by Maggie Ryan
“You, of course. Don’t you know what you bring to my life?”
“A lot of trouble and exasperation is what I bring to your life. Don’t you get tired of my constantly being in a pickle?”
Blake took her shoulders firmly between his large hands. “I can’t believe I haven’t made it clear to you before now, but if I haven’t said it before, I apologize. You have a right to know. You ought to know. I need you to know that I need you more than I need anything else in my life. You’re my spring when the rest of my life turns to winter. You’re my cloud on a scorching summer day. You’re the presents under my Christmas tree. You’re everything that makes life worth living.”
“That just goes to show how sweet you are. Look how much trouble I am to you.”
“Yes, you’re trouble! I hate every minute when you’re overworked or stressed out. That’s why I come down hard on you when you pull dangerous stunts like getting locked in at school. You’re double the trouble than I ever bargained for, but ten times more than worth it.”
Piper pulled away and turned her head. She couldn’t bear to see the desperation in his eyes. “Right now you like the challenge, but think long term. This’ll get real old real quick and while I want to get over my bad habits, I don’t see myself changing my true nature much any time soon.”
“I hope you don’t change your true nature. I love who you are right now. Of course, I’ll support any changes you want to make. I’ll even help you on your way when it comes to safety and such, but I don’t expect you to be any way other than how you are. Past, present and future, whatever comes, I want to be there by your side and I want to lean on you, too. Are you trying to tell me you wouldn’t be there for me if I needed you?”
“Of course, I would.” Piper’s protest held a touch of humor, but she could feel her resistance weakening. “But you never seem to need help. Not like Mr. Silberman needs me.”
“Of course I do. I need your smile and your warmth and your sense of fun. I need your can-do attitude and your generous spirit. And more than any of that, I need your love. Med school was a long hard slog and residency almost drained me dry. I wondered if I’d ever find the kind of woman I wanted to share my life with and then you came along and made it all worthwhile. All the work and the wait and the wondering. All over now… at least I hope.” He put his hand into his pocket and drew out a velvet-covered box.
Piper’s breath seemed to back up in her throat. “Oh, Blake,” was all she could manage to say while he fumbled with the box. She felt silly, but no other words would come. It was as if his name was all she needed.
Down on one knee he went. Piper’s heart was pounding harder than the country beat being thundered out by the band inside. “Piper, I love you. I feel like I always have and I know I always will. All I need to know now is if you’ll make me the happiest man on earth.”
Piper put out her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. “Well, I don’t know about that, but I’ll marry you, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Yes, oh, I’m sorry,” Blake laughed as he jumped to his feet. “Some cool sophisticated doctor I am.”
“That’s okay,” Piper smiled. “It was a beautiful proposal. And I like the fact that I can make you lose your cool every once in a while.”
“Try every night. After one kiss, I’m anything but cool.” He took her in his arms and showed her what he meant.
In that one kiss she felt the last of her resistance melt away. He needed her. He wasn’t a million miles above her, as she had imagined. He liked her as a person, not as a charity project and he liked doing things for her because he wanted what was best for her, not because he needed to swoop in and take control. She opened herself to him in a new way, allowing the kiss to break down the barrier of doubt she had kept in her heart. He seemed to be able to sense the difference and took full advantage. It was several minutes before he finally broke the kiss. What woke her from a happy haze was the sound of applause coming from the room behind them. Apparently, someone had seen them out on the patio.
“What did I miss?” It was Mrs. Feeney, and for all her gentle ways, she could make herself heard over a crowd, especially when she needed to get the scoop on something as romantic as this.
“Shall I do it again?” Blake put on a broad grin and winked at Piper. “Maybe this time I’ll get it right.” Down on one knee he went again. In a much louder voice, he asked, “Piper Gowan, will you marry me?”
“Yes, Blake Karn, I will.”
He hopped up. “Now, for the good part.” As he had improved on the proposal, he also improved on the kiss. The crowd, led by Mr. Silberman, clapped and crowed its approval.
As soon as Blake released Piper once more, Mr. Silberman rolled himself up to the happy couple and stuck out his hand. “Let me be the first to say it.”
“What?” Piper asked. “Congratulations? Good luck?”
“Nope,” came his prompt retort. “What I really want to say is, it’s about time!” Once the laughter had died down, he continued. “I’m ninety-one years old. I wasn’t sure I’d live to see the day!”
“Mr. Silberman, really!” Mrs. Feeney chided gently.
The elderly gentleman shrugged. “To get him moving, I thought about giving him a kick in the pants, but…”
“You don’t need legs to stand as tall as anybody in this town, Mr. Silberman,” Blake said.
“Or to escort me down the aisle and give me away,” Piper added. “You will, won’t you?”
Several ladies in the crowd sighed at that remark and Piper thought she saw a tear glisten in her old friend’s eye, but he merely fixed her with a stern gaze. “I’ll have to check my calendar. When’s the wedding going to be?”
“Yes, when?” Blake echoed enthusiastically. “What time is it? I know the county clerk and he owes me a favor, so—”
This suggestion was shouted down by all the women and most of the men, but Mrs. Feeney gave voice to their objections. “Our Piper deserves a proper wedding with a minister and a white dress and all the trimmings.”
“Of course, she does,” Mr. Silberman agreed. “The only question is how long she’s going to make the poor schmuck wait.”
“It’ll take at least six months to get a wedding together,” Mrs. Feeney informed them. “My sister just got married so I can tell you all the dirt on all the vendors around here. Caterers, florists, even seamstresses, if you need them.”
“Caterers? Florists?” Piper whimpered. She didn’t have the money for all that. The bride’s family was supposed to pay for the wedding, but Blake’s friends and relations would expect something much grander than she had ever dreamed of much less planned.
Blake stepped in. “It’ll be fine, Piper. Don’t worry. We’ll do it just like you want it, whatever that is. All right?”
The crowd broke up and Piper leaned gratefully into Blake. “Thanks! I just need a minute to let the butterflies in my belly stop dancing the ballet in barb-wire boots.”
“We’ll have a lot to talk over, about the wedding and our life together afterward,” Blake assured her. “There’ll be plenty of time to get everything decided. Right now, I just want to enjoy the sight of that ring sitting where it belongs.” He held up her hand and gazed happily down at it.
They walked to his truck and spent the drive home mulling over various aspects of the evening but avoiding any further concrete plans. Piper was grateful for his forbearance. “You don’t mind if we leave the planning for another time? I need some time to take it all in.”
“No, I guess I don’t mind, but surely it can’t be a surprise. Not like the first time.”
“I can’t say I hadn’t thought about it. You know I felt bad about turning you down the first time. I should have headed you off before you got the words out but you caught me off guard.”
“I still don’t understand why you didn’t see that coming. I thought I was being so obvious. The drive to Nashville for the elegant dinner. The fancy clothes. And the flowers!”
“Do you deny you were leading me on? We never talked about marriage, but we both know the kind of people we are and the kind of life we want. What else could I have been thinking?”
Piper shook her head. “You’re right. I was deliberately closing my eyes to all the signs.”
Blake parked the truck in his usual space and turned to face her. “The word you’ve used before was, I believe, ostrich. Of course, they don’t actually bury their heads in the sand. That myth has been debunked, but we both know what you meant when you said it and I think it applies.”
Piper laughed. “Yes, it does describe pretty well what I was doing before you proposed. But do you want to know a secret? A week later, I was wishing I hadn’t refused you and wondering if I could arrange another elevator incident.”
It was Blake’s turn to laugh. “You can stop my elevator any time, darlin’. Especially if it means I get a kiss like the one I got tonight.” He showed her what he meant.
As was so common in Tennessee, April couldn’t make up its mind whether it wanted to stay in winter or move on towards spring. The blooms had twice nearly frozen off the cherry and magnolia trees, but the dogwoods were finally heralding the land’s overruling the calendar’s indecision. The ground was putting its foot down and thawing under the frequent showers, bringing out glorious riots of color. Piper should have known Blake would find a way to use the beauty around them to nudge her down the conversational path he wished to tread even as he helped her over the rough spots in the forest trail they were hiking.
“Those daffodils are eye-catching without being too showy. Don’t you think they’d look good in a church?”
Piper had to grin as she admitted defeat. “All right, already. You’ve given me a week and I do appreciate it, but I can tell you’re itching to talk turkey.”
“A Thanksgiving wedding? I was hoping not to wait that long.”
“No, I didn’t mean literal turkeys. I meant get down to business.”
Blake gave her hand a squeeze as he helped her over a log that had fallen across the trail. “I would like to get a general idea of the timeline, and there are other things I’d like to discuss. Private things.”
“This looks pretty private,” Piper said. “As you told me that night my car broke down; this is posted land.”
“You’re the only trespasser I was ever glad to catch.” He turned aside to a glade just beginning to glow with that neon green of newly unfurling leaves. “Do you remember my reaction to your antics that night?”
Piper rubbed her backside. “How could I forget?”
“We need to talk about that.”
“What’s there to say? I admit I deserved what I got. End of story.”
“Not quite. See, I want to be sure you understand something. I wouldn’t have spanked you…”
She interrupted him with a wave and a little wail. “Do you have to say that word? It’s so… embarrassing.”
“What, spank?”
“Yes, that one.”
“What’s wrong with it? It’s perfectly natural and normal. That’s what I want you to know about me. You know I won’t overdo it or try to control you or anything, but when you pull your crazy stunts, my natural response is to…”
“Express your opinion?” she suggested helpfully.
“Okay, we can call it that if you want. I’m not going to hold back expressing my opinion in a way that I know will get your attention. When I’m done, you’ll know how I feel.”
Piper considered his words and the sentiments behind them. “I can live with that. In fact, I think I was counting on that. I know the reputation your family has, and actually, I think my father might have treated my mother the same way. Do you remember my telling you that I found… evidence?”
“Are you referring to your father’s paddle? How could I forget?”
Piper could feel the color rushing to her cheeks. “Yes, that. Thinking back, I realize that it must have really worked for my parents. They had a wonderful marriage.”
“It’s the same story in my family. All my brothers and uncles, too.”
Piper couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Wait a minute! You don’t sit around and talk about it, do you?”
“No! Not like that! We don’t get specific. It’s private. Of course we don’t share details. They do give advice, though. All the married ones encourage us single guys to talk about things with our fiancées.”
“It’s a bit late to wait till after the engagement, don’t you think?” Piper couldn’t believe she was having this conversation.
“You can’t tell me you’re surprised. Not this time. I know better. If you’ve forgotten how it feels when I… express my opinion, then maybe I didn’t get my point across clearly enough.”
“Oh, no, I remember!” Piper inched further from him and turned the relevant part of her anatomy in the opposite direction. “And I’m not saying I object to you… expressing your opinion when you need to. I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“In other words, you don’t like me expressing my opinion about expressing my opinion?”
Piper was relieved to hear his sense of humor lightening the mood. “Precisely. And the scary thing is, I understood every word you just said.”
“Then I’ll tell you now, only once, just to set the record straight. After that, the subject can be closed and I’ll keep my opinions to myself until the need arises. Okay?” Unable to speak, Piper nodded her agreement and he went on. “In some ways, I see my role as your husband kind of like my role as a doctor. If you drive your car to my office, I’m there to advise you and help you live better. You can take my advice or leave it as you chose. If I have to come get you in an ambulance, however, I do what I need to do to rescue you and make you better. It might not feel good at the time, but if you need it, it will get done.”
Piper thought she understood. “Day to day life is one thing, but emergencies are something else. I’ll have lost my power to choose if I let things get that far. It’s only right.”
“I’m glad we agree. Take for example the way you push yourself when you’ve procrastinated with a deadline. That green glassware order could have been a real disaster and if you had worked all night, you would have been too exhausted to function safely the next day. I didn’t step in that time because I was able to prevent it from getting too far, but I was sorely tempted to give you a little… piece of my mind just to warn you not to put things off like that.”
“That was a total nightmare and I really appreciated the way you helped me. Still, I understand that if I really need it, you’ll step in and… express yourself.”
“All over your beautiful little rump.”
“Blake!”
“Sorry, darlin’. Couldn’t resist teasing you just a little, here in private. Never in public. Don’t worry about that.” He took her in his arms and held her, stroking her hair and swaying to the beat of some silent music.
“Blake?” Her voice was small and she was glad they couldn’t see each other. She couldn’t face him and force these words out of her mouth. “I don’t want you to think that I… don’t like the idea.”
“What idea?”
“Of you… expressing yourself. I mean, I don’t like it when it happens, but just this once, before we close the subject, I have to admit that after you… express yourself, I feel like… expressing myself, too, but in very different ways.” Half of her wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole, but the other half hoped Blake would understand without any more need for explanations.
Blake got very still. “Like you did that night in the school?”
“Like that.” Piper remembered how she had kissed him that night with such longing and passion. She had never felt such a stirring in her innermost being before. It had frightened her, but intrigued her
at the same time. She didn’t want to deny it now that she had finally worked up her courage to broach the subject.
“I had kind of noticed, but I didn’t want to say anything. That’s not something I would tease you about because it’s important to me. Too important for doubts or vague hints. Tell me plainly. Just this once.”
Piper took a deep breath. “I love you, Blake. All the time, anywhere, no matter what, but… when you spank me, I feel so much love well up inside me that I can hardly breathe. It just feels so right, to feel how strong you are and how much you love me.”
“That’s all I need to know.” Blake began to sway again, humming the tune to their favorite song. “That you love me and you’ll never stop. Because I’ll never let anything come between us. I’ll never let anything hurt you. I’ll take care of you and our marriage and make it last, no matter what it takes because I love you.” He drew out those last three words to emphasize each one.
She drank in his promises and felt her heart blooming like the dogwoods around them. “I’ll count on that, because I love you, too.”
“I’m thinking an October wedding would be good. You get a full week for fall break next year, don’t you?”
“Mm-hm,” she answered dreamily.
“Then don’t you think that would be a great time to have a wedding? We could have it the Saturday before your break starts then have a whole week for the honeymoon.”
“Mm-hm.” She felt as if nothing could dispel this lovely mood.
“And we’ll get my Aunt Margaret to make her special prime rib for the dinner.”
Except that. Thoughts of the expense of a wedding could and did bring Piper back down to Earth with a crash. She pushed away from him. “What? Prime who? That sounds expensive.”
“You don’t have to worry about a thing, darlin’.”
“But the bride is supposed to…”
“Not this time. I’m a doctor for crying out loud. And my mother has been hoping and praying for this day for years. Nobody expects you to foot any of the bills. I’ll take care of it all. Come on.” He gathered her close again. “I have ten times the relatives you do.”