Wrecked (Stories of Serendipity #8): #8 (30 page)

Jason had never lived in a house like it before. Before his parents had gotten divorced, they’d lived in a small shotgun house. When you walked in the front door, you were in the living room, which led into the kitchen. The kitchen led into his bedroom, which led into the master bedroom. It was a unique house, but he was glad he didn’t live there during his teenage years. It would have driven him crazy to have his parents walking through his room at all hours to go to the kitchen for a glass of water.

When his parents divorced, his mom had moved him to Houston, and he’d grown up in an apartment on the ground floor of an enormous complex. The swimming pool was close, and he liked to think his upstairs neighbors were midnight gymnasts. There was never a quiet moment, nor was there ever much space.

After moving out of his mother’s place, Jason had lived in a series of apartments and small rent houses never really wanting to experience the joys or tribulations of home-ownership. His brother had filled him in on plenty of stories.

But now he wasn’t so sure. Mary’s house was awesome.

It was old and had its problems, but Jason wasn’t leaving Serendipity. He hoped when the baby was born Renae would let him see it regularly, and Jason was planning all sorts of activities for him to do there with all the space. He’d even been shopping for swing sets, knowing full well the baby wouldn’t be ready for one of those for a couple of years. But there was an old tree house already in the back yard just begging for some reinforcements and a fresh coat of paint.

He forced his concentration back to the present. He couldn’t afford to lose his head at the shop, too. He’d just managed to get it running in the black again, and didn’t want to screw it up for his dad. He turned back to the accounting program he had running on the computer.

Movement out of the corner of his eye brought his head up. John Lee Hooker growled in the background, and he could see Renae standing outside, watching him. She offered a small wave. Hope swelled in his chest, quickly followed by worry.

She looked awful: deep circles under her puffy gray eyes, her legs were sticks coming from under her dress. Her belly was more pronounced than he’d seen last, and tears streamed down her face in rivulets. She dug around in her purse for something, and Jason idly wondered what had brought her downtown on a Sunday. Nothing was open.

She pulled her hand out of her purse and placed it flush against the glass so he could see it was the baseball card he’d given her. His legs unfroze and he was compelled to move.

Rushing around the counter to unlock the door, he opened it, his words pouring out at the same time hers did.

“Is the baby all right? Are you eating anything? You look sick.”

“I don’t want the baseball card. I want you.”

“What?” He didn’t hear her over his own panicked words. He swallowed, his throat closing up. It sounded like she’d said…

“I don’t want this.” She placed the card in his hands. “I don’t want Les. I don’t want to do this alone. I want you.” She twisted her fingers together nervously, looking at him with wide, fearful eyes.

“Are you sure?”

She looked down and took a deep breath. Jason waited, afraid to breathe.

“When I was growing up, my mom always had this little piece of paper taped to the refrigerator. I have no idea where it came from, but it was yellowed and the edges were frazzled, she’d had it so long. It said, ‘Step over fear, leap into faith.’ I’m doing that.” Her eyes looked up at him again, pleading. “I’m scared this won’t work and you’ll break my heart, but I can’t live like that. I’ve got to have faith everything will work out for the best. It seems to always have.”

Jason dropped the 2.6 million dollar baseball card on the ground and slowly brought his hands to her face, afraid she would flinch or bolt, and he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “I’m so happy to hear that. I love you, Renae, and I want to spend the rest of my life wiping your tears.”

She smiled and sobbed at the same time, resting her cheek on his hand. “I was so busy listening for you to say those words. I never paid attention to the way you acted.” She hiccupped a breath, and Jason wanted to smother her with kisses. “You were showing me the whole time, and I was too busy trying to convince myself I wasn’t worthy, that I couldn’t trust you, there was something wrong with us.” Her eyes fell, but her face stayed cupped in his hand. A tremble ran through him as she caressed his chest through his shirt. “Nothing with you feels real. It’s like magic. And I’ve finally accepted that. It’s not that way because something’s wrong, it’s because something’s right.” She pulled his head so their foreheads rested against each other, and Jason searched her eyes. But the doubt was gone. Finally. “I-I love you, Jason.”

Her words rendered him speechless. When he finally found his voice, it was almost unrecognizable. “Before I met you, my life was filled with darkness. You brought me light. These last few weeks have been hell, Renae. I’m sorry.”

Tears tracked down her cheeks, but she was smiling. “I’m sorry too, Jason,” she croaked out.

Slowly, as he would with a caged wild animal, Jason brought his lips closer to Renae’s. As they touched, he felt the familiar melding together of two souls meeting. The comforting crush of her hands wrapping around his waist to pull him closer melted something inside him, and when she opened her mouth to his, he had to force himself to remain gentle. He didn’t want to scare her off with his sudden desire to claim her. He had all the time in the world.

When they finally pulled apart, he was leery about asking the next question. “So, what’s next? Where do we go from here?”

She shrugged. “Let’s go home and figure it out.”

“I don’t want to live there. I grew up there.” Yeah, she sounded whiney, even to herself, but Renae couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to move in with Jason. As selfish as it sounded, she’d spent eighteen years of her life there, and every time her mother would come to visit them, she’d raise her eyebrows at the slightest change made. She knew it.

“Well, your house is too small. Admit it. It was perfect when you and Cody were young, but it’s time to upgrade, Renae.” Jason’s voice was soothing as if he were placating a toddler. She wondered if he was practicing for the baby. Except he had a smirk on his face that was anything but placating. If anything, it was riling her up. She took a deep breath, reminding herself not to take the bait.

She rubbed her belly, deep in thought. They were at an impasse. This had become a frequent problem since they’d decided to move in together. Which house to move into?

“Besides, I like having all the land around. If Dalton weren’t leasing it, I’d want to use it for something.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Like what?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never really been exposed to property like that before. I’ve lived most of my life in the city. It would just be nice to have some just in case I come up with something to do with it.” He leaned over and caressed her distended belly tenderly.

Renae looked up at the trees above them. It was Sunday, and since the weather had gotten nice, Jason and Renae had spent Sunday afternoons at their willow tree on the lake. It was like their ‘date night,’ only it wasn’t night time. Today, he’d made them a fruit basket with some cheese to eat while there. It was delicious, but she hadn’t been able to eat much.

He started packing up. “I’ve got a surprise for you.” The smirk was still on his face, and Renae was tempted to kiss it off. Especially now that it was warmer and the man had started wearing shorts. Good God, he had nice legs. Her lady bits tingled. That was one thing she’d miss when the pregnancy was over: all the tingly stuff down there. Jason himself was fascinated with the uterus contractions after her orgasms. He considered it definitive proof he was a master in the bedroom. He would take her to unseen heights, and then feel her stomach afterwards for the tell-tale tightening to make sure her moaning, gasping shrieks weren’t faked. As if she could pretend something like that.

The canoe ride back to the van was made in compatible silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Renae could tell Jason was nervous about whatever surprise he had planned, and Renae was just happy she’d finally let go of all her fears. She’d realized, almost too late, that her fears were keeping her from living. She was scared to live her life, and as soon as she’d realized that, she’d been able to let go. Her fear of being alone, especially when she didn’t have to be, and her fear of being with Jason, the uncertainty of the future, all of it had nearly frozen her into paralysis, and she was glad she’d broken free of it.

Of course, Les hadn’t spoken to her in months, and that hurt. But she knew he’d eventually get over it and find someone for himself.

Jason held her hand while they walked to the new minivan he’d insisted on buying her for the baby. He considered the old one a death trap. Whatever.

“I’m driving.”

She shrugged. “Okay.” Learning to pick her battles, and give up control was another thing she was getting. Jason was here to help, not dictate, and she was figuring out that it was okay. In fact, she sort of enjoyed the passenger seat every now and then.

But she had no idea where in the hell he was taking her.

“Where are we going?”

The smirk was back, but she could see his hands were tight on the wheel. “I know we haven’t been able to decide about housing. We want to raise the baby together in the same house while we explore our own relationship, right?” He turned the wheel onto a crushed limestone driveway, lined with trees. It curved up and around, leading to a big, beautiful old farmhouse. “I bought this house with the rest of the money from that card. It comes with three hundred sixty-three acres. I think that might be enough for whatever I decide to do. You didn’t grow up in it, and it’s certainly not too small.”

Renae gaped.

Jason got out of the van while Renae continued staring at the house. It was gorgeous with fresh paint and a new pebbled walkway up to the porch, a wrap-around porch with matching rocking chairs on it. A pain clenched her belly, but she tried to ignore it.

The house was huge, a big old rambling Victorian with shutters on the windows and gables. She tried vainly to remember what he’d said about it, opening her mouth to ask, but shock sucked the words back inside.

Jason opened her door and stood in front of her, blocking her view briefly before lowering himself to one knee.

Her eyes fell to him, as her uterus clenched again. Of all the times to go into labor, her body had to pick now? He’d just bought them a house to live in, and by the look of total adoration mingling with fear on his face, that wasn’t his only surprise.

“I know we’ve done everything backwards, but I love you. I want to be with you with this baby, and I need you by my side while we raise it. We’re moving in together, hopefully into this house that you’ll love as much as I do. I probably should have asked sooner, asked about the house, but I wanted it to be a surprise…”

Another pain gripped her. “Jason, hurry. You’re babbling.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Opening it, he asked the question, “Will you marry me, Renae?” His face was fearful, and she couldn’t blame him with their history. She wanted to kiss the worry off his face, but she couldn’t. Not right now.

She clutched her stomach. “Yes.”

He stood, grabbing her hands and pulling her into a hug. “Thank you.” She nearly laughed at the gratitude in his voice. He was thanking her for accepting his proposal. Unorthodox to say the least, but what part of their relationship had gone according to plan?

“You’re welcome. Now get back in the van.”

He pulled away, question and hurt in his eyes. “Why?”

“Because that was our last alone moment for a while.” Another contraction hit her. “It’s time to be a family.”