by C. C. Wood
"Who's your mom talking to?" I asked J.J.
"I think that's the woman who baked our wedding cake."
"Wedding cake? I thought we didn't have time to get a cake made?" I asked.
He didn't have time to answer because Cam arrived with the pan of water just as I started to cry. She knelt at my feet and shot J.J. a stern look. "Not even married an hour and you're already making her cry!"
At the sound of Cam's voice, my brothers' heads swiveled toward us as one, even though they weren't standing together.
Oh, no. I had to say something, fast, but I was still trying to stop crying enough to catch my breath. I sniffed hard and coughed, which brought Cam's eyes back to me.
"It wasn't J.J. I just didn't expect all of this," I said. "I'm surprised, that's all. Good surprised," I explained, looking up at my brothers as they halted behind Cam and glared down at J.J.
They looked at me and I tried to stare them down, but it was hard with tears still running down my cheeks and a runny nose.
J.J.'s arm squeezed my shoulder lightly and I realized that I was leaning into him. "Let me go get you some tissues," he said.
"There's a box in my office. Go ahead and bring the whole thing out here. I'm pretty sure Mom is seconds away from bursting into tears as well, so we'll need it," she said as she unbuckled my sandal and slid my foot into the cool water.
"We'll help," D.J. said, turning to follow J.J.
Huh, D.J. and J.J., that was kinda funny.
Now, I was giggling and crying at the same time.
"Oh, God, please tell me my brother didn't manage to drive you around the bend before you've even cut your wedding cake," Cam grumbled as she unbuckled my other shoe.
"No, but my brothers might bend him into a pretzel if you don't go save him."
She shook her head. "Nope. He's a big boy, he can handle his own problems."
"Cam, please."
She looked up at me then sighed. "You really do like his goofy ass, don't you?"
I nodded. "Plus, I think our baby would like his or her father to have both his arms so he can cuddle them."
Her expression softened. "Damn, you're not going to let me be mad at him anymore, are you?"
I shook my head. "What good will that do? What happened, happened. It's time to accept it, move on, and make the best of it."
She sighed again. "Stop being so reasonable. You're pregnant and three years younger than me, you're supposed to be a hormonal mess and not wise."
"Um, I'm sitting here crying and laughing at the same time, it's probably safe to say that I'm definitely a hormonal mess."
"But you're still more reasonable than me," she countered, getting to her feet. "But, you're right. I like my brother's arms exactly where they are."
I watched as she walked toward the hallway and disappeared in the direction of the office. Unfortunately, she returned in thirty seconds with a box of tissues and no J.J.
"Well, wherever they are, it's not my office."
"Shoot," I said. "Grab me a towel, I'll put my shoes on and go find them."
"No, you will not," Colette said, coming over to me. She shot a look at my mom, who seemed to have mind reading capabilities when it came to my new mother-in-law because she looked around, saw my brothers were missing, and nodded once. Then, she marched toward the kitchen and likely continued out to the alley behind the shop.
If I found out my brothers were taking turns punching my new husband, I wasn't going to go for my usual form of revenge. I was going to find my niece and nephews, tell them every bad thing my brothers had done as kids, and encourage them to do the same.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief when my mother reappeared with J.J. in tow and he appeared none the worse for wear.
"See? He's fine. Now, what do you want on your plate?" Colette asked me.
I stared at the buffet that had been set up and instantly faced decision paralysis.
"I'll get it, Mom," he said, coming up beside her and kissing her cheek.
She patted his face. "Okay, sweetie. Make sure she eats enough. She barely touched her lunch earlier."
He looked down at me and I shrugged. He knew I'd been nervous before. "I didn't eat much either, so I'll get enough for both of us."
I smiled back at him. It might be easier than I thought to let Jackson James McClane in.
"Anything you don't want?" he asked, leaning over the chair and eyeing my feet where they still sat in the cool water.
"Mom knows what I like best, so she probably ordered all of it."
That made him grin even wider. We were both smiling so much this afternoon we probably looked ridiculous.
"Okay."
He took one step away when I called out, "Um, J.J., can you bring me a towel for my feet? They're starting to get cold."
He nodded and shifted direction toward the kitchen. He'd just disappeared inside when my brothers came in the front door of the shop. I nearly laughed at their sweaty faces. It seemed Mom had made them walk down the alley and back around to the front of the shop rather than come in the back with her and J.J.
I doubted it would teach them a lesson, but it was still funny to see them so hot and covered in sweat.
Until they made a beeline for me.
"Don't you dare!" I called out. I knew they intended to rub their sweaty faces and hair all over me, even if I was wearing my pretty white wedding dress. All while I was sitting here, defenseless and unable to run away because I might slip on the floor with my wet feet.
All four of those buttheads smiled, but I glanced down and realized I did indeed have a weapon after all.
As they closed in on me, I shifted in my seat and reached down, gripping the edges of the pan.
Considering they'd already faced my mother's wrath, you would think they'd think twice, but they didn't.
They got within two feet of me and I said, "You all look hot. Maybe you need to cool off."
That's when it registered with them what I was about to do, and they scattered like roaches in the light.
D.J. practically ran toward his wife, Letitia, and ended up hugging her in close and rubbing his damp face on her cheek, causing her to smack him and tell him to quit being an asshole.
Clayton was about to do the same to his wife, Danielle, but she stiffened up as soon as his hand touched her and jerked away.
Uh-oh. Something was going on there. As I watched, she turned her back on him, which put her face to me, and I saw the stricken expression she wore.
Oh, God. They'd been trying to get pregnant for a while now and were having no luck. And here I was, pregnant and newly married.
She didn't look directly at me, but I wanted to get up and go give her a hug.
Clayton stared at her back for a moment, his expression just as hurt as hers. He started to reach toward her, but eventually dropped his hand.
I wanted to yell at him to talk to her, but now wasn't the time. It was also such a touchy subject. I hadn't realized that she was so upset about it because she always seemed fine when I saw her around town, smiling and laughing.
Danielle hurried to the hall that led to the bathroom, her head down, and Clayton watched her the entire way.
My heart ached for my brother and his wife. I also felt bad for giving him a hard time last Sunday night. It was obvious he loved Danielle and wanted her to be happy. And it was just as obvious that she was hurting and utterly unhappy.
What a mess.
I knew I couldn't fix it. I could talk to Clay until I was blue in the face, but if he didn't want to listen to me, it wouldn't do any good.
I only hoped he pulled his head out of his rear end before things got too much worse between them.
"Here you go," J.J. said, coming back up to my chair with two white bar mop towels in his hands. "I figure you could put your feet on one and dry them with the other. I know Cam likes to mop in here daily, but it's nearly impossible to keep a restaurant floor perfectly clean."
"Thank you," I said to h
im, laying the towels in my lap.
I wasn't sure what to do with the pan of water, but J.J. saved me from that issue too because he picked it up and carried it back into the kitchen. He returned in moments and made his way to the buffet. My brothers saw him coming and quickly moved away from the food, empty plates in hand, and gestured for him to get what he needed.
Huh. Maybe my mother's punishment had gotten through to them after all.
"Hey, darlin'."
I looked up and saw my dad standing next to me, his sandy brown hair combed but nowhere near neat. His bright blue eyes were sparkling and he was dressed in his best dark wash Wranglers and a button-down white shirt with a string tie. His belly wasn't quite as big as it had been last year, but he was still round and cuddly, if a bit smaller.
"Hi, Daddy. Come sit with me until J.J. gets back."
I placed my feet on the towel J.J. had left for me and started rubbing them with the other.
"How are you feelin' today, baby girl?" he asked. Then, he paused. "You're not gonna get mad at me for callin' you that now that you're married, are you?"
God, I loved my father so much. He wasn't perfect, but he never made a secret of how much he loved all of his children. He never withheld his affection, even when he was mad enough to spit nails at all of us.
"No, Dad." I sat up and leaned into his side, giving him a hug. "I may not be a baby anymore, but I'm always your girl."
He hugged me back, just tight enough to steal my breath. "I can't believe you're married and havin' a baby," he murmured into my hair. "Seems like just yesterday I was teaching you to ride your bike or how to plant seeds for the garden."
I squeezed him back harder. "Robert said something similar about Corey on Sunday night. I hate to break it to you, but we do grow up, Daddy."
"I know, I know. But I don't always have to like it."
I laughed and released him. "I was worried you and Mama would be angry about all this," I confessed. I hadn't talked to my father much since I broke the news to Mom, mostly because I was worried about how he might react.
"I can't say I'm glad you got pregnant so early in your relationship with J.J. but he was a good boy when he came around years ago and he's an even better man. I think y'all might have a rough start, but you'll figure it out."
It seemed he and my mother were of the same mind on this.
"Do you really think we can make it work with everything that's happened?" I asked, studying his face. My father was affectionate, but he was also honest. I don't think he'd ever lied to me, even when it would have made his life easier.
He leaned back and looked at me. "I really think that depends on the two of you, Lee. You're both kind, intelligent, hard-working people. Those are three characteristics that can improve a marriage. If you both apply yourself, I don't see why it couldn't be a nice life, or even a happy one."
"But what about love?" I asked.
He took my hand. "Baby, if that man can't fall in love with you, then you deserve better. I know a lot of men my age would go on and on about what's good for the children in this situation, but I think the best thing for a child is to be in a home with two people that love each other and aren't afraid to show it. But love can take time. Are you willing to give him time?"
I nodded, looking over toward J.J., who was piling two plates high with prime rib, potatoes dauphinoise, and roasted asparagus. He even snagged four rolls and put two on each plate. My eyes bugged out of my head. I couldn't eat even one of those plates in two meals, much less one.
My dad chuckled next to me. "If he doesn't love you yet, Lee, I think he will. It's already obvious how much he cares just based on the amount of food he's going to bring you. It's that hunter instinct. Feed woman. Care for woman."
I nudged him with my elbow and we both laughed. "Well, we have at least six months before the baby comes and he wants to be there to help while he or she is still little, so I think we have some time. I just hope I don't make a mess of things."
"Well, there is one strength you have that your brothers lack," my dad replied. "You are damn good at cleaning up messes."
With that, my dad rose to his feet, removed his cowboy hat, and leaned over to plant a kiss on my forehead. "I love you, baby girl, and I am always here for you if you need me."
"I love you, too, Daddy," I said, sniffling a little. "Now, go away before I start crying again and the boys try to drag J.J. back out in the alley because they think it's his fault."
My dad laughed and sauntered away, heading straight for my mother, who was still trying to get the last bit of the buffet line organized on the row of tables Sierra and Cam had put together.
"What's so funny?" J.J. asked as he came back to our table and put the plate in front of me.
"You," I said. "I hope you're planning to help me eat some of this food because even though I'm pregnant, eating for two is a figure of speech and not what I actually need to do."
J.J. grinned. "Well, I figure we can pack up the leftovers and take them home for a midnight snack."
At the sight of that beautiful smile and the word "home" falling from his lips, my heart stuttered and slipped. He was talking about my home as though it were really ours. As though he were happy that he was going to be there. With me.
"That's a brilliant plan," I replied.
"I'll go get us something to drink. You want tea?"
I nodded. "Can you grab some silverware too?"
He glanced down and realized that he'd brought me a huge plate of food but no fork, knife, or napkin.
"Uh, you want an apron for your dress?" he asked. "So you don't mess it up?"
My heart shifted again, edging toward a drop that would be both painful and exhilarating.
"That would be great," I said. "Thank you."
"Be right back."
12
The drive home was surreal.
The plan had been for a short reception, but by the time we'd eaten the delicious food that my mother and Colette ordered, it was already nearly six. Then, Colette and Cam had wheeled out a two-tier wedding cake. Each tier was wrapped in a pink fondant ribbon and a beautiful fondant bow. A glistening pink candy rhinestone rested in the center of each bow. Just like the ones on my shoes.
I'd teared up again but managed to control the urge to cry.
So, that's how J.J. and I ended up cutting the wedding cake together and feeding each other a piece.
It was a piercingly sweet moment.
We finally left Crave around seven-thirty and the sun was drooping in the sky.
I sympathized because I was definitely drooping myself.
J.J. drove the car without speaking, letting me drowse in the passenger seat. Cam had come up with a pair of cheap flip flops that she'd left in her office a few months ago and insisted that I wear them home since my feet were still sore and swollen from my wedding shoes.
When J.J. turned down my driveway, I was suddenly very awake. It had been simmering in my head all day that tonight he was coming home with me and he was staying.
I'd changed the sheets on the bed in the guest room and cleaned out all the drawers in the dresser and the few boxes I had in the closet.
I didn't have a lot of stuff, mostly because I saved most of my money instead of buying things that might need to be stored. It was probably for the best since I now had a roommate of sorts.
"Um, the bedroom is cleaned out for you," I said. "And my brothers said they could come over and help you move things around if you want."
J.J. glanced at me, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I know. They mentioned it earlier at the reception."
I frowned. "You mean when they dragged you out to the alley to do whatever stupid thing they planned."
J.J. shook his head. "Nope. Nothing like that happened."
I shot him a disbelieving look, but he didn't say anything else.
"All the same, I'll probably ask Brody if I need help," he said, his tone dry.
I laughed a little. "That
sounds wise. I think you've known my brothers long enough to know that they'd drop something on your foot because they thought it was funny."
He grinned and parked next to my car under the carport.
"You go in and put your feet up," he said. "I'll get the leftovers and the cake."
"I can help."
"You can help me figure out where I can put my stuff so it won't drive you insane this weekend."
I had to laugh because he was right on the money with that statement. I was particular about my environment, but I wanted him to feel like this was his house, too. It wasn't going to be easy to stop thinking of it as just mine.
"I promise I won't nag you about it," I said.
J.J. shrugged. "I haven't been here long enough to have a 'place' for stuff, so it won't be a big deal."
I faced him. "I meant what I said about moving my couch or the bed in your room out if you want to bring in your own mattress."
"I will if mine is more comfortable," he said. "I'm getting too old to sleep on uncomfortable beds."
"You're barely thirty-one," I pointed out.
"Forty's just around the corner," he replied.
I scoffed and opened the door, carrying my shoes and purse in one hand. I didn't want to admit it, but I was ready to go inside, change out of my dress, and take a long, hot bath.
I stopped short just inside the door to the screened porch. The only bathtub was in the guest bath, which would officially become J.J.'s bathroom now that he was my husband.
Indecision swept over me. I wouldn't want someone in what I considered my private space, but we'd also just gotten married.
M-A-R-R-I-E-D.
Technically, what was mine was his and vice versa. Right?
So why did I feel like I needed to ask his permission to take a bath in my own tub, in a house I'd been living in for going on three years?
"Hey, you okay?" J.J. asked from behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder and realized I was blocking his entry into the house. He held two enormous paper bags by their handles in one hand and a couple of gift bags containing wedding gifts in the other.