by M K Dwyer
“Oh yeah?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“I secretly love it when you call me beautiful. Say it again.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, beautiful, if one day the sun stopped shining, I would be all right because I would still have your beautiful smile to light up my world.”
It was her turn to laugh. “So cheesy. Points for trying Mr. Big Shot. Better luck next time.”
“Mr. Big Shot? We’re back to that, are we?”
She felt his fingers move to her most ticklish spots right before he attacked. He was relentless, and she couldn’t catch her breath.
“I yield. I yield! You’re so poetic. Your tongue rivals Shakespeare himself.”
The tickle attack stopped, and he dropped his mouth to hers kneading her lips with his. He licked her lips and she opened for him, their tongues dancing in a rhythm that put her in a trance. In, out, swirl and lick. Over and over. Breathing was secondary. Where were her hands? No idea. Was she still standing? Who could tell? All that mattered was their kiss until he pulled away.
“Does my tongue still rival Shakespeare?”
What? It took her a minute to remember what he was talking about. “Nope. It’s in a class by itself, and I want to be there with it.”
She went to kiss him again, but he stopped her. “If we keep going, we’re not going to leave this room for another day.”
Sometimes he was a little more rational and responsible than she’d like him to be.
“Let’s get dressed and buy out Joe’s Christmas list. It won’t make up for lost time, but at least it will be a Christmas he’ll never forget.”
And then he makes a suggestion like that. But his suggestion made her heart soar. She loved that Blake thought about Joe. It was her job as a parent to consider her child in everything she did, but the fact that Blake considered Joe too just reinforced that he was the guy for her.
They hit eight stores and spent more than she would have ever spent on Joe in years past. She wasn’t normally one to spoil her kid and she felt a little like she was trying to buy his love. But Blake was right, Joe deserved to have the best Christmas ever after that last few months.
The next morning was Christmas Eve and she woke up at 6 A.M. excited and ready to see Joe like it was Christmas morning and she still believed in Santa.
She shook Blake awake and he chuckled at her but faithfully climbed out of bed to start the coffee pot. Since they were both coffee addicts, that was always numero uno.
She’d wrapped most of Joe’s gifts the night before, but she still had some of the smaller, stocking stuffer items to finish.
“Why are you wrapping a candy bar?”
“It’s his favorite.”
Blake just stared at her.
“It’s for his stocking.”
“You’re wrapping a candy bar that you’re going to put in his stocking.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you wrapping a stocking stuffer?”
“Because… I don’t know… I just always have. Like my parents did.”
“Your parents wrapped all your stocking stuffers?”
“Yes.”
“That’s so weird.”
She threw a discarded ball of wrapping paper at him which he dodged easily.
They packed the rental car with Joe’s gifts and a Christmas/Housewarming present for Will and Nikki. It would be odd to see Will with another woman, but she imagined it would be just as odd for him to see her with Blake. She just hoped Joe would handle everything okay.
It was almost 10 A.M. when they rang the doorbell at Will’s new house. He never told Blake what time to stop by and she waited as long as she could.
From outside, she heard Will tell Joe to get the door most likely guessing it was her on the other side. The door swung open and the look on Joe’s face was better than anything she’d ever witnessed before. His face lit up and he screamed, “Mom!” right before he jumped into her arms.
Luckily Blake was standing behind her to keep them from toppling over because Joe was growing up to be as tall as his dad. It didn’t matter though. Even if they had fallen over, it still would have been the best greeting in the world. She laughed and smiled until her cheeks hurt and squeezed Joe hard to make sure he was real.
“Hey kiddo. You miss me?”
“I missed you so much. Are you home for good?”
Home. She wasn’t sure what that word meant anymore, but she knew what Joe was asking. He wanted to know whether she was going to leave again.
“Yes, Jo-Jo. I’m back to stay.”
He squeezed her harder and then pulled back, his eyes wide with excitement. “Come have breakfast with us!”
Grabbing her by the hand, he pulled her inside and Blake followed, shutting the door behind them.
“Dad! Dad! Nikki! Look! Mom’s here with some guy!”
Theresa giggled and brought Joe’s attention back to her. “His name is Blake.” Then she turned back to Blake. “Blake this is my son, Joe.”
Blake looked down at Joe and held out his hand, and they shook hands very seriously, like men. “Joe. Good to finally meet you. I’ve heard lots great things from both your mom and your dad.”
“You know my dad too?”
About that time Will came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Blake Banner, you son of a…” He looked over at Joe, then back at Blake. “Gun. Long time, no see. Merry Christmas. How are you?” They did the famous bro shake, a handshake turned half-hug, half-pat on the back.
“Merry Christmas. Doin’ good, man. You?”
“Great. Come sit down in the living room. Nikki is just freshening up. She should be out in a minute.” They made their way to the comfortable sectional couch and Joe sat in her lap like he was still a little kid. He was almost as tall as she was, but as excited as she was that he was happy to see her, she wasn’t about to complain.
“I love your new house, Will. This neighborhood is great too. It’s great to see everything going so well for you.”
They shared a look that told her he appreciated her words.
“Thanks, Theresa. That means a lot. I’m just glad you’re back.”
“Me too!” Joe interjected, and they all laughed.
Will turned to Blake, “I couldn’t believe it when your friend Terry showed up at my door talking about you and Theresa and offering his company’s protection. I’m really sorry to hear about your brother.”
“Thanks for that.” He paused again and took a breath like he needed a minute before putting on the same brave face he’d been using since that fateful day at the motel. Theresa knew he was still struggling with how he felt about losing his brother. It would take time for him to come to terms with everything that happened, but she would be there for him as long as he didn’t shut her out.
She jumped in to give Blake a minute. “Yeah it seems like everywhere I go, I run into people who know you Will. I had no idea you were so popular.” She winked at him and laughed. Blake took her hand and squeezed like he knew she was saving him while he collected himself.
“Oh yeah, Theresa?” He asked with a smile. “Who else?”
She and Blake spent the next several minutes telling Will and Joe about their time in Montana at the Hatfield Ranch. Joe was very interested in the menagerie of animals and Blake promised to take him to see the ranch sometime in the future adding that it had to be okay with Will and Theresa. Nothing could’ve stopped the smile that came to her face, and if it was possible, she fell in love with him more watching him interact with Joe. About the time they were about to gloss over the threat from Mark that brought them to San Diego, they were saved by a pretty brunette entering the room.
“Theresa. Blake. This is Nikki Sparks, my…” He trailed off. “‘Girlfriend’ doesn’t seem like the right word.”
“That’s okay, babe. I’m sure they understand what you mean. I know I do.” She kissed Will on the ch
eek and then held out her hand to Theresa and Blake. “So nice to meet you two. Theresa, I’ve heard so much about you, I feel like I know you.”
“Oh, goodness. Only good things, I hope.” She blushed and thought about all the bad things that Will could’ve told Nikki about her. She was still a little embarrassed about the shit she put Will through when she was unhappy in their marriage, but unable to express in words.
“Of course, all good things. Mostly what an amazing mother you are.”
Her cheeks heated in embarrassment again for a completely different reason.
She looked at Will and just said, “Thanks for that.”
“It’s just the truth.”
They smiled at each other, and for once the air between them was calm.
“Well, come on everyone or the breakfast is going to get cold.” Nikki led them into the kitchen where they gathered around the table and ate.
They spent the day hanging out, and Joe filled Theresa in on everything she’d missed over the last few months. Hearing his stories made her both happy and sad. Happy that he’d had such a great time with his dad and liked his new school instead of moping around and hating everything. But also, sad that she hadn’t been around to witness any of it. She started to think about him going back to school after the holidays and that he’d probably want to go to the one in San Diego instead of the one back home in Yuma.
Was that even home anymore? She wanted things to work out with Blake, but he lived in Las Vegas. Would he be okay with moving, or would he want her to move there? She wasn’t sure she could move Joe that far away from Will. It wasn’t much further away from San Diego than Yuma was, but it would still make weekends that much more difficult. She obviously had a lot to work out.
While she spent time with Joe and got to know Nikki a little more, Will took Blake to go check out his den or man cave as he called it. They came out laughing and shaking hands. Before she could ask Blake what that was all about, Will asked if he could speak to her alone.
He looked nervous as he led her into his den and she wondered what he could possibly be nervous about.
“I want to talk to you about our custody arrangement.”
Her breath caught in her throat. When she gave him temporary full custody, she worried it would come back to bite her, and it seemed like it had.
He held out his hands like she was a scared cat about to run away. “Don’t worry. Damn. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I’m not trying to keep full custody. I know that would gut both you and Joe. No. I just want fifty-fifty. Maybe a week at your house and then a week at mine. Of course, we’d have to live closer together for that.”
He scratched the back of his neck like he was still nervous. She was glad that it meant so much to him. He’d always been a good father. After their divorce she worried he’d lose interest in his son, but she should’ve known better. She was actually surprised that he hadn’t asked for more time with Joe before then.
“I was just thinking about all this a minute ago, but I really need to discuss some things with Blake before I make any plans. Can I get back to you?”
He just smirked like he knew a secret and nodded.
“For what it’s worth though, I don’t want to pull Joe out of his new school. He’s had enough changes this year, so I’ll do everything I can to keep him here.”
“That’s good to hear. Thank you, Theresa. Talk to Blake and figure things out. I just wanted you to know where my head was at.” He paused, but she sensed he had more to say. “Umm… Something else to consider… My neighbor across the street let me know this week that they plan to put their house on the market after the new year. Houses in this neighborhood go fast so he was asking if I knew anyone looking to buy, that’s when I thought maybe…”
He didn’t have to finish. She knew where he was going with that. “I should have known that you had everything figured out.” She laughed. “You always think eight steps ahead of everyone else.”
He cocked his head at an angle as if contemplating her for a second. “You’re different.”
“How so?” She was confused by his statement.
“Like for as long as I’ve known you, you were restless, always on guard. A wall of sarcastic comments surrounding you. Now you seem content, at peace finally, and I haven’t heard a sarcastic comment all day.”
She laughed again. There was something different about her. She was at peace, and she had Blake to thank for that. She could still be feisty though. “Just wait. The day ain’t over yet.”
They both laughed.
As they left his den, she spotted Blake and walked over to him. They put their arms around each other and she laid her head on his chest.
“All good, beautiful?”
“All good.”
She looked up at him just in time to catch him wink at Will. What the…
Before she could ask, Nikki came in the room and announced dinner was ready, so she let it go for the moment.
After dinner, Blake snuck their presents into the house for Will and Nikki to place under their tree while she read Joe a bedtime story. He was a little old for bedtime stories, but it was a Christmas Eve tradition that she wasn’t ready to give up.
When Joe was asleep, they went back to their hotel for the night. Will offered them a room but staying at his house just registered too high on her too-weird-o-meter. She had a lot to talk to Blake about anyway.
Chapter Twenty
Blake
Back at the hotel just after 11 P.M., Theresa tried to get in the shower to retire for the night, but Blake had to stall her. He had other plans up his sleeve.
“What do you say we have a drink at the bar downstairs?”
“Tonight? But I’m exhausted, and I want to be back at Will’s early to see Joe come downstairs.”
“For me? Please? I want to spend a little time with you this Christmas, just the two of us.” He knew she would understand his insistence by the end of the night.
Her eyes softened. That did it. He almost felt bad about pushing her to go out. Almost.
“A drink or two, then we really need to get to bed.”
“Got it.” He was lying.
They spent almost an hour drinking, talking, kissing and making plans for the future. Will had told them both about the house across the street and he was glad that she was seriously thinking of moving to San Diego. It made sense as far as he could tell, and he encouraged her to go for it. He’d anticipated she would feel that way and had already started making plans to make his own move to the coastal city.
It was just before midnight and time to put up or shut up.
“Go on a walk with me.” Their hotel was in the Gaslamp District of San Diego, so he knew it would be lit up, beautiful and still lively even at midnight on Christmas Eve.
“What? No. It’s dark and cold and late.”
“And romantic.” He kissed her. “Come on. Just for a few minutes, then we’ll come back, and I’ll warm you up between the sheets.”
She giggled. “Ooo. How could I pass that up?”
He took her hand, led her out the front doors, and they walked the streets hand in hand.
After a few minutes of strolling, he brought her to a stop in a little park with a fountain in the middle. He’d never seen the fountain in the daytime, but at night it was quite impressive all lit up with a little monument-type structure in the middle. He hadn’t planned to come across it, but he couldn’t think of a better place to do what he wanted to do.
“Theresa, I need to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Do you have the time?”
“What?”
“The time.”
She pulled out her phone and checked. “It’s a minute to midnight.”
“Perfect.”
He dropped to one knee and she gasped.
“Oh my God. What are you doing?”
He chuckled. “I think you know what I’m doing, beautiful. I love you and I can’t imagine my li
fe without you. It’s fast. Sure. But you’re the only one who has ever made me feel this way, and I’m ready to start our lives together. Marry me, Theresa. I’m already the happiest man in the world, thanks to you. Please, cement my happiness for the rest of our lives.”
She was quiet for a moment as she smiled and bit her lip. That was a nervous habit for her, but whether she was nervous to say yes or nervous to say no, he couldn’t tell.
She took a deep breath. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
Jumping up, he took her in his arms and spun her around. “You mean it?”
Laughing, she replied, “Of course, I mean it. But Blake…”
“What, beautiful? Anything you want, it’s yours.” He slid the ring on her finger before he forgot about it entirely.
She chuckled. “Calm down there, tiger. I just want to know where you expect us to live.”
“Well, I thought I’d leave that up to you. I need a little time to get things in order, but I can move anywhere you want to be. To be honest though, I’m hoping you’re thinking of San Diego because I’ve already talked to Terry about becoming a partner in his private investigators business.”
Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tight. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.”
“I mean it. I’ll go anywhere to be with you.”
She nuzzled his nose with hers. “Just take me back to the hotel for now.”
“Mmm. Great idea. Merry Christmas, beautiful. I haven’t had one this great in years.”
She closed her eyes and smiled while their foreheads and noses still touched. “Merry Christmas to you, too. This one has been pretty epic for me as well.”
They walked down the street glued to each other’s side like they were afraid someone was going to pry them apart. When they got in the elevator, he couldn’t wait another moment as he trapped her against the wall and took her mouth in a searing kiss. He pressed his painfully hard erection against her and she smiled against his lips before plunging her tongue into his mouth. If they were naked, he’d could’ve already been inside her, but the elevator was the slowest machine in history. If it weren’t for the camera in the corner, it would’ve been the perfect candidate for his sex-in-an-elevator fantasy.