ex of hers. There is no one I’d trust more deeply to care for her and those precious sons of hers than you. And I swear to God, if you don’t march right back to that house and beg her to marry you, I will never let you forget for all of my remaining days that that was the biggest mistake of your life. You can do this.”
After a few more words between them, John said good-night to his mother, promising to think about what she’d said. But a lifetime of habits, even mental ones, were hard to break. So instead of calling Rachel, he did the only thing he could do. He went to bed to sleep on it.
…
The next night, John turned into the center’s parking lot, startled to see so many cars. He’d expected a few, but not this many. He found a parking spot in the back of the lot. He killed the engine and leaned back against the seat. What would he find inside? An angry mob wanting to crucify him for past mistakes? Had word gotten out about his argument with Rachel?
Rachel. A tightness lodged itself in his chest at the thought of losing her again. Twice in one lifetime was too much to bear. But he had a plan now. A plan that hopefully she’d accept.
A knock sounded on the driver’s side window. Startled, he shot up in his seat. Coach Dempsey.
John let himself out of the truck, adjusting his tie. He and Coach shook hands.
“This is a fine thing you’ve done for our community, son. You should be very proud.”
“I admit to being a bit nervous about how many people would show tonight.” Again, he fiddled with his tie.
Coach gave him a hearty pat on the back. “Nothing to worry about. You’ll see.”
John pushed through the double glass doors of the Lake Bliss Community Center. He loved the name. It’d been decided that this building could not only help the town’s kids, but other groups, too. Business functions, public gatherings, and private citizens could rent out the center during off-hours.
He was greeted by the majority of the town. The nurse at the hospital who’d given him a bit of grief as well as the host at the Chinese restaurant that he and Rachel had visited. One by one, familiar faces shook his hand, clapped him on the back, or gave him an approving smile. The support of these people gave him the self-respect that he’d wanted—needed—for so long, and he’d never forget or take their acceptance for granted.
After the tour of the new kids’ club was complete, and dinner long over, John stood at the lectern. “Words can’t express my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for supporting this project. It not only means a lot for the community, but personally it means the world to me. Thank you for everything you’ve given me, both in the past and present day.”
Applause greeted his ears and he couldn’t help but smile. He had a sense of pride and accomplishment that he’d never before experienced.
“I’ve accomplished my job here, and I look forward to duplicating this facility in another city.” Chatter started up and John was quick to quiet the murmurs. “I do have one favor to ask…”
…
After completing some end-of-summer yard work, Rachel took a shower and put on a ratty T-shirt that she’d confiscated from John. It had a picture of a bone on it and read, “I found this humerus.” She pulled on a pair of cotton sleep pants with cows jumping over the moon that her kids had given her last Christmas. She stuffed her feet in a pair of worn bunny slippers and headed to the kitchen. Not wanting to make dinner for herself and feeling moody, she poured herself a glass of Cabernet. Walking through the house to the pool out back, she snagged a half-eaten bag of Doritos that one of the boys had left on an end table.
Trying to keep her mind blank, she sipped her wine and munched on the cheesy chips. Sometime later, with the bag almost gone and her wineglass empty, she rested her head back against the lounge chair. As she was dosing off, music in the distance roused her. She cocked her head to one side and listened. Must be the marching band from the high school football game. Some nights if the wind was right, she could hear it from her house.
Oddly, it seemed as if the music kept getting closer. And louder. And louder yet.
She pushed off the lounge chair and raced through the house. She jogged out the front door and into her front lawn. The sight before her almost took her to her knees.
Marching down the dirt road toward her house was the Lake Bliss High School band. Andrew and Aaron had places in the front and were holding a red and blue banner. Her eyes skimmed the words and her breath caught. “Marry me, Einstein,” it read.
The drums pounded and the cymbals clanged, and the sound reverberated in her chest. Her gaze darted among the people. In addition to her twins, she saw Carol and Zak standing off to one side cheering.
And John.
He walked away from the crowd and approached her. Tears clouded her vision, but she swiped them aside, not wanting to miss the vision of him with the unmistakable look of love on his face.
When he’d nearly reached her, he stopped. Her heart belted away in her chest in anticipation of his words.
“You’re my world. It begins and ends with you and the boys. I know you love me, and I sure as hell love you.”
Her breath caught, and she was afraid she’d pass out.
“Please,” he begged. “Please tell me you want me, Rach.”
“I do. I always have.” She stopped to brush the tears from her face. “I want you in my life. Want you to help me raise my sons. I want to be the one to give you a child of your own.”
He took a few steps, and then knelt down in front of her. “For a very long time, Rach, I’ve loved only you.” He squeezed her hand.
He took her face in his hands, stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “I don’t make promises lightly, Rach, and God knows I’ve broken some. But I swear you and the boys are my life, and I don’t want to live without you.”
He pulled out a black velvet jeweler’s box from his jacket pocket. “I wanted to give you this before, but somehow I screwed everything up. Before I knew it, we’d argued. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It was both of us. We’re equally to blame.” Through the flood of tears, she looked at the box he held out to her. “I can’t believe this.”
“Take it, Einstein. Please. Tell me you’ll marry me. Tell me you’ll share those wonderful boys with me. Let me love you for the rest of my life.”
He put the box into her trembling hands. She just sat there and stared at it. “Open it, Rach,” he said softly.
“I don’t think I can.”
John let out a desperate breath. “Please, babe. We can do this. I love you.”
For the first time in weeks, she chuckled. “No, I mean my hands are shaking so much, I don’t think I can get it open. You do it.”
His smile was instantaneous. He took the box, flipped the lid, and pulled out a diamond solitaire with baguettes on either side. He placed the ring on her finger. She looked down at her hand and a whole new set of tears began. This time, happy tears. The ring was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
The band started up and the townspeople cheered. Rachel’s boys knuckle-bumped one another in victory.
She l
ooked into John’s eyes. And then she saw it again. That look of love. The look that had passed between them this summer. The look that told her he was in love with her. “Yes,” she said, launching herself into his arms. “Yes, yes, yes. I love you, John. I adore you. I want to be your wife.”
He stood, taking her with him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Their lips came together, and all her worries disappeared. They were together and that was the most important thing.
“I can’t wait to practice.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Practice?”
With a wink, he said, “Yep, we’re going to practice until we’ve created a sibling for the boys.”
“What about the centers you want to build in other towns?”
“I’ll use Lake Bliss as a home base. I can hire a construction manager to oversee the building of each facility. Maybe even plan visits during the summer when the boys are on summer vacation. We could turn it into family travel time.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “What do you think?”
“I think my life is perfect!”
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About the Author
Jenna Rutland lives in a small Michigan community with her husband, son, and senior cat. Her daughter and son-in-law have recently given Jenna the awesome title of grandmother!
While her days are spent working as a medical transcriptionist, her nights are filled writing contemporary romance—stories of love, laughter, and happily ever after. Guess which occupation is more fun?
She is a member of Maumee Valley Romance Authors, Inc. and chairs the group’s annual fall brainstorming weekend.
Jenna takes pleasure in spending time with her family. She also enjoys reading and gardening, and loves the challenge of a new recipe.
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