Breaking the rules box s.., p.15
Breaking the Rules: Box Set, page 15
“That’s my name,” Emma gasped. “My name is on the building, Daddy! Did you see that? My name is on my cup and it was on the building.”
“Sure was, sweet pea. We stayed there all weekend and your name was everywhere.” I laughed.
“What else is in your hand?” she asked Justin, trying to peek around to see.
“Oh, just a book and some silly ole stuffed animal. You know he kinda looks like the guy on the front of the book. Hmm, whatta ya know about that?”
“Let me see! Let me see! I know who that is. He is a Snitch. The lady at story time at the library read that story to us. It was so good.” We couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm.
We messed around for a few more minutes, telling her about the trip and all the things we saw and what we did. Of course, Justin had to read the book to her a few times before she was finally ready to let him go. I picked her up and thought to myself that she was getting so big. It wouldn’t be long at all before I couldn’t just pick her up like this. Justin left, but before he did, he hugged Emma and gave me a quick kiss. Then we headed back to the living room.
I noticed Emma was looking at me, and I could see about a hundred questions floating around in her head. “Jay Jay kissed you,” she stated.
“Yes, he did.” I figured the simpler I could keep it the better. No point in answering questions she wasn’t asking.
“Why?”
I chuckled. She was so my daughter. “Because he loves me and sometimes you kiss people when you love them.”
“Like Bampás loves Mommy?”
“Yes. Just like that.”
“Sometimes Mommy kisses Bampás too.”
“Yep, she does. I have seen her do it,” I said seriously.
“Do you kiss Jay Jay sometimes?”
“I do.” I agreed.
“Do you love him too?”
“Yep, a whole, whole bunch, almost as much as I love you.”
She took a minute to think through all this new information. Then she got a look on her face like she had made up her mind about something. Sometimes, she was so much like her mother it was scary. I had seen that look on Suzie’s face a hundred times.
“Okay, so that means we get to keep Jay Jay, and he’ll come here to live.” She nodded her head affirmatively like she had just made a royal proclamation. Yep, Justin was right to call her princess.
“Maybe someday, sweet pea, but not right away. That just isn’t the way things work.”
“Well, why not? Bampás lives with Mama, so Jay Jay should live with you and then we will all be a family together.”
That’s the plan, baby girl. That’s the plan, I thought.
As soon as I got her to bed, I called Nathan to see if he and Linc were busy. I needed to tell him about the weekend as soon as possible, or I would never hear the end of it. Linc was out with who knows who doing God knows what, but Nathan said he was headed over.
Nathan didn’t ring the bell; he just let himself in since he knew Emma was sleeping. “Hey there, hon. I’m here to hear all about your weekend away. I brought ice cream in case we were crying and wine in case we are celebrating. Oh, who am I kidding, sweetie, I brought the wine to drink either way. So, which is it? Are we laughing or crying? Let Mama get a look at you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him.
“Okay, so that sounds like laughing to me,” Nathan said, getting serious. “Tell me all about it for real and let’s put this ice cream in the freezer.”
“I love him, Nathan. I really love him.”
“Well, no shit, Mark. I could have told you that months ago, but did you tell him that?”
“I did.”
“Okay, out with it, sugar. What did he say?”
“He said that he loves me too. This is really happening, Nathan.”
“Tell me everything.”
I told him about the weekend and our planned trip to go see Justin’s family and then I ended with, “I’m going to ask him to marry me.”
Nathan looked at me wide-eyed. “Seriously? Doesn’t that seem a bit rushed?”
I smiled. “No, it doesn’t. This has been coming for months. It just took us a while to figure it out. I just need to find the right rings. I kinda know what I want. I thought about this all the way back from San Antonio. I want something that says that we are all becoming a family. I am thinking a Celtic symbol with Emma’s birthstone as an accent. I just don’t know where I could find one like that.”
“Oh, Oh, Oh, I know,” Nathan squealed. “When I went to that stroke conference in Alabama last year, I found the coolest shop. They sell rings made by this guy named James Eldridge. I loved them so much because they were so original. They are just what I’d want because you know, someday my prince shall also come. But anyway, I follow him on Instagram. I bet if you either told him what you want or found an inspiration picture he could make them for you.”
We spent the next few minutes or so going through the Circles of Love Instagram page. Nathan was right; the rings were amazing. He had an inventory of ready-made rings, but I had an idea what I wanted, so I was thinking I was going to have to go the custom route. I was worried about the timeline on those because now that I had made up my mind to do this, I just wanted to hurry up and make it happen. Nathan was flipping through the pictures when, suddenly, I saw it.
“Stop. Go back one. Look at that it is exactly what I was thinking.” It was a beautiful ring made of white gold with Celtic heart knots and sapphire stones. I was sure I could find something similar elsewhere, but there was something special about this one. It managed to be beautiful but masculine at the same time.
“These are the ones.”
“His stuff isn’t cheap, you know. Are you sure you’re ready to do this? Or better yet, are you sure Justin is ready to do this?”
“Seriously, Nathan? Way to be supportive dude. Some friend you are.”
“Hey. I didn’t mean that quite the way it sounded. I’m just having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea of Justin in a relationship at all much less married. I didn’t mean to sound like I doubted what you’re doing here. I’m just, I mean wow. I never thought I’d see the day, but if he is going to get married, I can’t think of anyone better for him than you. But come on, you have to admit this is a bit of a shock. A couple of days ago you were both swearing what you had wasn’t serious, and now we are sitting here looking at wedding rings. That is a pretty big change.”
“Okay, you are right. I’m sure if you weren’t there with us, it would seem strange. Did I tell you he traded in his Z4?”
“He did what!” Nathan exclaimed. “He loved that car. I mean to an unhealthy level even.”
“I said the same thing!” I laughed. “I said, ‘but you love that car,’ and you know what he told me? He said he did, but he loved me more.” I watched Nathan for a reaction, and it was priceless. He had his hand over his mouth, and he looked like he had just seen the sappiest scene ever in the sappiest rom-com on the planet. “Guess what he bought to replace it?”
“What did he buy?” he asked, his anticipation obvious.
“A crew cab pickup so he’d have room for Emma’s car seat and so we could carry our bikes and kayaks.”
“Shut up!” he exclaimed. “Oh my God, you are totally getting married. Wait. You don’t own kayaks.”
I laughed. “You goof, we’ll buy the kayaks. But you really think he will say yes?”
“Sweetie, if that man traded in his car so he could buy something that better fit with your life, he will totally say yes. Are you going to buy the rings?”
“I’m going to buy the rings.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Justin
Mark was right about us being together every day not being realistic, but I wished it was. By Wednesday, I hadn’t seen him since I left him at his house holding a one super excited princess because of the gifts we’d brought her back. She’d loved her Hotel Emma mug, and we read the story about the Sneetches at least three times. There were hugs for Emma and kisses for Mark— the first in front of Emma, which didn’t even seem to faze her—and then I left. It just seemed so wrong after the weekend. Then I had to work late Monday, and he worked late on Tuesday. We had been talking on the phone and texting but it just wasn’t the same.
Today was the first day we were both off and we were going to meet for dinner. He was bringing Emma. We were going to go eat at her favorite burger place, and then we were going to play miniature golf. I didn’t even know miniature golf was still a thing.
Mark: Hey, just a heads up expect about 1000 questions from Emma when you see us.
Me: Really, why?
Mark: She hasn’t stopped asking about our goodbye kiss the other night
Me: I didn’t even think she noticed.
Mark: Oh, she noticed. I just haven’t said anything because I thought it would blow over
Me: Is she ok?
Mark: LOL oh yeah, she is okay. She is thrilled. But she won’t stop with the questions.
Me: What did u tell her?
Mark: I told her I loved you the way Mommy loves Tom.
Me: Ok, thanks for the warning. See u guys at 6. <3 u.
I was trying to get everything put away so I could get out of work on time when Matt walked up. “Hey, man. We’re all going to the club tonight, wanna come? You haven’t gone out with us in ages. If you keep this up, we’re going to start thinking you’ve been domesticated.” He laughed like that was the most ridiculous thing ever.
“Domesticated, huh?” I said like I was really considering it. “Well, if loving someone so much you’d rather go play mini-golf with their kid than hang out at a club, hoping to get laid makes you domesticated, then I’ll own that title.”
“What? Are you serious? Tell me it isn’t true!”
“Yes,” I said with a completely straight face. “It is true. I am indeed going to play mini-golf.”
“No, don’t tell me the great Justin Johnson, the king of no repeats has fallen!” he exclaimed with a look of what I was pretty sure was mock horror or it might have been just horror I wasn’t really sure.
I laughed. Then seriously, I said, “Yes it’s true. I’m absolutely truly 100%, all in, in love with Mark. It’s horrible and scary and the most wonderful thing ever, man. You should try it.”
“Umm yeah no. But thanks anyway. Hey, with you off the table that just means more pretty boys for me. Honestly, though I’m happy for you. Emma’s a cute kid, and Mark is a really nice guy.”
“Thanks, man. Maybe next week we can both go with you. But for now, I gotta get going. Wouldn’t want to be late to show off my superior skills at the windmill hole.”
“Do they even still have windmills at mini-golf?” Matt asked, looking really curious.
“I have no idea, man. Until this week, I didn’t even know they still had mini-golf.” We both laughed, and then I headed out to the truck. I was meeting them there, and if I hurried, I had time to run by my house, change, and grab an overnight bag because I had no intention of sleeping alone tonight.
Yes, they still had windmills at mini-golf, and I was just as bad at it now as I was when I was a teenager. It was more fun with Emma though. One thing I knew for sure was that if Mark thought we should let her set the pace, we would be running. That little girl knew exactly what she wanted. It all started while we were at the burger place.
“Do you love my daddy?”
I looked at Mark for direction, but he just shook his head and laughed. “I warned you. I have been fielding her questions all week; it’s your turn.”
She just sat there looking at me expectantly.
“Yes, princess, I love your daddy.”
“Good, cause my daddy says he loves you, and it would be sad if you didn’t love him back.”
“It would be, but lucky for us, we both love each other. And you know, princess, I love you too.”
“I know you do silly. That is why you read me so many stories.”
“Yeah, that is why I read you so many stories.” I chuckled.
I looked up at Mark and our eyes met, and we both smiled. Yep, her pace was pretty much lightning speed.
By the time we got back to the house, she was ready to go to sleep. We got her tucked in, stories read, and headed back downstairs. “She is something else, isn’t she,” I commented as I sat on the couch.
“She is that. She has been full of questions about how things are going to work now that we are together. I knew she wouldn’t have a problem with it, but I guess I didn’t expect it to be such a big deal to her either,” he said as he sat down on the couch next to me.
“She’s a planner like her father.” I pulled him into my arms as I leaned back against the arm of the couch. I never realized I was a snuggler until Mark, but I honestly thought this was perfect. “I love this couch. It is so comfortable. Want to watch a movie?”
He snuggled in and sighed. “No, it is too late for a movie. Let’s watch something shorter and then go to bed.”
“Or we could skip the TV altogether and just go to bed. I have missed you the last couple days,” I said as I ran my nose up his neck. He made a little sound I loved that was somewhere between a moan and a sigh. So, I reached under his t-shirt and skimmed my fingers along his stomach. He pushed back against me and tilted his head to give me better access to his neck.
“Mmmm,” he sighed as I kissed that spot right below his ear that he loved. “Yeah, it’s been a long day and ohhh,” he gasped as I slipped my hand lower. “And I think an early night sounds good. Let’s head to bed.”
The next morning, I woke up with Mark wrapped around me just the way he should be. I hadn’t liked waking up alone the last few mornings. I untangled myself from him and slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake him. I peeked in on Emma, and she was also sleeping so I went down and made a pot of coffee. Once it was ready, I took the cup and went out on the deck to watch the sun come up.
I wasn’t out there long before someone came outside from next door. I looked up and Tom was heading over. “If you want a cup of coffee, there is a fresh pot in the kitchen. I’d offer to get it, but I have no idea how you take it.”
“That would be amazing. All we have in the house are flavored pods, and I just can’t do pecan praline flavored coffee this early in the morning.” He headed inside and got a cup. Then he came back out and sat down. “This is so good. Just plain coffee. Perfect.” He looked like he was in heaven.
“You like a good cup of coffee, I take it?” I chuckled.
“Oh yeah. Love it.” We sat there in silence for a bit, watching the sun come up. “You guys get everything worked out?”
“I’m sure between Mark and Suzie, you have already heard all about it.”
“Yeah, those two are thick as thieves. They were out here forever Monday morning, talking all about your weekend.” Tom chuckled. “It was kinda hard to get used to, to be honest. Even when they weren’t on good terms, you could tell they loved each other. In the beginning, especially before Mark came out, I spent a lot of time questioning my place within their tight little unit. I mean, when most people get married to someone divorced, their spouse hates their ex, but not Suzie. Oh no, she’s inviting him over for dinner and worrying about his social life. For a while there, I just kinda held my breath, waiting for them to reconcile, you know?”
“Nah, Suzie loves you like crazy, man. Anyone who’s spent more than a minute with you guys can see that.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well the feeling is mutual, and I know all that now. I mean I wouldn’t be living next door to the guy or consider him one of my closest friends if I didn’t.”
“Mark told me to ask you about the people you work with and what they think about y’all living here next to each other. What’s that about?”
“I guess all of us being such good friends, being neighbors, sharing a yard, and everything is kinda hard for people to understand. Plus, we tend to do things together as a family unit, so I suppose that seems weird to most people. Hell, if it weren’t me doing it, it would probably seem weird to me too. But anyway, there is a rumor going around at my work that we are in some kind of polygamous relationship. One guy even jokingly asked me if I was trying to start some kind of a polygamous cult out here.”
“Oh my god, you have got to be kidding me.” I laughed.
“Nope,” Tom said, using a fake evil voice and twirling a fake mustache. “We’re starting a polygamous cult, and I’m recruiting new members. Mwuhahaha! Are you ready to join us?”
We were both laughing. “You know what Tom? I think I am,” I said seriously, but then, just for fun, I added, “But just so you know, I’m only sleeping with Mark.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mark
Whoever the idiot was who thought flying with a 4-year-old was a good idea should be shot. And yeah, I knew it was me. We got off to a late start because Emma forgot Mr. Monkey and then we had to look for the Snitch as she insisted on calling the stuffed thing Justin bought her because they were best friends and would get lonely without each other. By the time we left the house, we barely had enough time to make our check-in. I knew it was just the excitement of the trip, but I couldn’t remember the last time she had been so difficult. I was trying to carry my carry-on bag, a backpack with stuff for Emma on the flight, and to keep a hold of her. At that moment, I wondered why we had never used one of those harness things on Emma because she was not making it easy. I knew Justin would help, but I had actually snapped at him when he offered. I guess there was a small part of me that was still afraid he’d decide we were more than he bargained for and leave, so I was trying to do it all myself.
About halfway through the terminal, he stopped me by grabbing my arm and leading me to the wall out of the crowd of people headed to their gate. “This is ridiculous,” he said, giving me a look that told me he wasn’t playing around. “You can take the bags or you can take Emma; which do you want?”
