“Because I want you there, too.” He gives me a shy smile. “Can you make it to Philly tomorrow morning at eight-thirty? I’ll drop you off at work as soon as we’re finished.”
I put my hand on his cheek, enjoying the feel of his sexy stubble. “Of course. So you didn’t tell him who you are yet, right?”
“No.” He kisses me. “I’ll see what I think of him first.”
On the way to meet Donald Waverly, Jenson misses the exit three times. Three times we get off the highway an exit late, turn around, and get back on, only to drive right past the exit again.
“Freaking hell,” Jenson says as we careen off onto the ramp.
“Why don’t I drive the rest of the way?” I suggest.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Jenson this frazzled. He’s always so in control of his emotions, but going to meet Donald has him understandably thrown off.
Jenson pulls into a fast food parking lot, and we switch seats. As I put his truck into drive and we start back onto the highway, I say, “It will be okay, J.”
Thirty minutes later, I sit next to Jenson in a booth at the Freedom Coffee House with Donald Waverly across from us. He’s got a full head of gray hair, thick eyebrows, and Jenson’s green eyes. He’s outgoing and friendly and intent on enticing Jenson and me into buying a home in Philadelphia.
“So how long have you two been engaged?” he asks as he pours three creamers in a row into his coffee.
I can’t stop staring at the cream disappearing into the black steaming coffee in his cup. And I can’t believe the three of us ordered hot coffees in this heat. I really should have asked for iced.
“Just a month,” Jenson says. “But we’ve always known we’d get married someday.”
“Well, congratulations.” Donald opens four sugars at once and pours them into his cup of coffee.
“Thank you.” Jenson keeps his hands around his cup of coffee but doesn’t come close to taking a sip.
“There are so many great options in Philly these days,” Donald says. “Me, being a single guy with no kids, I live in an awesome condo with panoramic views. There are clubs right down the block and plenty of places to eat. Now, for you two, being on the verge of marriage, partying and nightlife may not be what you’re looking for.”
I clear my throat. “Right. Probably not.”
After we say goodbye to Donald, Jenson and I return to his truck, and he pulls out of the parking lot.
“He’s a grown man, and he talks like he’s still afraid that a wife and kids will tie him down,” he says as we hit the highway.
“Jenson…”
His jaw clenches. “He’s rich and single and does whatever the hell he wants. He’s kind of a mess, Olive.”
His profile is still filled with tension, and I don’t know how to help him.
“Maybe you could use some time alone,” I suggest as we enter Liberty Falls. “You can call me later.”
But he insists on coming into the house with me to pick up Bernie for the day. We spend the first ten minutes being slobbered on by Bernie, who acts like we’ve been gone for a month rather than two hours.
“I’ll take you to work, babe,” he says.
“Do you want to talk about it? I can take the rest of the morning off.”
“I’m okay.”
“I get it, J, more than you know. You’re tired of living with this secret buried inside of you. I’ve had a secret, too, one that I’m sick and tired of hiding from the world, which is not being able to shout, ‘I love Jenson Beau,’ from the rooftops of every building.”
Jenson takes my hands in his.
I hold his gaze. “Meeting your biological father was kind of like meeting the man behind the dark curtain at a puppet show. He’s holding the strings because he’s the point where all the different threads connect for you. If he hadn’t disappeared, my father wouldn’t have made you an unofficial Graham. A secret father is a hard thing to carry, and other than you, I know that better than anyone.”
I want to be the strong one who stays calm and lets Jenson have his space because this is his story. But my story became inextricably linked to his a long time ago, and my emotions are all over the place.
Jenson pulls me into his chest and holds me close. “You’re right. About everything. Let’s go inside.”
We settle Bernie in the living room with a toy and then go to my bedroom. Jenson pulls back the covers, lifts me up, and lays me down on the bed. He takes off everything but his boxers and climbs in next to me. “I’m going to love you,” he says as he pulls the sheets over us, and I rest my head on his chest, “forever.” He lightly traces my lips with his finger. “My whole life flashes before my eyes, Olivia, when you touch me. And I want that always. I love you.”
I start trembling. “J…”
“I love you,” he repeats firmly. “I don’t know why this is how it happened, why this is our love story…” He draws in a shaky breath. “But it is. It’s our story. Everybody has a story to tell. And this is ours.”
Jenson
I go for a long run after I leave Olivia’s house, and then I bring Bernie, Kyle, and Connor to the park. We spend over an hour tossing Bernie a ball until all three little guys are exhausted.
Kyle sacks out on my chest, and I sit down with my back against a tree, cuddling Connor next to me. Bernie happily flops down in front of us and goes to sleep.
“I love you, Daddy,” Connor says sleepily.
I kiss his head. “Love you too, Con.”
“What about me?” Kyle says, too tired to even keep his eyes open. “Do you love me, too, Daddy?”
I chuckle. “Remember what I tell you every night when I tuck you into bed, or when I call before you go to sleep at Mommy’s?”
“You say you love us, no matter how near or far, and you always will.”
I hug him close to me. “That’s right. And I always mean it.”
Within seconds, both boys are sound asleep. I doze off for a minute or two myself, enjoying the peace and quiet. Nobody else is at the park, and the sun is shining.
Only one person is missing. Olivia. My heart.
As soon as Kyle and Connor wake up, I urge them up.
“Come on, boys.” I take them each by the hand and let Kyle hold Bernie’s leash. “We’re going on an errand.”
“Where?”
“To the jewelry store.”
“Why?” Kyle demands.
“To get something I should have gotten a long time ago.”
By the time we reach the store, Kyle’s in my arms, and Connor insists he wants to sit on the bench outside.
“You sit right here by the window where I can see you,” I instruct him. “And keep Bernie with you, okay?”
I walk into the store with Kyle, knowing exactly what I want.
“Daddy!” Kyle squirms in my arms as I carry him through the building. “Why are we here?”
“I’m buying someone a present,” I say. “We’ll just be a minute, buddy.”
I put Kyle down as I stop at the counter and nod hello at the saleswoman.
“Do you know what you want?” she asks me.
“Yes,” I say. “I know exactly what I want. It has to be custom-made, though.”
“Not a problem, sir. We have a jeweler on site, and he can get started right away.”
“What’s cupsom?” Kyle asks as he tugs at my shirt.
“It means there’s only one like it,” I say. Just like her.
Olivia
A couple days after meeting Donald, Jenson invites me over for dinner. As soon as we’ve put Kyle and Connor to bed, we snuggle on his couch, and he pulls a jewelry box out of his pocket and puts it on my lap.
I look up at him and joke, “You’re proposing? Don’t you think we should deal with some other things first?”
His green eyes sparkle. “It’s not an official engagement ring. Not yet. But you can think of it like that.”
I put my hand on his cheek before carefully opening the bo
x on my lap.
I gasp at the beautiful ring inside. It’s got tiny diamonds around the top half and is a pretty white gold.
“This is beautiful.” I lift it out of the box. “You know exactly what I love, J.”
“You showed me before,” he reminds me, his eyes intense on mine.
My heart comes up into my throat. “But that was a long time ago. We were still in high school.”
“But I never forgot.” He leans forward until our foreheads touch. “I never forgot a single thing you told me, Olive.”
“It’s so perfect for me.” I turn away from him in an effort to rein in my emotions, which are getting the best of me. Tears are threatening behind my eyes, and I try to force them back. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up, and you’ll be back in Pittsburgh, and I’ll be here.”
“Olive.” Jenson takes my chin in his hand firmly. “Listen to me. Everything we’re doing is for real. Just because we’ve decided not to let people in on our reality yet doesn’t make it any less true.”
I hold out my hand, and he slips the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly.
I lean in and give Jenson a long kiss. “I love it. I love you.”
Later that week, the Wilds and their significant others fly into town. The Cougars play a preseason game against Philadelphia, and Dylan and Colton were nice enough to give Jenson a block of tickets. Because it’s preseason, the players have a little more leeway than they normally do during the regular season, so Jenson’s organized for everyone to come to his house the night before the game for a cook-out.
The Wilds mean so much to Jenson, and they always will. And they’re all really good guys—I just want things to feel natural between us.
“Did you tell Ayden and Cam about us?” I ask Jenson in a low voice as we stand by the grill and wait for everyone to arrive.
Connor and Kyle are bouncing around the backyard, throwing a football and then practicing how to spike it. They’ll stay for a couple of hours, and then Cindy’s going to come by and take them to her house for the night.
“No, and I’m not going to say anything with the boys here.” Jenson runs his hand down my back. “Don’t worry. All the Wilds remember you fondly.”
The back door flings open, and Colton’s blinding smile is all I can see.
“J, nice place!” He jogs down the few steps to the yard and flings an arm around Jenson.
He brings him in close for a hug, and I step back to give them space. But Colton turns and wraps me up in a hug as well.
“So good to see you again,” he says, his blue eyes bright with an emotion I can’t decipher.
“Thanks, Colt.” I swallow as I remember the last time I saw him in the hospital nursery. I don’t know if he ever told Jenson we chatted then, and I never brought it up. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has.” He leans in close to me. “And I still remember exactly what I said to you the last time we saw each other. Do you?”
His eyes study me as he waits to see how I respond.
I break into a soft laugh. “Yes, I do. You were quite the optimist as always.”
“Hey, looks like I was right.”
He glances back at Jenson, who’s raising an eyebrow at him.
“So Olivia,” Colt adds as he waves his hand to someone, “You haven’t met Skylar yet.”
A beautiful redhead with creamy white skin and a friendly face approaches us. Her pink and yellow sundress hugs her curves, and she walks slowly toward us as she eyes me curiously.
When she reaches us, Colton kisses her temple and puts his arm around her. “This is my wife, Sky. This is Olivia, Jenson’s best friend since they were babies.”
Sky shakes my hand warmly. “Yay! More women to help balance out all this testosterone.”
Before I can answer her, what sounds like a stampede of elephants storms Jenson’s backyard. Ayden walks toward us holding hands with a pretty blond woman, Brayden and Cameron follow close behind, and Dylan is last. All the guys are wearing jeans and t-shirts that stretch across their broad chests. They saunter through the yard casually, confidently, like they’re used to being stared at. They make quite a pack, and even though he’s bringing up the rear, Dylan is clearly the leader.
He’s carrying two six-packs of beer in one hand, and his free arm is around a tall woman with long legs that never end. She could easily pass for a model.
“That’s Jasalie, Dylan’s wife,” Sky says to me. “Isn’t she intimidating?”
“She really is,” I say.
“She’s so freaking nice, though,” Sky gushes. “And she knows self-defense. She could literally take out an attacker if she had to. Dylan’s head over heels for her.”
That’s obvious. He and Jasalie seem perfectly matched and not just because she’s the only woman here who’s nearly on his height level. She’s wearing black skinny jeans, matching black heels, and a hot pink spaghetti-strap top. Like her husband, she really is flawless looking like she just wakes up beautiful. Dylan gently brushes his lips to her blond hair as she laughs.
He gives me a kiss on the cheek and introduces me to Jasalie.
She shakes my hand and glances from me to Jenson. “You two are…”
“Old friends,” Dylan says quickly, and I send him a grateful glance. “We all met Olivia years ago as kids.”
“That’s so cool,” Jasalie says, her guarded expression dropping some. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hey!” Cam and Ayden greet Jenson, who brings me close.
“You remember Olivia, right?” he says.
Ayden’s blue eyes flash with recognition. “Of course. You were one of the best parts of coming to visit Liberty Falls. You were always fun to hang out with.” He introduces me to Bella, his girlfriend, who smiles shyly. Bella’s dressed casually like me, in blue cut-offs and a simple tank. I like her immediately.
Cam surprises me by picking me up in a tight hug. “It’s been years, hasn’t it?” he says.
“It has.” I marvel at how grown up Cam is. His dark hair and eyes, plus that mouth that constantly looks like it’s trying not to laugh, make a lethal combination. “I think the last time I saw you, you were fourteen or fifteen and already in a serious relationship.”
Cam chuckles and waves a hand in the air. “Done. All done.”
“Really?”
“High school love. Didn’t last.” He grabs a chip out of the bowl by the grill and pops it into his mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” His eyes flash with mischief. “I’m done with anything serious. For a long, long time. Trust me.”
The guys all want a tour of Jenson’s house, and Kyle and Connor insist they do too. Cam lifts Kyle onto his shoulders, Brayden does the same with Connor, and all six men disappear into the house.
I don’t know what to do with myself once they’re gone. I busy myself at the grill, which I told Jenson I’d keep an eye on until he returned.
When I look up from the steaks, Bella, Jasalie, and Sky are all watching me from the opposite side of the grill.
“Um, hi,” I say awkwardly. I gesture to the bowl of chips. “Please help yourselves. There’s salsa and cheese over there.”
“Yum.” Sky grabs a chip as she says casually, “We didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Olivia.”
“Oh, you didn’t,” I lie.
Three beautiful, curious faces stare back at me.
“So.” Jasalie speaks first. “You and Jenson.”
My mouth drops open at her bluntness.
Sky breaks into a fit of giggles, and she gives Jasalie a little shove. “You’re making her blush!”
Jasalie’s expression softens. “I’m so sorry,” she says to me. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
“I just haven’t heard of Jenson dating anyone serious since his divorce,” Bella explains.
I nod, not knowing what to say to that.
“Are you and Jenson…” Bella pauses, her voice hitching as she hesitates. “Together
?”
I let out a deep breath. “You all seem really nice,” I say. “So I don’t mean to be evasive. But things are more complicated than just giving you a simple answer to that question.”
Sky’s eyes widen. “Holy crap. We’re making you really uncomfortable with all these questions, aren’t we?”
I crack a smile. “You could say that.”
“My boyfriend and I just moved across the country, and we’ve only been dating for a few weeks,” Bella offers up. “Can’t get much more ‘surprise!’ than that.”
“How do you like L.A. so far?” I ask her, loving her for changing the topic away from me.
“I love it in its own quirky, unique way. I lived there once before, but for Ayden, this is all brand-new. He’s still adjusting.”
“So you all live in L.A.”
All three women smile and nod.
“It’s awesome having girlfriends around,” Sky says. “You should definitely come out and visit us sometime, Olivia. I’m from Connecticut, and the west coast is a breath of fresh air from the long, cold winters of the northeast.”
“That would be really nice, thank you,” I say.
Jenson
After Mom picks up Kyle and Connor, the get-together becomes a little more adult-friendly. Cam and Ayden get involved in a drinking contest with the beers Dylan brought but can’t drink because he has a game tomorrow, and Sky decides to try to outdrink them.
Olivia’s laughing, but she’s standing back, almost on the periphery of the group.
I put my arm around her and say quietly, “This is supposed to be fun.”
“I know.” An emotion passes through her eyes. She masks it quickly but not fast enough.
“You’re sad.” I run my thumb over her hip.
“It’s stupid.”
“It’s not stupid. Tell me.”
“I wish I could have known them better.” She gestures toward the group, but I already knew where she was going. “They’re all so nice, and kind, and funny. And they love you so much, J. It makes me realize how much time we lost.”
Jenson (Wild Men Book 4) Page 19