For nick, p.9
For Nick, page 9
Andie knew she was no longer doing this just for Nick, she was doing this for herself.
Andie and Zach awoke at the same time the next morning, buried under a mountain of blankets in the cabin of his boat. It was early and a chill was still in the air. They cuddled up, keeping warm together.
“We’d better get back before Janine calls the Coast Guard, the National Guard, the police, and a SWAT team to look for us. She’ll be worried when she discovers we’re not home.”
“Okay,” Andie told him, but neither one of them moved an inch. Zach pretended several times to try to move, but acted as if an unseen force was holding him down. Andie liked this quirky side of Zach. He could be downright silly sometimes. Who’d of thought? When she’d first met him, she definitely hadn’t. But now he was making her giggle uncontrollably. He really was a goofball.
“Are you all right? Take a breath,” Zach persuaded. When she didn’t stop he said, “Guess I’ll have to kiss those giggles away.”
That stopped her as she responded to his kiss immediately. “Zany Zach…make love to me again,” she said in a hushed tone.
“If you insist…” he mumbled. “Ardent Andie…”
They made love one more time before heading back to the house.
“Andie…”
“Hmmmm?”
“I like being married to you.” He touched a finger to the dimples on her cheeks when she smiled at him radiantly.
Reluctantly, they made their way back home. Regret filled Andie’s heart at the end of one of the most perfect twenty-four hours she’d ever lived through.
But it wasn’t over, far from it.
Janine was at the boat dock when they arrived. She had just realized they hadn’t come home and was desperately worried. They assured her they were fine, they’d simply decided to stay the night on the boat. She seemed rather pleased with the news and was obviously satisfied with their now affectionate manner towards one another.
“Janine seems happy with us. Evidently we now look the part of honeymooners,” Zach said as he hugged her to him. “To be honest, I’ve never had a honeymoon like this,” he told her in all seriousness. “Ever.”
Andie looked up at him, completely vulnerable to his charms. “Neither have I. Ever.”
“This is totally unexpected. But I like it, I like it a lot.”
She agreed wholeheartedly.
-10-
Zach and Andie had breakfast out on the patio, overlooking the lake. Andie couldn’t help but look at the lake differently now. It suddenly held great meaning to her. They’d shared something out on that boat that had changed their relationship, wholly. She was sure of it.
Zach reached across the table and held her hand. “Last night, it was…unforgettable.”
It would appear he knew it too. “It was the same for me.”
“Since we can’t top last night,” he winked, “How about kicking around the local crafts fair today? My mom loved it, so I figure you will too. We can buy some useless trinkets that we’ll never use, that will clutter our home, and eventually end up in the give-away pile when we do spring cleaning.”
Andie couldn’t hide her pleasure at the suggestion. “Sounds good. Let’s go kick.” She just wanted to be with Zach every second, no matter what they were doing. A happiness she’d never known filled her soul.
They took off in their rental car and made their way into town. They parked and joined the throngs of tourists meandering through the kiosks. It reminded Andie a little of a county fair. She felt casual and lazy as she and Zach, dressed in simple jeans and t-shirts, held hands and enjoyed the sights. They stopped at a table filled with floppy hats and Zach plopped one on her head and laughed out loud at the sight. She reciprocated and plopped one on his head. Since this produced even more laughter, Zach purchased them and off they went in their matching hats, feeling silly and carefree, and loving every minute of it. Next they came across a table selling smock style hoodies. They were made of rough cotton, and adorned with bright, colorful, vertical stripes. They tried them on, laughing at each other the entire time. With their floppy hats and striped hoodies, they looked like flower children from the sixties. They bought the matching hoodies and continued through the maze of locals selling their wares, feeling incognito in their hippie attire and saying words like, ‘peace, brother,’ ‘cool,’ and ‘out of sight.’ They were the ‘weirdo’ couple once again. When they came across flip-flops, they just couldn’t resist. They stuffed their shoes and socks in a bag and added matching, bright yellow flip-flops to their newly acquired clothing. To top it off, Zach purchased long strands of beads and they layered four or five necklaces each around their necks. They were now officially hippies and when they found a mirror, they stopped and looked at themselves and laughed hysterically, completely unaware of the stares they received from passersby. They were living in their own little world where only the two of them existed.
They stopped at the face-painting booth and Zach had a peace sign painted on his cheek. Andie had a rainbow painted on hers. Zach seemed oblivious to the fact that they were the only adults in line. They were caught up in the moment, behaving more like two children than grown adults, laughing and acting silly…and having the most fun Andie had had in a very long time. This was the real Zach, and Andie found she liked him more and more with every passing minute. His quirky sense of humor made her happy.
They ate funnel cakes, corn dogs, cotton candy, and huge ice cream cones dipped in chocolate that dripped down their hands as they tried to eat it. They snuck kisses whenever they could, kissing as if they were alone. Andie noticed mothers covering their children’s eyes from the view.
A young boy was walking around snapping quick pictures with his Polaroid, and then selling them to the eager tourists for a whopping one-dollar bill per picture. Regardless of the ridiculous price, Zach and Andie—in their raucous moods—posed for several pictures and purchased all of them. They laughed at the sight of the two of them dressed so ridiculously and Zach said he was going to frame one and put it in his office for all to see.
Later that night, they sat at a picnic table eating barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, and drinking lemonade, while a local band played country music. They joined the crowd and danced for the next several hours, clapping, screaming, and jumping along with everyone else. They kissed during all the slow songs, holding each other close, until Zach whispered in her ear, “Let’s get outta here.”
When they arrived home it was nearly midnight. They entered the house without turning on any lights, stumbling in the door, immediately in each other’s arms, kissing with wild abandon. Zach carried her up the stairs, but they didn’t make it to his room before they collapsed onto the floor of the hallway, making love right then and there.
“Mmmm…zealous Zach…”
“Amorous Andie…” he murmured against her lips and they laughed as they finally made their way to the bedroom.
The next morning Andie awoke to Zach bringing her breakfast in bed. The toast was cut into neat little triangles and the crust had been removed. “You have a good memory,” she said, pleased.
He climbed into bed with her and kissed her softly. Then with a boyish grin, he told her, “Guess what?”
“What?” she played along.
“I gave Janine the day off. We have the house to ourselves for the next twenty-four hours. What do you think we should do?”
His expression was positively mischievous. She raised her eyebrows at him. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
They did.
They ended up staying in bed all day, lounging in their pajamas, watching old movies, and making love whenever they felt like it. They snacked all day, getting crumbs in the bed and not caring. They made a huge bowl of buttery, salty popcorn and took turns throwing a piece of popcorn at each other to see if they could catch it in their mouths.
They soaked in the bathtub till the skin on their fingers turned prune-like. Then, spontaneously, they dressed in their fanciest clothes and Zach took her to an elegant restaurant. They dined over candlelight, holding hands and smiling at each other.
“I’m not sure I can choose a day, but if I had to, I’d choose today as my favorite day so far,” Andie told him, feeling a little amazed at how comfortable and relaxed she’d felt the entire day.
“I’ll agree with you there, but the day on the boat runs a very close second.”
“I can’t argue with that.” Their expressions boasted huge silly grins. “Zach, do you realize you haven’t made a business call in four, almost five days?”
“Do I own a business? I forgot. While you’re at it, what’s my name again?”
“I can’t help you. I don’t know mine either. I’ve forgotten everything but you.”
Zach tightened his hold on her hand, his demeanor utterly serious for once. “I guess now would be the right time to get down on my knees and beg you to marry me, but we’ve already done that. This has turned into an incredible honeymoon, Andie.” He paused. “Life is filled with surprises.”
“Fortuitous surprises,” she added.
“My favorite kind,” he agreed.
“You do realize half of my suitcase is filled with books. That’s why it weighed so much. I had no intention of…of…fulfilling my end of the contract during this first week.”
“I suddenly love ridiculous contracts…and fulfilling them with gusto,” he said as Andie guffawed. “Now, let’s get out of here before I embarrass you and make love to you right here in the restaurant.”
“You wouldn’t,” Andie challenged.
“Don’t test me on that,” Zach answered, pulling her close.
He waited till they got home, but this time they only made it to the living room floor with him mumbling, “I want heeerrr,” in a deep growl.
“I never should’ve told you that story…I’ll never live it down,” she said as he covered her face with kisses.
“I love it,” he murmured. “It expresses my sentiments exactly.”
They spent the night in each other’s arms once again, seemingly insatiable when it came to each other, and slept in until noon.
She awoke to find Zach dressed and awakening her with a kiss. “Hey, I’m really sorry, but I do have to make a few business calls today. I won’t be long. Do you realize we only have one and a half days left? Think about what you would like to do today, Mrs. Drake. See you in a little bit.”
Andie showered, missing Zach’s presence, dressed, and wandered downstairs. She could hear Zach’s smooth voice deep in conversation. She stood at the door and watched him for a few minutes. Her heart leapt in her chest at the sight of him, taking her slightly off guard. This was crazy, people don’t meet and fall in love like this. She didn’t believe in the whole insta-love thing. Yet things between her and Zach were good, amazingly good. When he noticed her, he smiled, a warm, welcoming smile. His eyes lit with recognition and affection, making her feel surrounded by—dare she say it—love. They were both certainly acting as though they were wildly in love with one another. But they didn’t speak of such things. This was so unexpected for both of them. Still, Andie had a feeling she knew where this relationship was going and the thought filled her with joy. She placed her hand to her lips and blew him a kiss and in response, he winked at her.
Sweet surprises, indeed.
Something approaching downright giddiness stirred within her and she felt like a teenager experiencing her first crush. Zach was clearly busy with an important phone call, so she decided to take a walk outside. On her way, Janine approached, carrying the heels she’d worn last night. Oops…she’d kicked them off when they entered the house and she had no idea where they’d landed. She’d forgotten all about them.
“I found these today while tidying up. Are they yours?”
“Yes,” Andie took them knowing her face was red, feeling as though Janine somehow knew what they had been doing.
She escaped to the outdoors, wandering aimlessly, gazing upon the remarkable countryside that surrounded the house. Her feelings for Zach were becoming stronger by the day and the thought did worry her. It wasn’t as if she was waiting for a proposal or anything, they were already joined by the bonds of matrimony. And it looked as though the next year was going to be…well, incredible. But they were under contract to say goodbye to one another after the incredible year was over. She was clearly headed for heartbreak, full speed ahead, engines roaring. What was she thinking?
“Andie…” It was Zach, approaching her with long, quick strides. He looked as though he was excited about something, almost ready to burst. The sight of him made her heart melt in her chest. Yep, full speed ahead.
“I have good news. It took a little finagling, but I was able to pull it off.” He smiled in his excitement.
“What? Tell me,” she said as he kissed her lips tenderly.
“I’ve made arrangements for us to stay for another week. Isn’t that great? I don’t want this to end yet. It’s so good between us. We’ll have the best time. Each day just keeps getting better with you and…”
Nick…Nick…I’ve hardly thought of Nick.
Andie felt herself freeze, she felt her smile slowly die on her face, and she felt her spirits sink, hating the thought of disappointing him. Zach paused, surely noticing the unmistakable look of alarm in her expression.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Zach…I can’t.”
“Of course you can. A few calls and it can all be arranged.”
“No…it’s impossible.” She didn’t want to hurt Zach, but she couldn’t be away from Nick for any longer than a week. Her time with Nick was beyond important. It was unthinkable to stay away any longer than she already had.
“Please try,” he coaxed.
“It’s out of the question. I’m sorry, I can’t.” Her time with Zach was unlike anything she’d ever experienced and she wished she could tell him yes.
His face hardened. “Can’t or won’t?”
“Let me explain.”
There was utter silence between them for several moments as Zach studied her face. She’d never seen him upset before, but knew that he was. He’d been so happy, so excited to extend their time together. For all of her tact, she may as well have thrown a glass of cold water on him or sucker punched him.
“There’s no need. I jumped to conclusions,” he said slowly.
“No, you didn’t. I’m sorry, I…”
“I have no right to ask this of you,” he interrupted. “I’m breaking the rules, aren’t I?”
Andie knew he was mentally taking a step away from her and she hated it. “Do we have rules?”
“In many ways we do, but we seem to have broken all of them.”
“Zach, please listen to me,” she said as she took his face in her hands. She had to make him understand. “I want to, I want to so much. I would love to stay here with you for another week. Actually, I’d love to stay here with you for another month. But I can’t. I have responsibilities at home. It was extremely difficult to get away for even this one week. I’m so, so sorry.”
“I know. You told me. I conveniently forgot.” He brushed it off, hiding his regret, making Andie feel horrible.
“Please let me tell you about my life.” Andie knew her eyes clouded over. It wasn’t an easy thing to explain.
“No, there’s no need. I’m sorry I overstepped our bounds. Let’s not share those personal details.”
Ouch. Andie let her hands drop and for several moments there was absolute silence between them. “Are you saying that…things have not become personal between us?” she whispered.
“I’m saying the exact opposite; we’ve let things become too personal. We don’t know where this is going just yet. I’d like to give us some time together, that’s all.” He let out his breath heavily. “Look, I’m sorry, I’m expecting too much, too soon.”
“No, you’re not. If I could stay, I would. Please know that. But I can’t, I just can’t.”
He took her in his arms and she clung to him tightly. He was clearly disturbed by their conversation and she had to admit, she was too. Everything had happened so fast, their emotions were running high and they didn’t know what the heck they were doing.
“Is this real, Zach? Or just the heat of the moment?”
“It’s real,” he told her. “These kinds of emotions can’t be faked.”
They hardly slept that night, knowing they had to leave the next afternoon and start their new life together. They clung to each other throughout the night, and Andie wondered if Zach felt as unsure about their future as she did. He was right, they did need more time together. They’d done everything backwards and their relationship was tenuous. But it was the beginning, and she couldn’t imagine a better commencement to a marriage, or a better foundation for a life together.
A life that Andie lived only for Nick.
-11-
Andie had never seen Zach’s home before the wedding. Upon arrival, she was more than a little shell shocked to see that he lived in a huge, rambling house that seemed to go on forever.
“This home has been in our family for four generations, to include me. I grew up here. Over the past few years I’ve had several renovations done, I think you’ll find the home modern and updated.”
His home was more like a mansion. The entryway was elegant with a chandelier overhead and a magnificent staircase that curved as it went up. The downstairs held several living areas. Her favorite room was the one at the back of the house. One wall held floor to ceiling windows with a view of the landscaped backyard. The kitchen was modern with a breakfast nook and a formal dining area. Zach’s home office was at the front of the house, a cozy room with its own fireplace. The home was stylishly decorated in soft, muted colors. After taking her on a tour of the downstairs, Zach introduced her to Mr. and Mrs. Barnes. They lived in a cottage out back and were the caretakers of the home. Mrs. Barnes cooked and cleaned. Mr. Barnes acted as a butler of sorts, did the heavy work, the gardening, and anything else Zach needed him to do. They’d been working in his home for the last fifteen years. Andie found them to be stiff and formal. It made her miss Janine and her friendly ways.
